New,
I think the changes to YS and credit for SC were badly needed and good for all reserve pilots and especially helpful if you commute. And I hope things do indeed even themselves out, you're a glass half full and I hope you're exactly right New.

What I fear though is that a bucket system with a high threshold to bucket 2 will in essence allow a senior pilot to fly 0 times that month while a pilot that is 1 number junior to fly 60+ hours all for the same amount of money.

All in the name of fixing this perceived injustice: "A senior pilot is forced to fly simply because his RAW value is one point lower than an available junior pilot."

Now I know we can say that won't happen but technically it can. Because the idea that the flying will be done by the most junior pilot is not correct. If you're senior and escaping a Monday-Thursday trip that's not going to be flown by the bottom of the list but rather someone no less than halfway up the list and probably higher than that. Given that's who is available over the same time frame.

And 80 points is a threshold, if you've flown 7 days and have 79 points then you still haven't hit 80 so you're still number one to fly and can get a 4 day. By the time you get back youre in bucket 2 but it took 11 days and 60 hours of flying to get there not six days and a SC.

Hence my concern about high bucket thresholds as it has the 50% and up flying in place of the top.

As to SC if you sat your allotment of six-ish that's not going to count more than a single 3 day. Now under the current system points for SC would help us all especially a commuting pilot get credit for working, but the new system undercuts it's value.

I think a 4-day and a SC should have you I bucket 2. Not 2 4-days or 3 3-days.

FTB
A glass half full is probably poisoned.

 

Can't speak to the other A/C but this kind of stuff out of SLC was getting such high level attention that everyone that went through CQ on the 73n did a departure out of SLC that focused on this very issue. Apparently, it's still a problem.

 

So you're saying that getting Sec 23G/FO obligations when removed for OE eliminated, less restrictive PCS moves, RAW points assigned for SC, etc is a big win for the company?

 

FTB,

Don't worry, I am sure screw scheduling will manipulate the buckets sizes to inflict the most pain possible, just like they do now. I really enjoy the every other day short call followed by the five day trip (4 SC & 5 day = 58 RAW). If it's true that reserve gets more senior then maybe it will be better to bid a line. One thing that I have learned in the my military and airline career, if you have a good deal, it never seems to last long enough. If it sucks, it seems like it goes on forever. So embrace the suck!

Good Luck

 

The superbowl is the largest single sick call day of the year for Delta.

 

Most of it is PBS. Keep in mind the old 30 percent reserve number was for regular lines verses reserve lines. It was not the actual percentage that ended up in reserve because after the lines were awarded there was a round of moveup bidding where reserves could still pick up a regular line or a portion of a regular line. Then the remaining open time was built into additional lines reserves could bid. Now with PBS all of that is incorporated into one process. That is why you get more regular lines and fewer reserves.
In summary we used to have a 3 step process. After step one about 30 percent of the pilots were on reserve lines. After step two and three it was 15 to 20. We now have a process where all 3 steps are incorporated in the initial award. The overall change is not great.

 

Good point Amish.

The one thing I may have missed, will scheduling still be doing all of this by pen and paper? There will need to be a lot of turning stuff in when they award it incorrectly. Unless they've automated it all next month?

 

No worries FTB, we are the most tech savvy airline in the world. Didn't you hear?

 

Here ya go...

SLC TRACON and Tower RNAV Quick Reference/notes
2011
The use of RNAV procedures represents a fundamental shift in the communication between air traffic controllers and pilots. In the past, controllers issued an individual instruction for every control action, altitudes, speeds, headings, etc. The phraseology that controllers use to issue these control instructions is specified in the FAA Order 7110.65 (an FAA manual that prescribes ATC procedures and phraseology) and adherence to this phraseology is necessary to avoid miscommunication between pilots and controllers.
When a pilot has been cleared on an RNAV procedure and subsequently receives a control instruction, the pilots are not sure if they are still supposed to comply with restrictions published on the procedure or disregard some or all of the remaining restrictions.
Because of this confusion, controllers are improvising phraseology to ensure separation and avoid further questions. This works great in individual situations, but actually causes more problems than it solves. By its very nature, improvised phraseology is not standardized between controllers and especially between facilities. The pilot becomes conditioned to hearing a certain phrase at one facility, and when it is not heard at another facility, the pilot is not sure what to do. This has become a problem even with commonly used phrases that have been a standard for many years.

