Reserve
 

Okay. After riding the senior Bus FO train for years, it looks like once section25 is complete, my ride is finally pulling into the station. I looked once at the CBA reserve section when the contract first came out but not really too big of a deep dive.

I'm thinking about biting the bullet and upgrading and was curious about those who are familiar with what reserve will look like once our CBA is fully inplemented.

I'm a commuter, so my thought was going to be to bid long call. My understanding is that's the silo the DRO will be built from and the short call for the remaining open time. Is that about right? How much would guys get used do you think based on historical open time. I realize it will differ season to season, just trying to get an overview.

Also, can reserve guys request or pick up trips on days off or do they have to request that from CS? Any other words of wisdom from the those knowledgable on the current and future reserve world here at JB would be appreciated.

Thanks.

My only advice to you and everyone else who has similar questions and/or are contemplating upgrade/downgrade/transition/reserve whatever is to read the CBA very carefully, read the FAQs and e-mail your questions to your reps. You pay a lot of $$$ in union dues, don’t be afraid to send an email to your reps, scheduling gurus or negotiators.

Good Luck.

Exactly what he said..... I think RSV is going to be a large unknown to everyone until it is fully implemented. The CBA is going to really show it's teeth to how good/bad it is based off of 25R and how everything else falls into place. The one thing you do know is that on RSV after 25R is implemented EPS pay goes away except for the last day of your RSV stretch which is a huge loss.

Thanks guys. I'm reading that section right now. Several times. What I'm not seeing is whether or not you can pick up open time on your days off. Is or was that ever possible? I see where you're allowed to put in for VDA/RSA, but I don't see anything a bout trip pick ups.

Wow. Can’t pick up trips on days off. #workrulesmatter.


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There’s the aggressive reserve pickup window in Flica. Has to be known open-time that’s in the pot prior to 3am the day before a given reserve day. So say you start reserve today at 6pm and a trip pops in this morning that you like....that’s unknown open-time and not something you can pick up.

It allows you in theory to have better control of the trips you get, but it’s not a perfect system. Those trips will go to High Mins CA/low time FO’s first before they look at the aggressive pickup requests.

Yes, you are allowed to pick up (ADD) on your days off, however it does NOT count on top of your guarantee. So, if you aren’t breaking guarantee, you are better off not picking up anything, or else you’d be working for free. With that being said, VDA/RSA’s are on top of your monthly guarantee.

Edit: Premium Open Time, will also be on top of your “eligible guarantee”.

Generally speaking you are correct that LCRs will be used before SCRs if possible. As a commuter it would probably work out ok since you'll likely get a lot of longer 4-5day trips. Id plan on 30-50hrs credit in the slow months and 50-70hrs in busy months. Just take a look right now in open time for trips that are several days away and nobody is picking up, that's what the LCR guys will get assigned on the DRO.

So for flying on days off there is currently a mechanism in the FSM that allows you to bid for trips that are either purely on days off, or a mix of days on/off and get paid above guarantee for the day off flying. I do not see anything resembling that in the CBA, so I wouldn't count on that ability. You will have access to VDA/RSA as a reserve, but being a commuter that might be tough to work to your advantage. There will be a general premium open time window where lineholders/reserves would be allowed to pick up trips for 150%, but I don't think you would be able to pick up if it started on a day off and went into a day or RSV. The RSV placeholder in your schedule 0001-2359 will make it hard to add flying, since you'll need 11hrs of rest before. I wouldn't count on getting much more than 75hrs/mo (with some night, intl override tossed in) particularly considering the EPS rules will change for RSVs and we will lose out in that regard.

When 25.R is fully implemented it will be several months before it is ironed out and running smoothly (hahaha!!) so just be prepared for a battle until that happens. The best advice I can say is please read 25.R and know it well. CS will make mistakes and if you dont know your contract then you'll get stuck flying some crap trip. We all trash talk BP and message boards, but they are great for the heat of the moment "Can CS do this..?" kind of immediate help too.

Some things that really suck, and ways I was able to make my schedule better will no longer be allowed.

-Say i had a 5 day block and I was next in line to get assigned a 4 day in the DRO, I would put in for a day line or a redeye turn to “block” that 4 day. Assuming there was someone else to do that 4 day, I would be awarded it. That will no longer be allowed. You will only be able to preference bid for a trip that matches the number of days you have available. (25.R.7.b.iii.)

-Also, once you hit 40 hours (credit), you can’t pref bid for anything. That can come pretty quick, especially in a vacation month.

Together, these will gut the ways I was able to make RSV more tolerable.

Tex

That’s actually pretty standard. I know at United you can’t either, not sure about DL and AA. Who wants to come in for straight pay anyway.

