Hmm, well right now I've got a few hours in the bank and wanted to add more. When I go to the bank page it is showing a monthly deficit and not letting me add (which is why I'm asking these questions). Either the system is correct and I don't understand it, the system is incorrect and I need to call somebody to fix it, or perhaps I'm just trying too early in the month.

As I recall the one time I added to my bank, I was able to do so the moment the trip that put me over the bank limit showed up on my line (but that was all straight pay, no GS in that month).

 

I don't think you can put anything in the bank until you go over 80 hours. So if you have a 74 hour line, it's not going to let you fill up. If you GS over 80, should be good. Though I'm not understanding the bank limit you referenced.

 

I thought I should be able to fill up the bank as well since just the "normal" portion of the GS puts me way over 80 hours and it isn't letting me. In regards to bank limit: go to icrew->pay/hours->pay statement. You'll then see a line for each trip, and directly below that there is a "math problem" that goes:

credit + res guar + other guar = sub ttl credit - payback neg bank + bank opt 1 awd = ttl credit bank opt 1 limit. For me, that bank opt 1 limit is 77:00, not 80.

I might just have to call alpa on Monday, I really have no idea what that page means or even how I am paid. I am surprised at the amount of my paycheck every single time it gets deposited. Sometimes I get more than I thought, sometimes less, but never what I thought I would get.

 

As long as they are growth airframes and not something the company can downsize to by parking higher paying equipment

 

Only credit time above the ALV can be added to the bank. A GS is pay no credit so can't go in the bank. You need to build your initial line above the ALV or WS above the ALV in order to make a bank deposit. If you have a negative bank they will automatically take up to 5 hours above the ALV to pay it off.
If they are short pilots and giving out GS's its not smart to worry about the bank. Build your line to the minimum allowed and GS any additional flying.

 

You sure about it being ALV? I would've put money on having to credit over 80, not ALV.

Don't have time right now, but a lot of this is laid out in the scheduling reference handbook. Open the PDF and search for "bank."

Side note: I'd like to see us be able to add to the bank at a much lower threshold. There are months where I'd be willing to accept less pay in-month in order to fill my bank for later...crediting over 80 in any significant amount will wear you out. It's difficult to fill the bank up very quickly.

 

Thanks guys, that helps. I agree Sailingfun, GSing is better than banking, but unfortunately my commute makes accepting most GS I'm offered impossible. Usually the only way I can make any kind of pay above my normal rate is to WS in advance so I can plan my commute, and then bank the hours to cash in at what will be a 40% pay raise from year one to year two. Not ideal but I have to work with what I've got .

 

The answer to both questions is no. You can only deposit pay and credit hours that you accumulate in a bid period above 80 hours. (The 77-hour bank limit you reference is the amount to which you can withdraw from your bank to fill up.) You can accumulate such pay and credit hours only by picking up additional flying at single pay and credit, e.g., via WS, swap with the pot or pilot to pilot swap.

In your scenario, you have 74 hours of pay and credit, and the GS trip gives you an additional 10:30 double pay, no credit (i.e.,21 hours).

With no bank withdrawal, your GS trip would pay 2 hours pay and credit (to get you to the trigger) and 8:30 double pay, no credit, for a total value of 19 hours.

Bear in mind that you can borrow hours from the bank too, up to 20 hours per bid period normally but only 5 hours in a bid period in which you have flown a GS. In this case, you could borrow 2 hours to bring your pay and credit up to 72 hours. This would cause your entire GS trip to pay double pay, no credit. In essence, the 2 hours you borrowed from the bank would be worth 4 hours.

 

Keep in mind that banking hours to cash in at a higher rate later does not work out like most think. You are banking hours not pay. If you work one hour now and bank it the rate is the same as if you work that hour next year. Either way you work one hour. Banking hours is best used if you want to build a big block of time off at a later date.

 

You are correct, it is 80 hours not the ALV.