“Climb/descend and maintain” This instruction deletes all subsequent altitudes on a published procedure, and instructs the pilot to climb or descend at a standard rate to the newly assigned altitude. When a new RNAV procedure is implemented, the pilots are not sure if this means to comply with published restrictions on the way to this new altitude or not. Because of this confusion, controllers start improvising phraseology to avoid confusion, and add phrases like “Climb now and maintain” or “Climb unrestricted and maintain”. The pilot becomes conditioned to hearing these phrases, and when they hear the correct phraseology “Climb and maintain” they are not sure what that means. The problems with this are obvious.
7110.65S
4-2-5. ROUTE OR ALTITUDE AMENDMENTS
b. When route or altitude in a previously issued clearance is amended, restate all applicable altitude restrictions. "Climb and maintain Flight Level Two Four Zero."
NOTE- Restating previously issued altitude to "maintain" is an amended clearance. If altitude to "maintain" is changed or restated, whether prior to departure or while airborne, all previously issued altitude restrictions are omitted, altitude restrictions are canceled, including SID/FMSP/STAR altitude restrictions if any.
AIM
4-4-10. Adherence to Clearance
d. When ATC has not used the term "AT PILOT'S DISCRETION" nor imposed any climb or descent restrictions, pilots should initiate climb or descent promptly on acknowledgement of the clearance. Descend or climb at an optimum rate consistent with the operating characteristics of the aircraft to 1,000 feet above or below the assigned altitude, and then attempt to descend or climb at a rate of between 500 and 1,500 fpm until the assigned altitude is reached. If at anytime the pilot is unable to climb or descend at a rate of at least 500 feet a minute, advise ATC. If it is necessary to level off at an intermediate altitude during climb or descent, advise ATC, except when leveling off at 10,000 feet MSL on descent, or
Flight Operations Communications 4/8/2011
2,500 feet above airport elevation (prior to entering a Class C or Class D surface area), when required for speed reduction.
g. The guiding principle is that the last ATC clearance has precedence over the previous ATC clearance. When the route or altitude in a previously issued clearance is amended, the controller will restate applicable altitude restrictions. If altitude to maintain is changed or restated, whether prior to departure or while airborne, and previously issued altitude restrictions are omitted, those altitude restrictions are canceled, including departure procedures and STAR altitude restrictions.
EXAMPLE: A departure flight receives a clearance to destination airport to maintain
FL 290. The clearance incorporates a DP which has certain altitude crossing restrictions. Shortly after takeoff, the flight receives a new clearance changing the maintaining FL from 290 to 250. If the altitude restrictions are still applicable, the controller restates them.
“Resume normal speed” is another commonly used phrase that leads to confusion when combined with RNAV procedures. It is very clearly written in the 7110.65 and the AIM that an instruction to resume normal speed “does not delete speed restrictions that are applicable to published procedures of upcoming segments of flight”. (7110.65 5-7-4) This has lead to a lot of confusion between pilots and controllers and is often misused. Most pilots and controllers are not aware of the definition of resume normal speed that is contained in the 7110.65 and the AIM. RNAV procedures usually include published speeds, and the use of “resume normal speed” only leads to confusion for controllers and pilots.
“Delete Speed Restrictions” is the phraseology that is currently in place to instruct an aircraft to disregard all previously issued speed restrictions and any speeds published in upcoming segments of flight. This is another phrase that with consistent use throughout the system will lead to less confusion between pilots and controllers.
“Maintain” is a simple instruction that has always been used between pilots and controllers. Maintain instructs a pilot to execute the assigned instruction as soon as practical, and to maintain that assignment until new instructions are received. “Maintain 280kts” instructs a pilot to increase to, reduce to, or continue at 280kts until another speed is issued. This includes disregarding any speed restrictions that are applicable in upcoming segments of flight. This is especially problematic with RNAV STARS. If an aircraft receives no speed instruction, or simply receives a speed associated with a fix, “Cross SPANE at 280kts” the aircraft should comply with any speeds that are subsequently published in the RNAV STAR. If the aircraft receives “Cross SPANE at and maintain 280kts” the aircraft should disregard speeds published in the RNAV STAR and maintain 280kts until further instructions are received. “Descend Via” instructs the aircraft to comply with all restrictions published in the procedure, which includes altitudes and speeds. There is a lot of confusion in this area, compounded by the fact that Center controllers don’t realize the full implication of their phraseology, and approach controllers have no idea how the speed restriction was issued. No good solution presents itself at this time.
“Resume the Departure/Arrival” instructs an aircraft to resume the lateral portion of the procedure only. There has been some question of whether this instructs the aircraft to comply with published altitudes and speeds, but the 7110.65 5-6-2 states:
f. Aircraft instructed to resume a procedure which contains restrictions
(SID/STAR/FMSP, etc.) shall be issued/reissued all applicable restrictions or shall be
advised to comply with those restrictions.
Aircraft vectored off of an RNAV procedure and subsequently returned to the procedure will not comply with published speeds or altitudes unless instructed to do so.

RNAV Phraseology Reference
STAR Phraseology
“Descend and Maintain”
Instructs the aircraft to descend now (at a standard rate) to the newly assigned altitude and maintain that altitude until a new altitude assignment is received. The aircraft will disregard all altitudes published on the STAR.
“Descend Via”
Instructs the aircraft to laterally and vertically navigate on the Star and comply with published speeds.
“Resume the Arrival”
Instructs the aircraft to rejoin the lateral confines of the arrival only. Previously issued speeds and altitudes should be maintained.
SID Phraseology
“Climb and Maintain”
Instructs the aircraft to climb now (at a standard rate) to the newly assigned altitude and maintain that altitude until a new altitude assignment is received. The aircraft will disregard all altitudes published on the SID.
“Resume Normal Speed”
Instructs the aircraft to comply with the speeds published on the SID.
“Delete Speed Restrictions”
Instructs the aircraft to disregard all previously issued speeds including speeds on upcoming portions of the RNAV SID.
“Resume the Departure”
Instructs the aircraft to rejoin the lateral confines of the departure only. Previously issued speeds and altitudes should be maintained.

 

This is exactly right. I wish we could go back to true yellow slips, both lo and hi.. maybe with a modification of being able to pass to a certain extent. Since reserve manning is so thin now, passing too many times wil ensure that even a senior guy gets a crap trip now and again....