Is that in the CBA too? I know it is an FSM provision, but wonder if that window will disappear when 25.R is implemented

very good points Tex

All great stuff guys, thanks. I'll have decent seniority but there may be months where I'd rather sit long call because there's probably a good chance I won't get used at all. I know September is a big down month, what other months are pretty low reserve usage months?

About when is your hire date Bunker?

Tex

October, early November. January is a good month to bid reserve with two holiday pay days.

Feb 04.....

Didn’t want to read the entire thread so this may have been answered but when 25R gets turned on you CAN pick up time from the premium FCFS window above guarantee.


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Well you can pick up how ever much you want at SWA. on reserve or not



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This might seem out there but...

When EPS in the middle of a RSV stretch goes away, does this mean if you get called out to do a turn or a 2 day you should pack your bag for your entire rsv stretch because without the EPS protection they could tack on 3 day if you still had 4 or 5 days of your RSV stretch left?

Is EPS the only thing preventing this currently?

Keep hearing the ability to increase your credit at SWA is down from before. I guess open-time is limited when lineholders and reserves can pick up straight open time if true. Maybe it’s temporary if and when the MAX gets signed off again, you would know more than I do.

I think the biggest thing preventing it is contact obligations. If you are on a trip you aren't required to answer a phone call. If your pairing isn't disrupted or in a Level 2+ IROP then how will they assign additional flying?

EPS doesn’t prevent a 2 day turning into a 3 day. It just rewards you with extra pay for it. It’ll go away so you can essentially get extended for nothing extra as long as you’re in the reserve stretch. I’m wondering if that practice will become more common since it doesn’t cost them anything. Lost in pay and QOL on that one.

Good luck! Will be interesting to see how this Annual Bid looks in August....

Tex

Still has to satisfy Section 25 like it does now. The only thing I think that’s changing is the lost of EPS mid-pairing for reserves. So no....don’t expect to be assigned a 2-day trip and three modifications later it becomes a 6-day.

FEB 04 hire! Like 2004?? Decent seniority is kinda an understatement. 🤣 I’m sure you’ll be fine.

Yeah. The CKA trips getting withheld and the out of base VDAs going away are killing my way of life unfortunately.

Speaking of which, anyone hearing any rumors of when section 25 is suppose to be finished? I know it's suppose to be by end of year, but I've heard rumors it could be sooner. Like September sooner. Anyone else hearing anything?

Lol...yeah, not complaining, but I've been spoiled bidding as a top 5-6 FO for the last several years. Being able to hand pick exact trips is something I'm going to miss. I was able to make CA pay+ where I was, but that's gone as they withhold theses CKA trips more and more.

I'll have to start bugging the guys around my seniority list and get their bidding strategies. Maybe that'll be my next thread start. Lol.

LCR will get called before SCR when it goes into effect.

Only for DRO build. After that, my understanding is the trips will go to SCL pilots.

Heard September is the goal. The company benefits significantly (global opentime, premium opentime etc). The company wants this as much (or more) than we do.

That itself will be interesting. We are about 2 weeks away from this new, first time ever Annual System Bid from opening. There are A LOT of questions how this will all work. I sure hope ALPA will provide some details on how this will all go down before the bid closes.

That’s how I understand it. Known open time with time to call a LCL will go to LCL. Then everything else will be SCL.

Just curious, why don’t you want to stay a line holder? At 16% in the company, 33% in that seat/base, you can still get weekends off and have a pretty good schedule. I’d probably do that and wait and see how this reserve stuff actually works out before I bid it as a senior guy.

^ This.

Jetblue’s Reserve system in its current form seems to be better suited if you’re junior as well.

That’s what I plan on doing. I’m thinking about the leaner months that I could probably sit reserve for 75 hours and maybe not fly at all or credit 80 or so and fly an entire line. This upgrade thing is a new ballgame for me and just trying to get all the info before making a decision.

I'm at the opposite end of the seniority stack from you, and here's how I see it....

I look at the top 5 guys in base, all line holders. Their schedules dictate that they will make.about $1000 a month more than me by holding a line (guarantee, as I have no idea how their actual credit will pan out).

If I fly a single VDA per month, I beat them (take home pay). If I fly zero VDAs, but sit unused 2 days, I beat them (average daily pay).

Look at that in your base/seat, and see what you get. It's all a crap shoot, it all depends on what you want, and it can all change tomorrow.

But they’re making $30-$40/hour more than someone pretty junior and seniority=VDA’s.

I must be missing where it says reserves won’t get EPS in the middle of a reserve block. 3.H.1 makes it pretty clear.


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Check out section 25X. 14...last two bullets.

Two words summarize it: 1) poop 2) ca ca