Was it that bad before 117?

Trip trading? Part 117 didn't change that. Regionals don't staff enough to allow much trip trading.

As for the crappy trips, part 117 completely changed our pairings at Republic. I'm on average down 2 to 4 days off from before. The trips are not worth much credit, so I have to work more days. Commutability has gone down the tubes. And I'm top 10% in base.

No, but there were a lot a fatiguing schedules. 430AM show times, 6 leggers, unlocking your hotel room door at 600PM that night only to have to show again before 500AM. It's just damned if you do with 117 and damned if you don't. I haven't been fatigued but tired of being in a hotel that's for sure.

I don't get it, how are some regionals (PSA, Whiskey, Compass) still building at least a decent schedule?

All those regionals get the same pairings handed to them from mainline so there most be a weak link somewhere. Maybe it's the PBS software you're using?

After a little digging I found both Compass and SkyWest use the same PBS vendor. But I think at the end of the day what matters is how much control you have over the parameters.

We are fat on pilots with the anticipation of the new aircraft coming on board, so they are spreading the hours out. We have had the MEC talk to management, I don't know if true or not but they were told we know we can make the schedules more efficient but at this time we are not. Mesa has total control over PBS, it's not the computer building these lines, the trips are put into the computer before the bids are ran. With most 4 day trips starting heavy and ending heavy. If they would just throw a turn in on day 2 or 3 instead of two legs sitting on my ass in a hotel that would solve the problem. That way the four day trips could be pushed up over 20 hours and then you could build a decent schedule.

Skillett,

Seems like this is only a CLT thing.

24 of the 29 FO line holders in IAD all have 13+ days off for this month.

The top 15 guys have 15-18 days off.

Our IAD schedules are still not too shabby. Mostly turns out of IAD, DFW, AUS, SAT, MIA, JAX, CLT, ROC, LGA, MCI etc.

I am thinking of bidding over to IAD for just that reason...there isn't a line in sight for me over in ORD.

How senior is ORD?

Yeah we got a lot of short hops in CLT.