Amen! I haven't had a long call day in two months... Short call or trips only. And never breaking guarantee.... It's fun flying 18 days for 70 hours, when line holders fly 14 days (at most) for 80+ hours....

Maybe we could address the reserve rules in 2012 and actually make reserve an acceptable position.

 

Pitts;
If you flew 18 duty periods in a month you are breaking guarantee, by a lot

5:15 x 18 = 94.5 hrs for the Duty Credit min.

Look at the PWA. Section 12 and 23. PDF file it, and then search reserves.

 

The 737 "dinner and a movie" crews fly 9 days a month for 80+ hours.
And never layover. Don't even own suitcases.

Of course the FOs holding those lines have 20 years and the Capts have 30.

#4193 SU EFFECTIVE SEP. 12-SEP. 26 CHECK-IN AT 9.15
SKED ON-DUTY
DAY FLIGHT T DEPARTS ARRIVES C BLK. EQ ACT/MAX
A DH 421 ATL 0945 UVF 1427 4.42 738
426 UVF 1517 ATL 2000 4.43 M 11.15/13.00
4.42DHD
4.43BL .00CRD 9.25TL
.00DPA .00TRP
TOTALS--- 9.25TL 4.43BL 4.42CR TAFB 11.15

 

ACL, for those of us who were displaced into commuting to reserve, jumpseating to sit short call on an off day feels a whole lot like a day flying, even though it doesn't count towards our duty credit min. I have a feeling that may be what Pitts was referring to. I work fewer flying hours than I did sitting reserve at home, but my overall quality of life is optimistically 50% of what is was prior to commuting.

I had no complaints about our reserve rules when I was living in base. When displacements force a person to commute, it's a different ballgame on reserve.

 

Unfortunately, we are doing lots of days on reserve with only deadheads. We are also doing lots of 30 hour layovers with no duty for a day. It's very easy to get 18 days of flying on reserve without breaking guarantee.

 

Yup. Lots of 24+ hour layovers, and TONS of DHing. Since DAL has taken over, I have done more DHing then all my time at NWA and Continental Express combined. Last month I was scheduled to work all 18 days of reserve, but only 13 were duty periods. Now I did break guarantee, but only by 9 hours.

 

That was not what he was complaining about. He was talking about the pay. My statement was that if we worked a duty period for each of those 18 days he gets paid well. No more no less.

I would also like to see reserves get the same credits as line holders. I would like to see DH only days equate to a duty period for the above calculation, I would like seniority to matter a little more, I would like yellow slip qualifiers mean something. I would like a fly me first, fly me last kind of deal, I would like a lot for reserve pilots.

As I am constantly reminded reserve covers about 15% of this group, so the majority will not care what the reserve rules are, they are line holders and want min day credit, not min duty credit, they want other trip and duty rigs. I get that. Point is that it is all a balance.

I would like the NWA commuter policy made contractual. My list is long, but there is a process to everything. In the end the pilots voted "Yes" for the PWA we have today, and we are dealing with it day in and day out.

My suggestion is to continue to take the time and submit suggestions to your reps for the SOT. It is, to date is the best medium in which we can identify areas that will work for us, both us and the company and the company. Ideas are good. Send them in.

Commuting to reserve is the pitts. I did it, and will avoid doing it for the rest of my career. I understand some do not have a choice, and because of that, send you suggestions in. Change only happens when there is a consensus.

 

Question for those at Delta. As a new hire if you bid and are award the aircraft and base of your choice and then there is a new AE can someone senior to you bump you out of your base? I guess my question is, is it best to bid the MD-88 to insure that if you get your base of choice you won't be bumped out? Thanks

 

You will generally not be bumped out of your a/c or base unless there is a displacement bid. An AE is published for openings. If there are 20 openings than anyone can bid them. If all 20 are senior to you, that means that your upward movement will stagnate. If 100 guys senior to you want that equipment but there are only 20 openings then they are out of luck. As long as no one is displaced you are fine. If anyone senior to you is displaced off their previous equipment, they can go wherever they want and you just have to hold out hope that won't impact you.

The best thing for you to do unless you are chasing the money is stay on the junior equipment as that will offer the most protection and upward movement.

 

Even if you get bumped off an aircraft you can still stay in your base if you can hold it at all.
ie = if you are MSP320B and get displaced, you can have MSPM88B as your first displacement choice. You'd have to go to school on the 88 but you'd still be based in MSP.
If you can't hold MSP even on the 88, then it wouldn't have made any difference anyway.

Clear as mud? AEs and displacements are hard to explain.