Piedmont Airlines News & Rumors
09-08-2021, 05:54 PM
#6391
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jun 2019
Posts: 366
Originally Posted by flybywp
My two cents? If I had to do it all over again, I'd still pick Piedmont.
Yeah, I'm sure you would if it were still years ago when you made your decision. The point that you are missing is that TODAY the environment is very different. Do not accept subpar non-industry standard things. Is there a perfect regional? Heck no and there never will be. The point that you are missing is simply that no perspective new hire should rank/choose PDT over another regional TODAY with there being so many other options with vastly superior quality of life.
Honestly, why come to Piedmont when you can go to another regional and make more money (credit more hours / month) and at the same time have more days off per month? Oh, also you could have more flexibility in your schedule (4/2 and 6/2 is crap and unacceptable in today's world), fly newer aircraft and overall have a better quality of life? The point is, there is no reason TODAY to put Piedmont on any sort of pedestal. It made sense for some people (including me) at a certain time which is why we all came to Piedmont. However, it should not make sense for any new hire today, given what else is out there.
I see so many senior guys here near flow with Stockholm syndrome that say "it's not so bad", cool that's because you're about to go to AA and you survived. Some even got lucky with a sweet 4 or 5 year flow- congrats (those days are over now). The big thing is to leave Piedmont better than you found it. A new hire should not be choosing Piedmont when zero quality of life issues have been solved and the pilot group continues to be so far behind other regionals in regard to schedule, transparency, and working conditions. The only way that is ever going to change is if they cannot fill new hire classes.
Oh, there are bonuses. Cool. PSA. and Envoy got them too. This came directly from AA to try and keep their wholly-owns staffed. It was not some revolutionary thing that the company or ALPA created. This is a band-aid for the gunshot wound that is causing Piedmont to bleed out because people see how better it is at other places. The only good thing to come out of this for Piedmont was the increased pay rates for CAs (long overdue).
09-09-2021, 07:29 PM
#6392
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Feb 2018
Posts: 182
What is reserve in PHL for a new hire like? How often are you called out, how many overnights per month, breakdown of different types of reserve?
Oh and I live in Philly so will not be commuting.
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Oh and I live in Philly so will not be commuting.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
09-11-2021, 06:27 AM
#6393
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jun 2019
Posts: 366
Originally Posted by peaches
What is reserve in PHL for a new hire like? How often are you called out, how many overnights per month, breakdown of different types of reserve?
Oh and I live in Philly so will not be commuting.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Oh and I live in Philly so will not be commuting.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Standard reserve line (schedule) is 11 days off per month, 19 - 20 reserve days / month (depending on if the month has 30-31 days). Generally it will include stretches of 4,5 or 6 days of reserve in a row followed by 2 days off. You’ll get 1 stretch during the month of 4 days off in a row (called golden days), but they may not be where you want them since you have to bid for where those days fall and you might not get what you want since it’s bidding and that’s a gamble.
You can “try” to swap reserve days around by submitting a request to scheduling via the company website. 9 times out of 10 scheduling will deny your request and say “coverage too low”. Unfortunately our contractual rules for reserve pilots are very weak. Your only reference for what actual coverage for reserve pilots is on the company website where it says if a day is “Good”, “Okay” or “Bad”. That is literally it, I’m not making that up… that Good, Okay, Bad for reserve coverage is broken down for base (PHL or CLT) and position (CA or FO), and it is updated at the end of day for the next day. We do not have access to the reserve grid like every other airline usually does. You cannot see who is on reserve or where you fall on the pecking order call out list.
General reserve is being on call from 5am to 7pm, with a 2 hour call out. Meaning they can call you at 5am with a report time (being at the gate) at 7am. They will always call you the day before your reserve stretch (on your day off) to swap around your on call times for your upcoming stretch. They are always trying to maximize the amount of time they can use you. You are not required to answer your phone on your day off. Sometimes it benefits you to answer and sometimes it does not. It is a gamble and up to you if you want to talk to them on our day off.
We also have RAS (hot reserve), where you sit at the airport for 8 hours (and only get paid for 4 hours FYI). You are there basically to cover anything that pops up, sometimes you’ll get used during that and sometimes you won’t. They can assign you RAS (hot reserve). Up to 8 times / month.
