Hey guys. Just giving some input as a Spirit guy less than a year on property. Keep in mind everything I’m saying applies to FLL.

The drop to zero here is awesome. During the week the grid is green 95% of the time. The weekends generally are red BUT they hover within 1-2 net reserves of going green. The second they do someone drops so it’s a game of who does it more quickly. Per our CBA, the grid has to start at 75% green. We do have IOT drops that happen first based on seniority and I can generally get 1-2 weekends dropped with crap seniority. The drop system after that is all based on the grid and first come first serve.

As a junior guy I get the most garbage trips when my line is awarded. 3-4 days (my opposite preference), red eyes, back to back stacks, etc.

Every month I’ve been here as a line holder I’ve been able to drop my schedule and rebuild. As a line holder I haven’t worked one weekend and was able to rebuild my schedule consisting of solely day trips and two days. Also didn’t work thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Years. Was able to front load my schedule and leave the back of my month off for vacation without using any vacation time. Yes, the trips in open time get more slim/crappier as the month progresses but having the option to take that risk is more than worth it. If I really need/want the time off, I’m fine with dropping and keeping an eye on FLICA alerts to work trips that fit around my parameters instead of flying the garbage my seniority can hold.

My close buddies have been able to do the same. It’s not an anomaly and a lot of guys here use it all the time. I generally work Mon - Thurs and leave the weekend open for premium flying if I’m around/not doing anything.

Full disclaimer not all of our bases have the same “overall green grid” as FLL. I would imagine that in the combined company the bigger bases would benefit the most. That being said, the drop ability is a huge QOL booster for FO and Captain line holders who are not super senior in base.

From everyone that I fly with, the drop to zero is something that most of us are willing to strike over. It really is that good. Work when you want to work. Drop certain trips when you get some premium flying. Want to go on vacation for three weeks? Just drop your trips. Our main concern is that the B6 side wont comprehend the value of it not having seen it in action first hand before it gets bargained away. It was the first item that the company wanted to try to negotiate away during our TA talks.

Looking forward to merging with you guys. Just want to make sure the drop provision gets an accurate portrayal during these upcoming TPA and JCBA negotiations because it’s a big deal for us here. I hope our union puts together good data to backup what I’m saying and it gets disseminated properly. But yeah, trust me the drop to zero is something you guys definitely want.

 

Hey guys. Just giving some input as a Spirit guy less than a year on property. Keep in mind everything I’m saying applies to FLL.

The drop to zero here is awesome. During the week the grid is green 95% of the time. The weekends generally are red BUT they hover within 1-2 net reserves of going green. The second they do someone drops so it’s a game of who does it more quickly. Per our CBA, the grid has to start at 75% green. We do have IOT drops that happen first based on seniority and I can generally get 1-2 weekends dropped with crap seniority. The drop system after that is all based on the grid and first come first serve.

As a junior guy I get the most garbage trips when my line is awarded. 3-4 days (my opposite preference), red eyes, back to back stacks, etc.

Every month I’ve been here as a line holder I’ve been able to drop my schedule and rebuild. As a line holder I haven’t worked one weekend and was able to rebuild my schedule consisting of solely day trips and two days. Also didn’t work thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Years. Was able to front load my schedule and leave the back of my month off for vacation without using any vacation time. Yes, the trips in open time get more slim/crappier as the month progresses but having the option to take that risk is more than worth it. If I really need/want the time off, I’m fine with dropping and keeping an eye on FLICA alerts to work trips that fit around my parameters instead of flying the garbage my seniority can hold.

My close buddies have been able to do the same. It’s not an anomaly and a lot of guys here use it all the time. I generally work Mon - Thurs and leave the weekend open for premium flying if I’m around/not doing anything.

Full disclaimer not all of our bases have the same “overall green grid” as FLL. I would imagine that in the combined company the bigger bases would benefit the most. That being said, the drop ability is a huge QOL booster for FO and Captain line holders who are not super senior in base.

From everyone that I fly with, the drop to zero is something that most of us are willing to strike over. It really is that good. Work when you want to work. Drop certain trips when you get some premium flying. Want to go on vacation for three weeks? Just drop your trips. Our main concern is that the B6 side wont comprehend the value of it not having seen it in action first hand before it gets bargained away. It was the first item that the company wanted to try to negotiate away during our TA talks.

Looking forward to merging with you guys. Just want to make sure the drop provision gets an accurate portrayal during these upcoming TPA and JCBA negotiations because it’s a big deal for us here. I hope our union puts together good data to backup what I’m saying and it gets disseminated properly. But yeah, trust me the drop to zero is something you guys definitely want.

