Kew Gardens Cab is now $16.50 between LGA ad JFK, rather than $18.50.

Other than that, good gouge!

WHAT!!! The price of something other than an airline ticket went down!?! Unbelievable!!:rolleyes::)

Denny

I know the prices of our services have seemed to follow that trend as well :rolleyes:

OK, so I'm thinking I may be about the most popular kid in my class, whenever that is. High last 4, and all I want is to eventually end up in an NYC M88. Planning to commute from MHT/BOS, and that seems pretty doable, even to for long call reserve (and if all goes sour w/flight availability, it's a 5hr drive).

As a mil guy with zero airline experience, can someone give me a good idea on what a "typical" NYC M88 junior reserve month might look like? What about one of the most junior lines?

Also, when you sit long call, is that a 12hr or 24hr stint? I assume you're in crew rest as soon as you accept the call, and then your duty day starts at check in, right?

Thanks for helping fill my clue bag.

Reserve is bid through PBS now - so basically you put in preferences for days off and it builds you your line (there are a few different ways to put in your preferences - you should learn in indoc. Bidding for reserve guys is pretty straight forward). You will have 18 on call days a month. For domestic categories you can have up to 9 days on call in a row - this can be popular with commuters since you could possibly do all your reserve in two 9 day chunks. The minimum is 3 on call days in a row. So, as you can guess, there can be quite a variety in the different reserve lines awarded. As soon as you get your DeltaNet access download some of the bid awards - that will start to give you a feel for what you can expect.

Yes, long call is 24 hours and you are put on rest when you are assigned a trip - like you said.

Welcome aboard!

Wuzzo,

When one is junior they're at the mercy of PBS(preferential bidding system). This is the computer system we use to bid. Basically what you can get is 3-9 days of reserve in a row with 1-6 days off in between. The max amount of days off allowed can vary month to month, but you typically cannont work less then 3 days in a row.

You can expect 12 days off in a 30 day bid period and 13 days off in a 31 day bid period. I would not expect to hold weekends off for a while, at least not consistently. You may get one scattered here or there, but it never hurts to bid them off if you want them off.

As a commuter I like to work 4 days in a row minimum, but I usually bid min 5 on max 9 on with minimum 3 days off in between to minimize my commutes to base.

Everyday is long call, and you can be converted to short call 6 times a month. On long call you are phone available 24 hours a day, and a minimum of 12 hours notice is required for an assignment. This 12 hours notice provides the required rest needed before a trip. When on short call, you have 3 hours to departure time for notice so basically you need to be fairly close to the airport. Your short call phone availability period is 12 hours long. The short call assignments are completely random, & at crew scheduling discretion. Remember though, you only have to sit 6 a month, & you may only sit 2 & 3. 6 is the max allowable.

Hope this helps. :)

Hey Wuzzo, welcome aboard! From one ex-military guy to another, I think you'll be very happy. The first few times in and out of NYC and ATL are a little different but it doesn't take long to adjust. Let me try to answer a few of your questions.

On reserve, every day that is not an "X day" or off day is long call. The schedulers can assign you up to 6 short call days a month where you have to be ready to roll within two hours. They do cut those of us in NY and LA a break knowing we have to cover multiple airports and deal with the traffic.

They will notify you of a trip at least 12 hours in advance but often they give you much more time than that. It all depends on how much time the schedulers have to fill a trip. 12 hours is the minimum and really is the only "pre-departure crew rest" you get and your duty day does start at sign in.

I can't speak directly to NYC 88 reserve but LA 73N reserve varies dramatically depending on the time of year. In the winter I hardly fly. In the summer, I fly my arse off. Different equipment, different bases, varying times of year, etc, all affect how much QOL you'll have and how often you fly. You can fly above the pay guarantee if you put in yellow or green slips which a lot of guys do in the summertime to pad the paycheck.

Hope this helps. See you on the line.

I'm a junior NYC -88 guy. Your month will vary depending upon what the staffing is like. During the Summer, plan to fly right up to guarantee (70 hours) or over. I commute from California and I'm home about 14 to 15 days per month on average. If you live close to base, you'll definitely be home more. On a 31 day month, you have a guaranteed 13 days off. All reserve pilots are on long call (12 hours) and they can assign you up to six short call periods (2 hour call out) per month. A short call period is 12 hours long and you can usually get released two hours early. Example... a short call might go from 6am to 6pm and if scheduling approves it, you can get released at 4pm. If you aren't commuting by plane and it's the slow time of year, you should be able to be home at least 15-16 days a month. Hope this helps out.

Wow - awesome and quick answers!

Thanks all!

Cheers!

What class did you get are you in the Sep. 27th class?

Hey where do you commute from in Cali? I'm close to SFO and have to commute since my wife is still stationed at Travis for another year. Do you actually travel to NYC to sit reserve or do you sit it at home in Ca?

Seems like that would be a gamble sitting in Cali for reserve in NYC. There are only 5 direct flights a day on Delta.

Yeah I agree I don't think I would take that gamble on probation for sure. That is a long commute anyway.

No, don't even try. Get an NYC crash pad and be there when you're on call. They can schedule you as close as 12 hours in advance. Don't chance it. Especially during probation. One strike and you'll be out.

