LCA Trips
 

Academic question: How senior in category does one need to be to do the LCA trip bid with reliability?

I'm pretty junior, so have never been able to play that particular scheduling game, but I read about it on here, and it seems like a great deal if it works out.

Just because you get an LCA as a Capt doesn't mean you're not flying the rotation. It's not as guaranteed as you think. I'm around 30% and don't get many LCA trips. Also, the LCA can swap off the trip until OE is assigned to it, so you might not end up with the LCA as the PBS results showed.

Two examples, 4 day trip this summer with an LCA - the LCA did a quick requal on the first day, I stayed home for the first 2 of 3 legs (out and back) then I flew the third leg to the overnight and the other three days of the rotation.

Second trip, last month, LCA did a 6 month check for an FO in the middle of the rotation. I flew the first two legs, deadheaded on the third leg (of day 1), deadheaded 1st leg of day two then did the rest of the trip.

I have had a few lca trips recently and have not been bought off.

Yes, they swap out or it simply doesn't get OE assigned to it. Part of the deal is showing up and flying with the lca. I am batting less than 25%over the last 3 months. Not complaining at all, just passing info.

Good stuff. Thanks guys!

It's not just a crap shoot for the FO. I was DH'd to NRT once to give a line check to a CA the next day to Bejing. On the bus to the hotel in NRT, I talked to the guy next to me who told me he was on reserve and was going to BEK the next day as the CA had called in sick. I DH back to DTW the next day

It's not a sure thing, but when it works it really works. Since October I've had 8 of 12 trips bought for IOE. I'm 40% in my category and if I put in a blanket "award trips with LCA, I'll get every trip initially awarded with LCA.

One year ago, I could also get all trips with LCA. However, the fleet was not busy training then and you would fly every trip with a turn getting bought every now and then for a line check or something of that nature.

If your fleet is hiring a bunch and you don't mind flying with a LCA, it's worth playing the game. You don't have to be that senior to get at least some trips with LCA.

I am just under 40% and get 1-2 a month. I put a lot of qualifiers in so when it doesn't get bought I am not stuck flying a POS trip.

Just because OE is assigned to the trip doesn't mean it will happen. I have had 3 trips where the new hire that is supposed to get OE busted a sim ride which clears their OE schedule automatically. So when you see OE on the trip don't make plans just yet.

Just curious, who has told you the newhire "busted a sim" and therefore was removed from the scheduled OE? There are myriad reasons why a person who's initially scheduled for the OE trip on your line doesn't meet the scheduled time of your trip.

You know you can see the sim schedule on Deltanet to include changes to the sim schedule (in red) with reasoning codes on the extra sim session? makes it pretty easy....

And yes it was 2 new hire 34x busts and 1 44x bust.