Delta Pilot Schedule
 

Here is a post out of total curiosity.

If you are a Delta pilot, can you post a sample schedule or describe a typical monthly schedule if you are:

- Fairly junior on your aircraft type
- Commuter
- Looking to maximize days off

Also, at Delta could you describe your ability to re-arrange your schedule, in terms of dropping trips, trip trading etc. . .

I'm looking to get a "head start" on the QOL at the carrier.

Thanks!

FWIW:

JFK 7ER
First line - three 3 day trips, one 4 day. All were commutable on both ends.
~82 hours.

You can swap trips with open time or fellow pilots on the swap board.
The swap board also has drop option for interested pilots to pick up and clear your schedule.

Reserve is 12 or 13 days off with blocks of two to six days. Fairly liberal with moving days as long as there is adequate coverage.

Your question is very open ended and has so many varibles its hard to answer. I had 1 day carry into Sep and then flew a 6 day trip. I have a 3 day tomorrow for a total of 70 hours working 10 days. As a new hire if you live in base you can expect to have a pretty good quality of life. If you choose to commute your quality of life will suffer, perhaps dramatically if you are married.

No truer words were ever spoken

NYC MD88 First Officer

Spent 3 weeks on reserve, line holder after that. On my first month as a line holder, I had every weekend off except for a Sunday. After that, I bidded and had every weekend off as well as July 4th and Labor Day. I fly the maximum line value each month which has been around 82-85 hours. The trips I was flying were 2-3 day trips. I avoid the out and backs. Most of the trips were Boston or DC shuttle flights. But I did get a lot of Florida turns. So, my schedule was either Sun Mon Wed Thur or Mon-Thur.

Last two months, I cared less about weekends. I've been pulling down 3 and 4 day trips. Usually they consist of Florida runs ... NYC to anywhere in Florida. But I have also done flying to CT, MO, KY, SC, and LA. Flying the longer trips, it has paired my off days together, so last month, I had a 7, 4, and 3 days off grouped together ... mini vacations. I love it.

It will only take me 5 months to reach 400 hours ... end or probation.

-Fatty

B767ER FO

I've been at Delta about nine months, I'm around 400 out of 468 on the ER in JFK. I commute from the midwest to JFK, a relatively easy commute. This month, I worked 14 days and got 80 hours of pay. I was on reserve for a month and a half, then I've had a line since. I never spent the night in my crashpad, my schedule was thus:

2 day of carry-in from previous month
5 off
six day trip
4 off
3 day trip
4 off
3 day trip
3 off

Two of the three trips went to places I asked for, I had every Sunday off and everything was commutable.

As for rearranging the schedule, because we are short of reserves, right now, it's hard to move trips between days, but very easy to swap trips if they fall on the same days. I swapped two of my three trips for different destinations, using the automated system. I put my request in, and on the next run of the computer (it runs three times a day) my swap was approved.

I have no complaints about my QOL.

Aircraft Driver,

A couple of things to point out:

- A quick stint on reserve and then holding a line with weekends off is not the norm. Be prepared for a lot longer reserve and working weekends/holidays.

- As a lineholder with PBS I can get a 78 hour month working 3 -four day trips for a total of 12 days a month, but at my seniority 90/140 I will usually fly mostly on the weekends. If I bid for weekends off I can mostly get that but the trips are not as efficient.

- You generally have a lot of flexiblity with trip drops and trades etc but this can diminish almost to zero during the summer/busy periods when reserve manning is lower.

- PBS gives you a lot of flexibility to manipulate your schedule but you have to be realistic regarding your seniority.

- If you asked this question in July your responses would be a lot different as a whole then now.

Scoop

NYC 7ER FO still on reserve:

For October, most of the reserve lines had you on call for stretches that were 10+ days long. The benefit is that you also get long stretches of days off in a row.

I've never bid a reserve line like that. I have enough seniority to bid something that more resembles a regular line when it comes to days on and off, ie. 5-6 on, 3-4 off. I'm a commuter and I don't know if there's an advantage to bidding a reserve line that has long stretches of on-call days.

I've been online 2 months and have spent only 1 night in the crash pad, all while sitting reserve. You'll have to be willing to fly though. There are ways to use the system if you take the time to figure it out.

Also, the flying varies greatly between the different equipment and bases, so it's impossible to give a "typical" schedule. For example, because of the nature of the international flying in the NYC 7ER base, almost all trips are commutable. This is not going to be the case for, let's say, CVG M88.

Fatty,

From your experience as MD88 pilot in NYC (lazy to look up myself) ...... what percentage of trips originate in LGA, JFK, EWR?

I imagine most start out of LGA, but can you estimate how much do you need to drive to JFK or EWR? Is it easy to avoid them with "barely holding a line" seniority?


Thank you.

A little off topic but can you cross two different oceans in the same trip? Buy this i mean DTW NRT ATL then say to SA or Africa.

