Check6Viper

I think there are still occasionally CGN 757s offered to new hires. On this last bid anybody not seat locked could hold it. If I wanted CGN right off the bat, I would email the indoc scheduling folks and let them know your preference, and they might be as to move your date around a little to get you a slot.

More about timing than seniority I think.

Fdxlag2

Probably right, and since the majority of new hires are going to the 57, they probably wouldn’t need to move your class date very far. I didn’t think the seat lock applied to the FDAs?

Check 6

Simply untrue! What they want and what is legal are two separate things. I have done this very thing numerous times. You are not pay protected, but you can do this. JS is NOT duty time. Period. Now, if you are on probation and do this...they can fire you. But they can fire you for anything during probation.

Stick to facts

FXLAX

Why is there a distinction on what is a protected Jumpseat commute? Why aren’t all Jumpseat commutes protected from discipline?

pinseeker

Because, unlike the pax carriers, we only have two launches a day at most. If you are jumping in at night to start an a.m. launch, what do you have as a back-up to get to work? What other airline allows you to jumpseat into work without a backup and if you miss your flight, it's ok? Would you prefer the standard of having to have at least one back-up flight to jumpseat in on that arrives before your trip? How would that work in MEM when most of the arrivals get in after 11 pm? Is there a pax carrier that you could use for a back-up?

FXLAX

So why is there a rule for domestic and not international? Whatever it is that the best practice is, why isn’t that a rule in the contract? Why only have one and not the other?

PS. To answer your first question, my previous airline had a commuter clause in the contract that allowed us to commute with just one flight. But it only allowed three failed commutes in the last 12 months. If you gave yourself one backup, you can have unlimited failed commutes. Of course, you don’t get paid if you dont make your trip. Here is the language:

A pilot commuting by air must choose one of the following:
(1) One (1) flight to the airport at which his assignment originates with a seat available for sale to the public or an available jumpseat not more than thirty-six (36) hours but not less than twenty-four (24) hours in advance of the scheduled departure time for the flight he expects to use to commute to work (his “commuting flight”).
(2) Two (2) flights to the airport at which his assignment originates witha seat available for sale to the public or an available jumpseat within thirty-six (36) hours in advance of the scheduled departure time for the flight he expects to use to commute to work (his “commuting flight”). The commuting flight must be scheduled to arrive at least fifteen (15)minutes before his assigned report time or beginning of his reserve on-call period. However, if customs clearance is required the flight must be scheduled to arrive at least sixty (60) minutes before the pilot’s assigned report time or beginning of his reserve on-call period.
f. A commuting pilot must comply with each carrier’s pass travel and/or jumpseat policy.

StarClipper

You guys need to stop justifying BS, if you start you commute at 9am on Pax carrier but got bump or Flight cancel for WX. Fast forward to 9pm you are now a company jet which was your last resort, why should you be protected when you can prove you have yourself 6+ flights to make it to work. The union need to negotiate the language such that if you gave yourself at least 3 Flight that would get you to work by show time regardless if it’s company or pax you must be protected.

BlueMoon

If we insisted on changing it I would just say just drop the current 13:30 from show of JS to duty off requirement and keep the 90 minutes from arrival to show time.

I don't want to have to come in 10 hours early on a pax airline as the first attempt. Plus it puts people without a direct flight at a large disadvantage. You could get stuck connecting and not have a FX js to back you up.

There are reserves, if you miss your flight it gets covered by a reserve and you don't get paid. The flights here rarely cancel, and I have come in the night prior when I knew there was a weather event that might effect me getting to work. If guys don't want to risk it and come in early that is choice the individual can make.

FXLAX

Having this supposed rule you assume would be negotiated versus the status quo (no commute protection) wouldn’t change anything for those not choosing to use the protection negotiated. You would simply keep doing what you are doing now and not have any protection. But for those that avail themselves of any negotiated protection would benefit from it.

In other words, it can only help to have commuter protection language for international, reserve, deviation, etc. If you rather commute on your own plan, it’s on you, just like it is now for everything except commuting to domestic flight on FX JS with 13:30 and 1:30.

Doesn’t seem like a difficult concept to me.

StarClipper

That 13:30 is ridiculous