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.

New hire busts are rumored to be up substantially. Years ago it was almost unheard of for someone to require extra periods.

If you need any advice how to bid with LCAs and then fly the trip send me a PM. I had 6 in a row with no OE, on trip 7 I was finally able to use some PB days to send the trip back to the pot (but not enough room under the pickup limit to get it back) and the company ended up buying that one :).

LCA trip buys are affected by many factors - by far the most important is your base. NYC and ATL are where the action is. In LAX on the 73N most senior guys have abandoned the buddy bidding.

I used to do it quite a bit but like the poster above always put in enough qualifiers to get a good trip.

Scoop

That's because years ago we had a real training program not the firehose method we have now.:D

I have an upcoming trip with an LCA. icrew is showing that the captain will be giving OE that trip and I will be bought off. I made a quick check of the contract and couldn't locate what the recovery obligation is for me in this scenario. Anyone have experience with this?

Thanks in advance.

They will call you the night prior ~1700 and release you. They'll specifically tell you that there is no recovery obligation. You're free to GS or stay home and enjoy the some paid time off. I think you can WS as well...could be wrong.

No recovery obligation if released. You can WS, GS or pick up a trip from pilot-to-pilot swap board. It's as if the trip was never on your line, except the trip dropped is pay and credit, so the "pickup limit" shown on your schedule will still include the credit from the dropped trip. Any WS you pick up will have to keep you under the "pickup limit." GS or picking up a trip from the pilot swap baord aren't limited but the pickup limit.

Does it just show that in the comments on the rotation? I have a trip next month with a LCA. Hoping for a 5 day paid vacation.

It will show up on the rotation with an "L" in front of each of the individual flight numbers that are being used for training. There will also be something in the notes section explaining what is happening. However, it doesn't usually show up until a couple of days prior to the report. I've had it show up 5 days prior, and I've seen it less than 24 hours prior, so it's not super easy to plan around it.

Shows in a "training remarks" section of the icrew rotation which is below pilot names and also shows "OE" to the right of equipment type on each leg and also an "L" before flight number.

It names the FO who will be receiving OE. I'm thinking of contacting him to offer him any tutoring he might need to insure he passes training ; )

Again thank you to the others for your quick replies.

My rotation showed the OE student on March 8th for a trip that starts March 22nd.

Is there a way to find out how many LCAs there are in a specific category & base?

Thanks. The trip isn't for a few weeks and its commutable so at least I won't commute in just to turn around and commute home. Still wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.

The other thing to keep in mind is that sometime students get delayed in training for whatever reason. It sucks anticipating an LCA buy off only to see the stud and the LCA disappear and the trip go into open time on the A side. No soup for you. Be ready to operate right up to that release.

I have had to commute before being released before. Not the best, but still good to get to go home and get paid.:cool: First world probs...

Speaking of waiting to be released...is iCrew running super slow for everyone, or is it just me?

If the LCA is giving the Capt an OE, does the FO still get released?

Yup.....LCP/LCA sits right seat for the trip.