When they build lines they must have at least 48hrs off in base before a change in direction (Trans-pacific to SA or Trans-Atlantic). I would have to do some more digging to see if there is a similar restriction in the construction of trips. In my experience (JFK ER) this does not happen. Trips that have multipule crossings are almost always to the same forign destinaion (JFK-AMS-CVG-AMS-JFK for example).

This is a wag, but from what I can tell using the Easybid filter, out of 334 trips in Sept, about 148 were DC or Boston shuttles (Marine Air Terminal), 47 were JFK, and 139 were LGA mainline trips. There were no EWR trips. I haven't seen any EWR trips since the summer and even then, there were like 4.

The problem with the MD88 NYC trips, most aren't commutable for someone not living in the area.

Depending on where you live, JFK is easier to drive to than LGA. If you live in NJ or PA, EWR is perfect. LGA sucks because there are no subways or trains that go there. JFK isn't any better (Air Train) ... assuming you like connecting in Jamaica, NY :( .

-Fatty

That may be true now, but after SOC, it will take a lot longer than that. It only took me 5 1/2 years to get off probation.

And for an Atlanta MD-88 B bottom lineholder you can expect around 14-15 days off working all weekends. Either 4 four days or 3 four days and a 3 day is pretty common. This type of schedule is typical for the bottom quarter or line holders.

DAL reserve for September: One 3-day trip, one 2-day trip, 4 days of short call.

Your off probation when you reach 400 hours OR 1 year whichever occurs first.

I think his point was furlough.
Lots of the guys DAL hired in 01 came back with less than 400 hrs and one year of active service. They were still on probation in year six to eight pay.

I have flown one two leg trip this month and have had eight days or short call this month. Quite slow.

Just so you have some perspective, here is what is probably worst case, most junior case scenario, on a category where we are short (MD 88 ATL)
Schedule for sept reserve (plus aug 31) was 4 on, 2 off, 4 on, 2 off, 4 on 3 off, 4 on 5 off, 3 on. I have been used for trips or short call on every day of availability. I have always had to commute in the day before my first day of reserve due to early shows or early short call, but have always made it home on the last day. I typically got an early show 3 day followed by short call on the last day, or back to back 2 days. Its turned all of may 2 day off stretches into one day at home, and I only had 8 full days at home this month (typically getting back around 9pm the night before my first day off, and leaving in the afternoon on my last day off.) I have accumulated all 8 short call credits this month, and am being flown to within 30 minutes of the reserve limit (ALV) for the month.
Again - probably worst case scenario, I asked/bid for what I’m doing, and life will obviously be easier when I live in base. But IF we do hire I imagine many of the new hires will end up in this category, so its important to build a realistic expectation of what is possible - plus, as others have said, reserve could last a long time with slow movement over the next few years, so best to plan for worst case scenario.
On the bright side, at the current rate, I will be off probation by sometime in January, and I think QOL is better than it was with previous employer, especially when (not if) I move to base.

Damn, dude. It's amazing to see the disparity between categories at the same company...

What are the schedules like for junior line-holders on the domestic 757/767 in ATL? How's the QOL if you are living in ATL?

Quite well.
Three days or four days once a week.
Weekend trips. Max of four leg days. Normally there is only one day like that and then two days are one leg trans cons. with a three leg day on the end.
Red eyes occasionally, but with all of the DFW commuters those go quite senior.

The last time I touched an airplane was 9/10 on the last day of a 3 day trip, which was my only trip this month. Sat short call (read this as slept in and went around life as normal) about 4 times since then. Bout it.

In October, on reserve again, I have 3 of the 4 weekends off. I'm expecting just a tad more activity than Sept.

I'm a CVG MD-88 FO that's been with DAL since April. I live in the midwest and commute to reserve. Almost all of our reserve lines are 2, 3 or 4 days off. Problem is it's not commutable for reserve (unless you want to roll the dice). That said, I usually have to come in the day before. So in all essence, take a day off of all the above for days truly spent at home. Last month I had 2, two days off. Problem was I didn't get back to CVG in time to commute home post trip and it wasn't worth going home for 24 hrs just to come right back. Last month I flew over 80 hours and slept in my own bed 6nights; OUCH!

There are very few options for crashpads in CVG but hotels are cheap. The Comfort Inn is $35/night. This month has been pretty rough as I had 5 overnights and have spent over 2 weeks on hotels on my own dime.

If you look at your guarentee of 70hrs@ $50/hr you are guaranteed roughly $3500 a month, plus per diem. Take out about $250 for insurance and another $600 for taxes and I bring home about $2650 a month.

Now take out as much as $35/night plus eating out all the time and you'll spend about $60/day on your own money if you're not called up. So, like this month, 14 days at $60/day and you spend about $840 per month as a commuter.

Finally subtract your commuting expenses from your take home pay $2650-840 and you truly earn about $1810 a month after everything.

And the true kicker. You are required to be on reserve 18 days a month. Each reserve day can be considered to be 12 hours. So 18x12 equals about 216 hours a month. Sure, you're not working all this time but you're gone way more than that. So, if you only take home $1810/month but are "on duty" for 216 hrs you really make just over $8/hr.

