MD88Driver

Hey APC friends, I just received a 23K for a BRU drop. I'm scheduled for a KEF the 3 days prior. Any gouge on if I should drop the KEF and pick up a higher paying trip to limit my exposure to reroute? Do they typically assign flying days before the original rotation? Thanks from a 23K newbe....

LOBO

Duplicate........

LOBO

CHAOS is about to happen with BRU and MXP. The A330 dropped its MXP trips and the 7ER dropped its BRUs trips. And each aircraft is going to pick up the others rotations. You will have 23k obligations for your rotations that was dropped.

Not sure if swapping to a different trip will help. Realize with 23k they can give you a trip that might not start on the same day as the original trip and ultimately just has to get back the same day that you were going to get back. In other words they could give you a two day trip.

I think you misspoke when you questioned yourself about reroute. They could assign a trip from now until 6 hours after your original sign in for your recovery flying.

I was on the phone with ALPA scheduling yesterday clarifying all of this. I have 4 MXP trips that were dropped for the month. They more or less made me a reserve (Short call) pilot for the month.

WhatNow

I don't know who you talked with at ALPA but you are certainly not on short call. Read your options in the contract. Very worst case you have a short call obligation for 4 6 hour periods the entire month. On the ER it's unlikely you will even sit one of those.

I would also call your rep. I don't believe this falls under a recovery option. It does mention equipment substitution under IROPs but this is a pre month marketing change.

LOBO

Yes, like you said worst case would be 4 x Short Call for the 6 hours after your original rotations was suppose to sign in. They could assign you a trip 2 hours after you original sign in that departs in 2 hours. So, yes you could be on the hook (short call) for a trip on the original departure day.

Emails have been sent to the LEC. Like you said the definition of IROP has equipment substition listed. All this started taking place the day after schedules went final. I have called b.s. on this but, for right now everyone has been assigned 23k recovery flying.

BUSTED

Non-rev question from a newbie...

Trying to non-rev my family of 4 from DFW to SJC, which will take a stop in either SLC or LAX.

1. Is this a stupid/crazy plan to expect to get 4x non-rev seats on multiple flights? I'd rather not shell out the money for confirmed seats. Especially since we're flexible on travel dates.

2. Would you guys list for it in travel net as a round-trip? 2 separate one-way trips? or list for each leg individually? I vaguely remember someone saying during Indoc that there are advantages to listing as either one-way trips or individual legs, but don't have a clue what those advantages are...

3. Anyone have experience checking bags (car seats) while non-revving? I assume they'll go with the first attempted leg and be at our destination ahead of us if we don't get on until later.

4. It'll be my wife's first non-rev experience (mil guy, new to the 121 world), so any additional advice you've got would be appreciated.

Thanks for the help...


Cheers,
BUSTED

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Olario

Busted,
It can be done. I have traveled all over the world with my family of 5.
Be flexible. You're trying for SJC. Keep SFO and OAK and maybe SMF as a plan B. You can always get a one way car rental to SJC if needed for about $70-100.

I always list one way, not one leg. One way makes sure your bags will make to SJC, (if you checked bags) even if you don't. Otherwise you will have to go to baggage claim and re-check your bags for every flight. I never list round-trip because my plans may change for the return trip and there is no added benefit for doing it so.

Checking bags will be free for up to 2 bags per person. Your family can check 8 at no charge. 50lbs per bag max. Car seats are checked as bags if you choose to do so and you will pick it up at your final destination.

About the wife, keep reminding her how much $$ you're saving. She will be game.

Best of luck.

freezingflyboy

Depends on the loads. How does it look on TravelNet? Ninety seats open? Then nope, not crazy at all. Six seats open and other non-revs ahead of you? Then yes, it's a bit unrealistic (but not unheard of!).

Personally, I prefer to list it as two separate one-way trips for the sake of easier management if things go sideways on you and you gotta start making backup plans. There aren't any material advantages or disadvantages one way or the other that I know of.

Domestically, I have seen this go both ways. I have had my bag go ahead of me and be held in the baggage office at the destination. I have also seen the load agents hold off non-rev bags until getting the OK from the gate agents to load non-rev bags. I have anecdotal evidence only but I *THINK* if you check your bags at the gate and then end up not making it on, they will still go without you. If you check them at the ticket counter and don't make it on, they will hold them off. There isn't a policy I have seen so this is just a guess based on experience.

Hopefully she is one who can "woman up", easily go with the flow and deals with disappointment well (she is married to a pilot after all!). My best advice is:

• Go early. Yes, those 6am departures suck but they are sometimes your best bet for getting on. And infinitely less painful than sitting in an airport all day watching flights leave without you.
• Be flexible. SJC not looking great? Go to SFO and take BART or rent a car. Being able to quickly change plans can sometimes be the difference between going or not. Also know that your seats will probably not be together. The agents usually do their best to get as many of you together as possible, especially with kids. If it works out, great but often times you will be in different middle seats all over the plane. It is poor non-rev form to hassle gate agents about seats or play musical chairs with the paying folks.
• Be patient. Non-revving can sometimes mean many hours in the airport being rolled from one flight to the next. Also, if you have the time, don't walk away until the plane pushes. You never know what can happen. My mom once got on a flight that looked hopeless after they booted an uncooperative pax and a few non-revs ahead of her had already slunk off to other flights.
• Have a game plan. Have a solid Plan A, B, C, D...however many you need to make it work. Know what you're going to do if they call your name and there are only 2 seats left? Do you send the wife with one kid and go with the other kid on the next flight? How does your wife feel if you take the jumpseat and she has to manage the kids alone in back for several hours?

Also know that cutting a trip short or having to go home and try again the next day can be demoralizing and gets old quick. Be prepared to deal with that. Without knowing how old your kids are, you may want to talk with them about the possibility the trip doesn't go as planned, that they may have to sit by themselves (although my guess is with car seats, this may not really be an option for you), etc. It has happened to me where the last 2 seats on a flight are separated and get awarded to a non-rev with higher seniority. Kid has a meltdown about having to sit with strangers for 4 hours and yaddy yadda...me and the girlfriend are on a flight we didn't think we'd get on!

No problem! Welcome aboard and have fun out there! Non-revving can be a blast or a nightmare, especially with a young family. A lot depends on your attitude, flexibility and ability to adjust expectations on the fly.

full of luv

Others had good tips. One other if non-reving with kids 5 and below:

They will not be allowed in First/Business unless they are 6 or older, so if you want any chance of you or wife to sit in first class, list one adult and child under six separately as one listing, and then list the others in a separate listing.

Granted, there's nearly a snowball's chance in Lucifers kingdom that there will be first/biz on a domestic flight, but if there is, you don't want to forgo your opportunity to use it. On Hawaii/international flights for instance, it can make a real difference.

Bon voyage, same as other posters, my family of Five has traveled to Japan, Korea, Palau, Australia, New Zealand, and to four other European cities as non-revs, along with a requisite number of trips in CONUS.

Often the hardest leg on any Delta flight in my experience is ATL to Florida (sometimes anywhere in Florida).

Molon Labe

Kudos to the posters above, that was excellent advice. I grew up in an airline family that is both mom and dad, and I could not have said it half as well. You have given the questioner excellent advice.