Deadheading question. How come the computer says you can't change seats to any seat, not just the good ones but any, for 24 hours after the seat is booked? Is this a new thing?

I deadheadz last week for times and didn't run into that.

 

I guess my original statement was incorrect, as they CAN assign you flying on X or off days per the PWA...thanks JugHead! I stand by my assertion that you DO NOT have to accept flying on X days or scheduled off days. This is taken directly from the scheduling handbook:

A pilot’s obligation to accept a trip on X days or regular line off days is not absolute, regardless of whether the trip is or is not a proffer. A variety of circumstances might prevent a pilot from accepting a trip.
For example:
• Not being physically located so as to be able to report.
• Having recently consumed alcohol.
• Lack of available child care.
• Lack of available transportation.
• Not being adequately rested. For example:
 A pilot, not on call, notified of a rotation with a report time within 10 hours should consider if he is sufficiently rested to accept the scheduled rotation.
 A pilot is not required to accept an inverse assignment that does not allow for 10 hours of rest between acknowledgement and report time for the assigned rotation.
Be polite and professional in your dealings with Delta personnel. If necessary, call your Chief Pilot for assistance.

 

Agreed with all of that--BUT, the scenario the OP raised was having a stand-alone RES ("on call") day at the end of a month. None of those reasons (possible exception of child care) could be played in this scenario--your [his] schedule had RES on the last day of the month from the get-go. Even the child care card could, I imagine, land one in hot water ("Well, Mr Driver, you were scheduled for a RES day, and the PWA clearly states you could be flown into your REG month--why didn't you have child care arrangements for the day(s) in question...??").

As I read it, that laundry list of how assignments aren't absolute ("proffer or not") essentially applies to a trip assigned to you at the last minute, starting on a day when you didn't expect to be flying / on-call.

 

I agree that you need to be available the 1 reserve day at the end of the month, but it's far from reasonable to be extended into the next month on day where you were not scheduled to fly.

I have young kids and my wife works. The mix of my work days, her work days, school and pre-school, and nanny is carefully arranged weeks ahead of time. Delta cannot expect me to have child care available for every day of the month (in this case, or in the case of inverse assignments).

I would have no hesitation in telling the scheduler and CP if needed the situation, and not expect to work those days that they want me to. In this case it might "only" be 3 extra days, but in airplanes with longer trips, it could be an extra week or longer. Not happening in this household.

If you don't stand up for yourself, then it's only your fault if scheduling runs over you.

 

Agree. I've never had it happen to me personally. I've gotten plenty of green slips where I was on call day 1, and had days off following. Maybe this is something that we should look into during the upcoming negotiations.

In my opinion, you should never be required to fly on your days off, with the exception of a reroute outside of the companies control. I think the above reference in the scheduling handbook would give one plenty of leg to stand on in the previous example.

"Yes, I understand that I'm on call today, and I'm ready to fly today. However, My wife is working tomorrow on my scheduled off day, and I do not have child coverage. I'm very sorry as I would love to help you out."

Now when they call back as a GS proffer, "Miraculously, I've found some child care coverage, and will gladly take this trip as a GS!"

 

Here's a PSA for folks, more for the new guys who might of not been here in 2011 when the last version of Microsoft Office came out. There is a Microsoft program where we can get Microsoft Office for Mac or PC for a $9.95 though their "Home Use Program". I found a email from the company in my delta.com email, that had a link to get it.

I used it before and it's great - a legal way to get the latest version to use on your home PC.

 

Thanks for the update. I've been checking and I see they updated it with the 2016 office. Finally got an update for Office 2011.

 

I've never seen/experienced the '24 after' restriction before but I have had a couple other scenarios with DH seat selection. It depends on what 'class' ticket is used (M-class, Y-class, etc.), and how full the flight is when the DH is booked.

I've had a mid-rotation DH as a line holder (trip built previous month) where any available coach seat (including Econ Comfort) was selectable when I added my name to the record locator. I've also had DHs on reserve-call-out rotations where the flight was overbooked/full and it wouldn't allow me to change from my assigned, middle-of-three, steerage class seat.

In most cases, when you check in (24hrs), regardless of which 'class' ticket they used, if there is a E.C. or exit-row seat available, you should be able to select it. You can also 'request upgrade' at the same time; but don't count on the first class on any domestic flights though -- Medallions win out over employees.

 

As a DH pilot, after adding your name to your PNR, you should be able to select/change to any regular coach seat (not comfort+) that shows available at any time on delta.com. 24 hours prior to departure additional inventory seats are released and you may see that more coach seats are now available to select. In addition, available comfort+ seats are also released 24 hours prior and you may now select one of those for free.

As departure time approaches keep checking for comfort+ availability, particularly if there are first class seats showing available because medallion customers that get upgraded to first class tend to be holding comfort+ seats that now become available to you! Don't wait too long because an hour prior to departure you cannot select/change seats online. Within an hour of departure you *might* be able to ask an agent to switch you to a comfort+ if you see that there is one available, before they start assigning the non revs.

Of course you may never select a FC seat but you may use delta.com to get on the upgrade list for FC ... behind a gazillion medallions of course. But at least you will be PSUP so you are ahead of all the S2s and S3s.

 

Way off topic here, but I'm looking for info on where I might be able to watch the upcoming Rugby World Cup Final match.

I've been trying to keep up with it but in the States there's almost zero news about Rugby. When I googled it, the schedule said it's being played in London, 4pm local (GMT), Oct.31, which would make it noon in the ATL.

I'll be on a trip at that time, out in the middle of the Pacific going from LAX to SYD.

I might try to catch it on You Tube (or is there some better Rugby site?) when I land in SYD later that day.

If it were just one day later, I'd be watching it in a bar in Sydney!

The Aussies are playing New Zealand for a rematch of the 2011 finals. Should be a great game, I just hope I can find it somewhere.

If you know of a good internet site to find the replay of the match, let me know. Thanks in advance.