there are bottom feeder regionals like Mesa that have automated trip trading systems... our very own Flight Attendants have it.. but this pilot's union has put up with a system where you call in to scheduling, pray someone actually answers the phone, and then bother an already burdened scheduler with the complexity of a trip trade...

Failed negotiation on our end? maybe...

I am told this is about to change, and fingers are crossed.. but I've been hearing it since I got here 2 years ago...

 

Thanks for all the info, ya'll are extremely helpful….While we're on the subject of scheduling: Is there much open time or premium trips that are available for those that want it or are senior? In other words for those that want to fly is there money to be made? and for those that don't, is it pretty feasible to bid min flying and chill?

 

Hawaiian depends on overtime and double time to operate... you kidding me? these guys make Continental pilots look like slackers here..

I'm hoping for the ability to down bid to a 65 hour line holder for our next contract, but even mention of it gets some people's panties in a knot... guy here pride themselves on 95 hour lines (flight hours)..

 

Wow, thats pretty interesting. If these guys are blocking 95 hrs are they getting much soft pay on top of that?…. For those of us that don't want to fly, what sort of hours are the average lines being built to? Again thanks so much for the info!

 

Like I said, the company tends to run lean... and a lot of the pilots like it that way (at least the vocal minority).. Crew planning will "Flex" lines up to 80 hours min sometimes. The contract says they're limited to 6 months of 12, but I swear they've done it more in the past calendar year. The typical lines ar 8x hours, and many opt to fly over 90... 90 is the limit for pay, but they bank the rest of the hours for a month where they might not fly as much or have training. BTW, our training months here are also a disaster... worse I've seen in 6 different airlines/jobs..

There's a lot for us to fix in the next CBA, we have a motivated negotiation team (though I'd rather see us get a professional negotiator). The good news is most of us aren't happy with the status quo, and many of us see what DAL, UAL and AA are doing, although AK did not help us much with their last CBA.. but remember this is also one of a few ALPA airlines where guys were flying overtime while their brothers were on the street furloughed.. so the culture here has to change, it's quite selfish and somewhat dysfunctional for such a smallish pilot group, and with the influx of a lot of us newer pilots and some of the Aloha guys it likely will change for the better... Rigs, pay, etc...

 

Average lines are built to about 80-85 hours. If you're trying to fly min hours then you're going to fly more than 18 days(max days on unless you waive it). Junior pilots don't have access to the trips that are required to make a line min hours. The junior trips are the 3-day west coast trips. These trips are around 11-12 hours each. 18 days of flying these trips would only get you up to approximately 70 hours. You would actually have to waive days off in order to get a line. You will have to get some seniority to get some of the higher credit trips mixed into your line just to fly ~75 in 18 days.

As a junior pilot, you either waive days off (up to 3) to get a bid line or you go on 18 days of reserve.

If you want min days on, that takes even more seniority because you need a line with mostly higher credit trips to start bringing down your days on.

 

While Hawaiian is an extremely easy airline to work for... IE: noonish shows, gone 3 days and done by noonish day 3.... There is a lot to be desired from a schedule standpoint..

Trip trading/open time...... Done primarily over the phone.. When you can get a hold of someone that is (not the schedulers fault, just understaffed etc). Problem I run into regularly is it seems there is only 1 person who makes a majority of the decisions.. everything seems to be on hold until that person is able to look at it.. Therefore, trip pops up you want but it's the weekend..Good Luck!

On top of that the company is run pretty tightly. In a given month depending on a/c and seat, there may be a few trips that come available.. I'm talking 3-4 open trips the whole month. Sometimes more, but in my seat and a/c open trips are few and far between.. And finding a trip that doesn't overlap a normal trip is difficult... The way our trips are, you can't just pick up an out and back for a few hours. It'll have to be a whole 3 day trip.

Like some here said, a rather outdated system. Most regionals have easier methods for adjusting schedules....

And it is very true that if you're a junior guy you'll do West Coast trips that require giving up days off to build a line. Makes me wonder how they will be able to make the NEO's work?

But on the other hand, you will be a newhire going directly into a widebody, and most get a line very quickly compared to other airlines where you'll be heading to a E190 or 737 on reserve for the foreseable future.

Also, if you do bid reserve or get stuck on reserve, expect to fly very little compared to other airlines... So you'll get 75 hrs to hang out(or live) in Hawaii..

Alot needs to be tweaked in the next contract. My number 1 priority is the min daily credit. It'll get us some more days off and the ability to build a line easier.


Fun company to work for, the work load is very easy, and and enjoyable atmosphere. Some things make ya scratch you head, but hopefully they get improved upon in this next CBA...

 

Thank you to ALL for the above/previous information, it paints a clearer picture! Now I just hope the third time back for an interview is the charm! Im not gettin' any younger and I'd dontate my first born to be a member of the Ohana. And not the one with ATR's. ;P

 

Hey guys. I was told that if you live in HI, you are pretty much guaranteed an interview? What about the peeps who live Stateside: do they stand a chance? Do you think with all the forthcoming legacy hiring it might be easier to walk into the niche carriers like Hawaiian? If you could choose between Hawaiian, JetBlue, spirit or Allegiant, which would you choose? They seem fairly consistent as a career with Hawaiian being somewhat of an outlier because of the location factor. I always thought it might be kinda fun to live in HI. I'm just trying to decide on where to aim my sights. Thanks.

 

Hawaiian is a "Legacy" airline.... maybe 1/3 of the pilots here live on the "mainland" .. Hawai is "Stateside" btw.

How can you put us in the same sentence as Allegiant?

Don't bother to apply...