15 question oral. Mostly limitations and a question of two for each system. Then one of many loft scenarios in the sim. Varies on the day even or odd. They've been running the same ones quite a bit lately. Just ask around and you'll get the scoop of either.

I'd be shocked if there aren't a handful of ATL2 withdraws.

I wonder if some of those potential withdrawals from ATL 900 would be towards the senior end. I would venture to guess more would be from the junior end.

Doing some rough numbers for JFK as a result of the initial bid (hard to do without it in Excel), am I right in this thinking?

About 49 FOs bid out of JFK not counting alternates or withdrawals. About 14 are bidding in for a potential net change of of minus 35. There seem to be about 40ish or so reserve lines in September. Does this mean JFK is going to have a much shorter reserve time for new pilots?

Edit: Just noticed the 37 or so no bids on the bid pack - mostly new hires... I suppose they are the next 40-ish reserve lines.

No they have tools to ensure adequate reserve coverage. They can TDY, or force more hours on pilots, make MLR 200%, and leave more in open time. Also, the summer schedule is winding down, so there is less flying. But don't worry Crew Scheduling will have thier reserves.

Great advice there..

Hey little help here...

I need a few specific days off in a row next month. Whats the best way to bid this?

I used Desire period of dates off. Should I use String of dates instead? I've heard use string of days forwards (1,2,3,4,5,6) and backwards (6,5,4,3,2,1). Is that the best way? What point values for these? 1000 each?

Thanks for your help

String of days will award it's point value based on how many of the days you are awarded. If it's imperative that you get each of those days off and none can be spared then also bid period of days off (only scores if everyday is awarded off). So set the point value so that whatever is the most important will score the highest.

Contract question
 

Picking up RSV day, how much would that count against your FDP, or the 60 hours in 168? Can't seem to find it in the contract and each Crew Scheduler I've talked to has given me a different answer. Anybody have a reference? Thanks

Others have said this, but to clarify:

If you need them off on an "all or nothing" basis (say, if all it gives you is days 2 through 6 off, then you can't go to the event you're trying for, and then you don't care about getting the rest of them off) then use Period.

If getting some of them off is still better than getting none of them off, (i.e., you want as many of them off as possible, and it's not "all or nothing") then use String.

And if you use String, make 2 entries, one forward and one backward.

Also, if you set 1000 points and use String, each day scores, so if it gives you the whole shebang, it'll score 6000 points. (Actually, 12,000 if you do the 2 entries. Is this right? I think so.) 5,000 if it gives you 5 of the days, etc.

Period is just 1000 for the whole thing.

I don't think there's any benefit to doing Period and String together.