 

One thing to remember about “Drop to Zero” is the fact that it’s not just that you can just drop to zero on a month and not worry about pay, it’s a way of saying there are NO restrictions (besides red/green) to dropping of flights, there is no minimum amount of flying that is required to be done. In practical purposes, I can drop my entire line that I’m rewarded and build it back up through Open Time or X/Y list on dates that I want to fly or not fly.
This is an incredibly powerful and valuable QOL provision, one that I hope all JetBlue pilots see the value in.

 

^^^ This times infinity!

 

Well, if i could drop any of my trips at all in our current system, (I cant because they are all 3-4 days), that drop to zero would maybe have some more value. I thinks its a fine provision, that benefits a few on the list, subject to the whims of the reserve grid. My problem is how NK pilots look at this one provision as an excuse to wave away all the other ways they are behind.

If it weren't the cult of "drop to zero" it would be some other provision they would point to to justify voting yes to a bottom barrel TA. Here at B6 it was "But muh scope!" That was right up until those same "always lower, yes" voters gave away that scope for essentially free with some other contrived reason to cave without a fight.

 

I don’t know how it is at JetBlue, but at Spirit our grid is required to be a minimum of 75% green prior to the first round of trading. Granted, a particular day could only be green by 1, but still, we have a hard floor as to what the grid starts as.

EDIT: Also, to make a particular day green to meet the 75%, it greens up all other days, as they are all equally weighted (except Christmas, Thanksgiving, New Years and the 4th).

 

Hey guys. Just giving some input as a Spirit guy less than a year on property. Keep in mind everything I’m saying applies to FLL and my limited experience. Try not to bash me too hard if I say something triggering.

The drop to zero here is awesome. During the week the grid is green 95% of the time. The weekends generally are red BUT they hover within 1-2 net reserves of going green. The second they do someone drops so it’s a game of who does it more quickly. Per our CBA, the grid has to start at 75% green. We do have IOT drops that happen first based on seniority and I can generally get 1-2 weekends dropped with crap seniority. The drop system after that is all based on the grid and first come first serve.

As a junior guy I get the most garbage trips when my line is awarded. 3-4 days (my opposite preference), red eyes, back to back stacks, etc.

Every month I’ve been here as a line holder I’ve been able to drop my schedule and rebuild. As a line holder I haven’t worked one weekend and was able to rebuild my schedule consisting of solely day trips and two days. Also didn’t work thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Years. Was able to front load my schedule and leave the back of my month off for vacation without using any vacation time. Yes, the trips in open time get more slim/crappier as the month progresses but having the option to take that risk is more than worth it. If I really need/want the time off, I’m fine with dropping and keeping an eye on FLICA alerts to work trips that fit around my parameters instead of flying the garbage my seniority can hold.

My close buddies have been able to do the same. It’s not an anomaly and a lot of guys here use it all the time. I generally work Mon - Thurs and leave the weekend open for premium flying if I’m around/not doing anything.

Full disclaimer not all of our bases have the same “overall green grid” as FLL. I would imagine that in the combined company the bigger bases would benefit the most. That being said, the drop ability is a huge QOL booster for FO and Captain line holders who are not super senior in base.

From everyone that I fly with, the drop to zero is something that most of us are willing to strike over. It really is that good. Work when you want to work. Drop certain trips when you get some premium flying. Want to go on vacation for three weeks? Just drop your trips. Our main concern is that the B6 side wont comprehend the value of it not having seen it in action first hand before it gets bargained away. It was the first item that the company wanted to try to negotiate away during our TA talks.

Looking forward to merging with you guys. Just want to make sure the drop provision gets an accurate portrayal during these upcoming TPA and JCBA negotiations because it’s a big deal for us here. I hope our union puts together good data to backup what I’m saying and it gets disseminated properly. But yeah, trust me the drop to zero is something you guys definitely want.

 

As a practical example, currently at 1835 on 27 December 2022 there are 3 red days in the whole month of January in my base, my position. Anyone with a line Senior or Junior to me can drop, to zero if they would like, outside of those three days. That is a powerful QOL provision that allows a cremember, and not just a select few to literally change their entire schedule, take the entire month off or set themselves up for 200% pay.

 

Yeah it’s huge. Friend of mine had all 3 and 4 day trips, most junior FO in Vegas, and dropped to zero after a lot of time monitoring the grid. It’s hard to see the value in it till you actually do it. And even if all the days aren’t green, you can trade out 3 and 4 day for 1 and 2 day (or vice versa). It absolutely is not just for senior people, huge misconception.

 

Can JetBlue pilots trade between bases?? Say, a commuter is based in New York but wants a Boston trip, can I swap into said Boston trip if the days are green in NY??