Damn near having to pay to go to work. Oh, and one last thing. I tapped out a 8 short calls this month and was called up on long call once, had 5 days on, 1 day off and 4 days on. Out of all 10 days all I did was 1 out and back so I didn't even get a hotel out of it.

You might want to look at your base choice in the next AE if possible... you should be able to sit at home on long call in most places in the country (or at least roll the dice... I personally would have only had to burn one sick call on a long callout over the past year and 3 months if I were still commuting from DTW).

Regardless... something isn't right with your situation and is about the worst I've seen- you might also consider that you're playing things a bit too conservative?

I'm NYC88B and I've spent 3 nights in the crashpad all month on my reserve line. I fly maybe 30 hrs/mo, but then again I commute on the shuttle.

Your post brings up several questions:

1. Did you know the conditions when you applied for the job?
2. If the conditions are so onerous, why are you still here?
3. Have you considered moving to base? It appears that would greatly enhance your quality of life...:confused:
4. What are you doing to attempt to change the conditions you find onerous?

Your math is interesting. I came out with a different answer. What I'm seeing is that your choice to commute is worth the personal cost to you.:)

Quick fix: CVG 737 = home. (At least for now anyway:)

Sure, it's been a rough few months. In many respects I have been playing it ultra conservative. All my commuting is on CRJs which have frequently been completely full. I have taken the jumpseat many times but have also been bumped due to priority or weight and balance issues.

Even with all that said, I truly like the job. Things are rough now but there are prospects on the horizon to increase QOL. First, I was recently accepted in to the Air Nataional Guard. Second, eventually the day will come when I am a line holder. I might not get commutable lines right away but with a set schedule and being off probabation I'll feel more comfortable in taking a later flight and not being so conservative. Third, if and when the day comes that I can bid MSP everything will turn around. MSP is drivable if required with many flights per day to and from.

God you got a guard slot, how old are you?

Unless you get furloughed with 298 hours and only 357 days with the company. Keep in mind that in 2001 there was no AQP, it took 3-4 months to go through initial training and the reserve system was different, there was no raw score. You could put in a low yellow and never touch the controls of an airplane all month.

Once we pass SOC, those new hires will not see the kind of deal that the 07-08 new hires at Delta got. You were in a unique place at the right time, with the right set of circumstances that allowed at new hire to go to the ER, let alone domestic 767. I seriously doubt that that will happen again.

Stupid question, what is SOC?

-Fatty

Single Operating Certificate

When the FAA says we really are one airline, not two with the same paint job.

Single Operating Certificate.

NYC 737 F/O.....This month, 4-two day trips and six short calls. 40 hrs of flying. Over the Summer I averaged about 50 hrs a month. But, last Winter was only about 20-30 hrs a month. I just finished my first year last month and am still on reserve. But, living near base is key. Short call is just like another day at home. Only difference is you can't have a beer while watching the Mets choke again! Sitting short call right now, and just got back from a round of golf with my neighbors. I would say that living in base improves QOL dramatically!

Hey Blu,

Do you have much DH on your flying? cuz more than a few ATL 73 trips starts/ends with a DH to JFK... Just wondering.

Not a lot of DH's outta LAX...but a lot of red eyes. Don't come here! It sux! ;)

Very well written. Most people don't think about going to reserve as "working" but it can be clocked as "time away" from home. I worked at DAL for 6 months and that was enough exposure to 121 "commuter" lifestyle. Most of us military guys don't get the picture until you are there. Maybe things would have been different if we lived in base, but (lucky to figure this early in my newly separated mil life) my time is worth more than my money. Good luck to you, I hope you get what you want out of it. Cheers.

FWIW, I'm an ATL MD88 FO. They use me almost everyday on reserve. Unlike the regionals, however, the process to how they assign trips and use you is quite transparent. There isn't any junior high buddy/buddy with the schedulers to get a better QOL than the other guy. That's not to say that you can't call scheduling to help you out (they've helped me out a number of times). Examples: changing short call time periods, offering earlier trips if you make yourself available allowing easier commutes home, putting you first in line while on short call if you are sitting short call at the airport (vs having to sit at the hotel), flexible positioning of FX days, etc...

I average just over 1 day a month on long call (at home) - that they don't use me. Average 2 short calls a month. 82 hours a month pay. I commute so it is to my advantage to get used vs. having to sit short call so I yellow slip a lot of things that I might not otherwise have to fly. This is important to note in the event you live in base. Your QOL might be great sitting short call living in base, but as a commuter I'd view sitting short calls as a poor QOL.

To sum things up from my point of view, on the 88 you are going to get used a lot. You do have the ability to "see it coming" though and request the best trip for you via the computer. Overall, I think that commuting to reserve at Delta (I'm domestic with a lot of flights and the ability to drive if need be) is easier than reserve in base at my old company. Just my opinion.