Not to mention you're losing 3 hours in time zone change alone on the commute flight.

And always watch the wx in NYC. One CB in the wrong spot or that four letter word - snow, and the airspace just shuts down. Even the BOS and DC guys have problems then. The crashpad is an insurance policy even for BOS/DCA guys. When bad weather hits the hotels cancel and supposed airline rates and charge what the market will bear.

I commute from SMF. I keep a crash pad in NYC. Every so often, if I have at least 3 or 4 people in front of me on long call and the weather's nice in NYC, I'll hang out at home. It's rare, though. 90% of the time, scheduling assigns you a trip or a short call so you gotta head out there. Once I'm there, I just stay for the rest of my reserve days.

Like the others said above, don't even think about messing around while on probation. Just get a crashpad and make sure you're in NYC. Give yourself at least one backup flight, but ideally two!

Feel free to PM me if you have more questions.

Man... I would KILL for 5 direct flights on Delta from SMF!!! :)

^^^^^

If you do a little footwork you can find a nice crashpad in the Kew Gardens/Forest Hills area. It will cost you a little more to get to and from the airport, but when your hanging out there on reserve it isn't that bad of a place. I had a pad in a 4500 sq/ft house in Forest Hills that was a very nice place. There were 28 beds there, but I never saw more than 6 of us there at once. A couple blocks from Forest Park which is great for a run/walk, halfway between LGA/JFK, and great food almost any time of the day. I actually found myself kinda liking some of the crashpad days when I could sleep in, get some good breakfast, watch TV, go for a long run, walk around Forest Hills acting like I had some money, and have nothing to do except wait for a call that never came. I would stay away from the apartment pads in Kew if you can help it.

I don't know how you guys do it. I live one state away with 8 daily flights and that is bad enough. I would go insane if I had to do a transcontinental commute.

Well...maybe not insane, but ocasionaly sick:D

Which is exaclty why a new hire on reserve can't take any chances in NYC. Be in position and ready to cover a trip within your long call or short call notice. The day you can't make long call from home is probably the same day the lineholders are sick...

It is called reserve roulette and it is something you do not play. Period.

If you are on probation and cannot make a LC or SC trip because you are at home and unable to get to your base, I can almost guarantee you that it will lead to termination. They have had too many instances of pilots trying to game the system, which resulted in GS being handed out when a reserve way by PWA definition available.

Just spend the few hundred bucks a month and save yourself the stress. Plenty of good food joints and sights to scope out while sitting reserve in almost every base we have.

Several NYC venues offer great military discounts for Retired, Guard and Reserve. The Mets and Yankees have FREE tickets on a Space-A basis at home games. If it's sold out, fuggedaboudit. Plenty of great options in NYC besides hanging out at the crash pad.

All I'm saying...if you're sick you're sick

Agree with ACL here. It's a ticket to the big show, and you don't want to pooch it up.

If you don't want to spend the money, MSP, and DTW have a multitude of commuting options, and have better access to the west coast.

Nu

Cue Pineapple Guy.

Here we go again!! Bwahahahahaha!!! :p

No argument here. Just so ppl know they do watch travel net in scheduling. If you check in for a flight then sick out, the question will be asked.

Prior to push back on a commute, I once had them acars a flight telling the the crew to have me get off the jet since I was awarded a trip that was doing to DH from the city I was commuting from.

I took that little action to heat. They have access and use it.

Without a doubt. However, suddenly "becoming" sick the second after you got tagged for an assignment is pretty much indefensible. It's obvious that in 99.99% of all such cases the person involved was just punking the system and got caught. Unless you're going to the emergency room and have the proof of why you need to go and go at that exact moment, you best not try that strategy. If you are becoming sick on reserve you need to call them first rather than busting out a "oh yeah, about that...." once you are tagged.

AA has a "sick if needed" option for reserve pilots. If you are sick, call in and tell scheduling. If you are "needed" for reserve coverage, then you are charged sick leave. If you aren't needed, then no charge to sick leave. It's something we should look for in our next contract.

That sounds like a very pilot friendly policy, and also has some potential pro-safety elements as well as more advanced time for the company to pre-plan potential absences.

Fedex has a very similar policy. Definitely needs to be in the next contract.

Anyone know how it is determined if you're needed? Is there a formula? Is it just reserves available to reserves required? Just wondering how defend a discrepancy with the company if this policy was available.

That would be awesome. When your at the bottom of the list on reserve it is tough to call in sick knowing your chances of getting used are nil. However, if you don't you risk a trip to the CP office. If we had this deal that would solve the whole problem of the reserve roulette issue they have going on.

This type of plan is a definate benefit to the company. In exchange for offering this type of sick leave plan, which benefits the company, we should get a pay raise.

If scheduling gets to your name on the LC or SC list for a trip assignment, then you are "sick" and charged sick leave. If you are at the top of the list or for that matter, the only pilot on the list, but they never get to you for a trip assignment then you are not needed and don't take a hit on the sick leave.

Ok, gotcha. I like that. Thanks. :)

What do you guys think is more Junior, as in which one would a new hire move up the ranks fastest and hold a good schedule... MSP 88 or DTW 320? I would guess MSP 88 but I don't know.

As of now, MSP M88 in more junior.