Merica

So when the stars align and your scheduled trip is canceled, is that when you win the perpetual OTP lottery?

I am perplexed by the sweetness of the trips that they magically (AND CONSISTANTLY) pick up all throughout the month! Some trips I see posted on Open Time, some trips are not. But they're all CHTR/XTRA with one or more deadheads.

No DTW or EWR overnights for them! I'm still confused how it's possible. I'm not whining, but wondering if I even understand the CRS process in order to enhance my QOL.

busdriver12

Anybody ever waited 12 hours for a trip trade to get processed? 16? 24? I have. Even waiting a couple of hours is unpleasant, and yes, can certainly affect you. There is no good reason for it, and though the crew force did say that we wanted real time trip trading, the negotiators decided we didn't really know what we wanted, or couldn't figure out how to put some thought into how to do it. For those of us who trip trade often, it is a huge aggravation.

Ever be waiting endlessly for a trip trade to process, and a better trip comes open? You have to make the decision of whether to delete your first request and try for the other one.....and then get earlier time stamped, and end up with nothing. Or as you're waiting many hours, someone swoops in with OTP and grabs it. It is aggravating, it doesn't keep up with the latest technology, and many other airlines are able to do this in real time. All so a couple of guys can cling to their priority trip trading?

CloudSailor

If one has ever enjoyed the benefits of RTTT at a different airline, they would never say "it doesn't matter that much to me, I can wait a few hours to know the result of my bid line adjustment" - ridiculous.

RTTT changes QOL in a huge way, from the very senior to the very junior.

It was attainable this last round of negotiations, but as busdriver12 mentioned, our NC thought that they knew better than the average line guy and decided that it was not worth it, or too complex for our system form - false. A huge loss on one of our openers.

Hopefully next time around we make it happen. It would enhance our productivity as well, making it a big positive for the company. A win/win all the way around, except for the Wolf Pack, and CRS - as they'll need less people sitting around to push the "disapproved/insufficient reserves" button.

GetRealDude

It doesn't have to be next time around.
It can be done NOW.

This is one of those rare WIN-WIN situations.

Company and pilots gain efficiency and everyone still gets their premium pay from OTP. CRS keeps their sticky fingers off the process and we can actually determine our schedules in a reasonable timeframe.

Wolfpack is wounded in a significant way. Their game fizzles into insignificance.

Auger In

The Wolfpack has "fizzled into insignificance." What? What planet do you live on? You couldn't be more wrong and clueless. The worst offender is at it just as strong as ever. He hasn't had any interruption or scaling back of purloined charter trips and Xtra pairings. Get your facts straight before you make erroneous declarative statements that make you look like an oblivious idiot.

busdriver12

Before you declare him an oblivious idiot, you should reread and make sure you actually understand his post. Don't just read the last sentence.

Pakagecheck

Did, you look at the trip you wanted? If you did, you're too late. Are you trying to trade and input all of your trips for one long one... you're too late. You can submit a mu request, then look at the trip and if you don't want it, go in and cancel the request( if it hasn't been instantly processed).

Posturing is a big part of if. Drop all of your trips so there is no conflict and live on open time. If you aren't willing to do this, you're making it much more difficult. If you keep trips, all of your trips need to be the same code. You can't have mixed i.e., some mu some trp, etc.

Most of the big hitters have the auto ping running on fxcal and have giant holes for potential trips to drop.

Plenty more ways, but if you want to do the big trips and you only look at open time a couple times a day and you have to look at the trip and think about it, your chances are slim.

Pakage

kc10/c130

This is exactly why I moved to the 777.

Kolohe

I take it most folks forgot that our own Negotiating Committee member Captain BS relayed with cocksure attitude via video that real-time trip trading was not important enough to seek and secure due to conflict with existing SUB methodology.

I recall his smugness each time I lose at FDX Open Time roulette.

Real time trip trading IT capabilities have been a standard for 20+ years at other airlines. With that said, back to this lunch pail operation and peak please.

kronan

16 or 24 waits
would that have been the day open time's released (or over 72 hours prior to the scheduled day)

Other than that the longer waits for me are on Sunday night trades.

Results typically very quick during the daily open time lottery.

And more than quick enough for me during the typical work week. But then again, I'm not sitting at my computer or staring at my phone refreshing open time every minute. I tend to request a trade, and then go back to my regularly scheduled programming versus staring at the phone wondering if I got it.

For those impatient, taking the extra step to look at open time through a browser will now indicate how my pending BLG adjustments there are for any given trip...so you can save the frustration of updating your phone every minute wondering if you were the first to get there

So, at these other airlines, what happens when companies cancel trips? I've been told SUB is a uniquely FedEx experience. That there's a min pay for a month that other companies will pay even if they cancel 40% of your flying