The "huge reduction in OT" is not necessarily true. PBS providers themselves only promise 2-3% reduction in post-build OT. It depends on work rules. PBS can allow things like vacation slide, DTS, training conflicts and such. Envoy doesn't have that many open sequences in the bid package if you look at the bid package.

I'm not saying this is what management will give you, but PBS itself does not mean a huge reduction in OT, the work rules and PBS implementation may.

The PBS contract change is yet to be negotiated and has been pushed back. Not even sure they have actually started.

One big area of concern and negotiation is conflict of trips with vacation and being able to subsequently drop those extra flights for more time off. Currently Envoy allows dropping those days and using sick time to cover the pay. Seems like enough people want that to make it a priority in the negotiation and the Envoy FAs have PBS (same software system pilots will be using) and still can conflict vacation with trips and drop, so there is precedent in the company already.

But that is a pretty big source of OT, so it would reduce the system efficiency and Envoy will have their pound of flesh in return if it happens.

We did a pretty thorough project going through the PBS providers a few years ago. They'll pick up the cheapest and sh*ttiest one very likely. But PBS does not mean no DTS, they can run DTS after PBS awards. Heck, some PBS providers even allow slide-and-drop. So you can slide your vacation days by 1-2 days to create even more DTS days (7 days of vacation, get rid of 2 trips, move it up by 1 day to touch your previous trip and get rid of 3 trips).
It's all negotiable. Be smart with it.

What's the likelihood that a new hire/forever-on-reserve DEC would be able to regularly and routinely get 6 days off in a row, each and every month, please?

Many thanks!

Well, it's certainly not going to happen from the regular bid with the current system in place. Maybe you can trade some days around? I know it's possible to move days but I don't know how likely it's granted.

PBS is going to come at some point, maybe you can get work some magic on the bid then.

Would absolutely not recommend you to come here and plan on that. As of today it is virtually impossible.

Zero. This absolutely will not happen, you'll be lucky to get 4 days off in a row every third month.

So as a new hire DEC how many days off are most people getting. I’d try to get ORD as a base and I’m not interested in picking up OT. I’d rather have more time at home with the family.

12. You’ll be on reserve with minimum days off most likely until FOs junior to you in class begin to upgrade or more DECs get hired after you. If you’re at the beginning/middle of the DEC wave it wouldn’t be too bad movement wise, but if you’re on the last half or one of the last few hired as a DEC when they shift back to hiring 1500 pilots then you’ll see the bottom of that list and a lot of airport standby for years potentially.

So what/where/when exactly is the beginning or middle or end of the DEC wave? Probably an unanswerable question I would guess, eh?