Oh yeah... also downloaded BidCentral, which actually worked for me this time. Bid with PBS Desktop, using Flightline EasyBid and BidCentral to sort and look at trips...
Officially "Most Complicated Bid Ever Entered". Pretty sure I will discover I bent myself over and made some critical mistake when results come out.

Turns out "Bid commutable trip with <=2 legs first day, <=3 legs any day, <=2 legs last day; release to layover NLT 0000; report for checkin NET 0700; Eastern Time Zone check in NET 1000" produces ZERO TRIPS.

Doesn't seem too much to ask that you get done by midnight, dont start work before 0700, or 0700 local base time (EST 10:00), and less than 8 hours block in cockpit for around a 12 hour work day. Apparently the "7 til midnight" job is too unproductive and just WAY too much QOL to ask for...

Try release to layover NTL 2359.

Would NLT 2359 make a difference?

I can't get to my PC to test the PBS logic. If 0000 is the start of the day it will screen a 2100 release as being after 0000, thus filtering out all trips. If you are using EasyBid, you can see the number of trips available before and after that preference on the screen where you enter it.

I would think any bid that lists anything NLT or "< 0000" would produce zero hits.

But I have been wrong on bid logic before. :cool:

Scoop

Carl,

Your funniest post ever!

This is not untrue. And it's why there is a minimum hour level that must be reached before you can bank. Otherwise, you could bank everything and defer all pay until it's "worth more". If you have ALREADY worked over the threshold, and don't need the extra pay, banking those hours could net you more pay for a given set of hours worked depending on when you apply them.

But if one (such as MikeF16) is contemplating working extra NOW instead of later, it actually doesn't matter. Working 12 hours in week one (to bank 2 for later) then working 10 in week 2 pays IDENTICALLY to working 10 hours in week one (no bank) and 12 later (no bank used). Both situations are 22 hours work for the same pay.

Maybe everyone is right...it just depends on what you're trying to accomplish. For me, the bank system allows one to shift WHEN he or she works, but it's not an incredible investment with huge returns as many people believe. And I'd personally prefer working more LATER, when higher seniority allows me to work more efficiently (more efficient trips, credit, fewer work days, etc.). A year's difference in seniority in this current environment is immense.

True. This strategy is most useful if one assumes that one will be on reserve and not able to break guarantee after upgrading.

The change from 1st year pay to second year pay makes a big difference with the bank.

I am on 1st year pay until June 2, and during the vacation bid window I took a "loan" from the bank of 6 days. Something like 24 hours of pay and credit. Now I WS or GS an 8 hr day trip or so each month that pays back the bank 8 hours at a time. So it only takes me 3 days off to get 6 days off. Now when I take vacation I will be on second year pay which is $37/hr more. So that means I get an additional $888.00 to spend on my vacation over what I would have gotten on first year pay. (so I can buy overpriced beer at Legoland). If we are going to get a significant pay raise due to a new contract, then it would pay for people to build up their banks now and take it out after the new pay rates kick in.

First year to second year, FO to Capt, Narrowbody to Widebody are all transitions where banking hours can be beneficial. The FO to Capt is especially convenient, because it usually comes with a substantial reduction in relative seniority. A senior FO can bank hours while enjoying a good schedule and withdraw them as a junior captain.