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Pairing Generation
During Pairing Generation, we put in a great deal of effort attempting to introduce variety into the CRJ and 175 lines.

On the 175, we tried many different studies to push 2 days, 3 days, a combination of 2s and 3s, as well as a 4-day study. Of the various studies, the combination approach looked most promising but they ended up being too weak to stand on their own in lines. The 4 day only study gave us the highest block per day at 4:25, the highest it has been in a while so we went with that knowing that it would give us less 2 days off, more commutability, and more cadent lines. The 175 continues to improve and I’m hoping to see some variety soon.

The CRJ had 3 day trips that were relatively strong, but in the end the 3 day sequences had to be mixed in with the 4 days.

Line Build
ERJ - We were able to get variety in both bases!
o DFW: 6 – 2 day lines, 20 – 3 day lines, 2 or less occurrences of 2 days off in the 4 day lines.

o ORD: 5 – 2 day lines / 27 – 3 day lines / it has more occurrences of 2 days off than DFW.


CRJ – As mentioned above, the 3 days had to be mixed with the 4 days. The planning department was able to work with the company to reduce the frequency of 30 hour overnights which resulted in an overall increase in 3 day off events, and improved start and end times for commuters.

175 – Out of 95 lines, 69 have at least 2 sets of 3 days off and only 8 are strictly 4 on 2 off.

We had some welcome improvements to the ERJ lines, as well as some smaller steps in the right direction for the CRJ and 175. I am encouraged that we had some progress in December as it is historically one of the most difficult scheduling months.

Many of the emails I received this month seem to follow the same theme: Where’s the variety? And, why all of the 4 days?

These questions go hand in hand. As you all know our average block per day has been weak for some time. If the 2 and 3 day sequences are weak, they cannot be put into lines that reach the 72-hour guarantee and still honor the contractual 11 days off. When we were in a staffing surplus, the company allowed lines to drop below guarantee, but that is no longer the case.

Generally speaking, a 4-day trip is the most productive. With the block per day being as low as it has been this past year, the prevalence of the 4-day trip is the natural result. Seeing nothing but 4 day lines in your bid packet is not so much a choice, but a last resort.

I mentioned last month that I was “cautiously optimistic” regarding our schedules moving into 2017.

I am upgrading that outlook to optimistic. See below.

Other News:
As a result of Envoy Crew Planning meeting with AAG Strategic Network Planning, many issues in the flight file are being corrected, which is great news. However, many of these changes will not be seen until after the Dec. 15 schedule change or in January. “Improvements” come in many forms, but here are some of the problem cites that should benefit:

ERJ: FWA, CAK, ROW, LRD, ORF, TRC, JAN, ALO, BMI, and GSO (in January)
CRJ: BNA and CID
175: IND, YUL, and YYC should see improvements in January.

These are pieces to the puzzle that do not represent the whole picture but are a considerable step in the right direction. Some of the benefits are already being seen in the December lines despite only going into effect in the second half of the month.

The Crew Planning Department is making a bit of a personnel shift with the ERJ planner stepping into a more forward looking role. When the rest of the planners are working on the January build, she will be looking as far ahead as March attempting to head off potential problems with the file and continue to seek improvements for Envoy. This will result in some shifting of responsibilities within the department and will no doubt come with some challenges in the spool up process. Regardless, it is refreshing to see the company attempt to “get ahead of the airplane” with the schedule and also for them to be afforded the opportunity to do so by AAG.

As always, your emails and input are welcome. Thank you to those that have reached out to us.

Wishing you an early Happy Thanksgiving!

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