​​​​​​Seeing as everyone has different needs, I do not want to get to bid 2 months out. A lot of things I need to bid around often aren't scheduled until closer to the date I need off.

Correction to Frontier... CA on the 8th, FO on the 10th. Usually published a day early though.

What is the thought process behind schedules coming out at different times for CA/FO? 3 airlines I've been at they come out at the same time.

Funny seeing most places seem to publish the schedule early. At AA they legit wait until the exact minute as spelled out in the contract.

UAL
CA 15th
FO 17th. Run after CAs are final to accommodate “avoiding” particular CAs in bidding.

FOs schedules are published later so that they can bid to avoid flying with certain captains. Also, training captains trips will be removed from FO bidding to avoid having to drop FOs who may end up scheduled with a check airman.

F/Os can also bid to fly WITH particular Captains. I'm sure someone does that.

AS bid packages are published "Friday before the first Tuesday of the month." Bid open for 1 week and awards published that next Friday. So for May, bidding opened Friday Apr 2 and lines awarded Apr 9. There are two stages of step trading to change your schedule which runs another 7 days total.

Yea, but they don’t have PBS, so same CA/FO all 60 days. You better pray you get along with the guy you’re flying with.

UPS* 2 month bid

jetBlue 7th/10th
Frontier 8th/10th
Alaska 9th~12th
Southwest 11th (except training month and blank lines)
​​​​​Delta 13~15th/14~16th (technically 17th)
United 15th/17th
American 16th
Sun Country 20th
​​​​​
Atlas
Allegiant
FedEx
Hawaiian
Kalitta
Polar
Southern
Spirit

UPS bids are generally eight weeks long (two four week pay periods).

November bid is four weeks long (one pay period).

Periodically, the December/January bid is 9 weeks instead of 8 (one five week pay period, followed by a four week pay period).

To muddy the waters even more...

Bid package is published by 1700 SDF time 31 days before the start of the next bid. CA bids close 1300 SDF time 24 days before the start of the next bid. FO bids close 1300 SDF time 20 days before the start of the next bid. Awards for both must be published within 3 hours of close.

VTO [secondary line] bidding opens 14(CA)/13(FO) days before the next bid starts, and closes 12/11 days before the next bid starts.

VTOR [tertiary line] bidding opens 10(CA)/6(FO) days before the next bid starts and closes the following morning.