Sometimes you’ll fly more / month as a reserve pilot than a hard line holder does. Sometimes you’ll get lucky and not ever be called in. There is no rhythm or pattern to it. Being on reserve you should expect a ton of schedule changes and you’ll be on the phone with scheduling a LOT.
Overall reserve at piedmont is quite terrible. We do not have long call reserve and we have weak outdated reserve rules in our pilot contract. If you live in base it is tolerable, as a commuter it’s near impossible and very frustrating.
09-12-2021, 10:43 AM
#6394
On Reserve
Joined APC: Mar 2020
Posts: 15
Originally Posted by CADR
Standard reserve line (schedule) is 11 days off per month, 19 - 20 reserve days / month (depending on if the month has 30-31 days). Generally it will include stretches of 4,5 or 6 days of reserve in a row followed by 2 days off. You’ll get 1 stretch during the month of 4 days off in a row (called golden days), but they may not be where you want them since you have to bid for where those days fall and you might not get what you want since it’s bidding and that’s a gamble.
You can “try” to swap reserve days around by submitting a request to scheduling via the company website. 9 times out of 10 scheduling will deny your request and say “coverage too low”. Unfortunately our contractual rules for reserve pilots are very weak. Your only reference for what actual coverage for reserve pilots is on the company website where it says if a day is “Good”, “Okay” or “Bad”. That is literally it, I’m not making that up… that Good, Okay, Bad for reserve coverage is broken down for base (PHL or CLT) and position (CA or FO), and it is updated at the end of day for the next day. We do not have access to the reserve grid like every other airline usually does. You cannot see who is on reserve or where you fall on the pecking order call out list.
General reserve is being on call from 5am to 7pm, with a 2 hour call out. Meaning they can call you at 5am with a report time (being at the gate) at 7am. They will always call you the day before your reserve stretch (on your day off) to swap around your on call times for your upcoming stretch. They are always trying to maximize the amount of time they can use you. You are not required to answer your phone on your day off. Sometimes it benefits you to answer and sometimes it does not. It is a gamble and up to you if you want to talk to them on our day off.
We also have RAS (hot reserve), where you sit at the airport for 8 hours (and only get paid for 4 hours FYI). You are there basically to cover anything that pops up, sometimes you’ll get used during that and sometimes you won’t. They can assign you RAS (hot reserve). Up to 8 times / month.
Sometimes you’ll fly more / month as a reserve pilot than a hard line holder does. Sometimes you’ll get lucky and not ever be called in. There is no rhythm or pattern to it. Being on reserve you should expect a ton of schedule changes and you’ll be on the phone with scheduling a LOT.
Overall reserve at piedmont is quite terrible. We do not have long call reserve and we have weak outdated reserve rules in our pilot contract. If you live in base it is tolerable, as a commuter it’s near impossible and very frustrating.
You can “try” to swap reserve days around by submitting a request to scheduling via the company website. 9 times out of 10 scheduling will deny your request and say “coverage too low”. Unfortunately our contractual rules for reserve pilots are very weak. Your only reference for what actual coverage for reserve pilots is on the company website where it says if a day is “Good”, “Okay” or “Bad”. That is literally it, I’m not making that up… that Good, Okay, Bad for reserve coverage is broken down for base (PHL or CLT) and position (CA or FO), and it is updated at the end of day for the next day. We do not have access to the reserve grid like every other airline usually does. You cannot see who is on reserve or where you fall on the pecking order call out list.
General reserve is being on call from 5am to 7pm, with a 2 hour call out. Meaning they can call you at 5am with a report time (being at the gate) at 7am. They will always call you the day before your reserve stretch (on your day off) to swap around your on call times for your upcoming stretch. They are always trying to maximize the amount of time they can use you. You are not required to answer your phone on your day off. Sometimes it benefits you to answer and sometimes it does not. It is a gamble and up to you if you want to talk to them on our day off.
We also have RAS (hot reserve), where you sit at the airport for 8 hours (and only get paid for 4 hours FYI). You are there basically to cover anything that pops up, sometimes you’ll get used during that and sometimes you won’t. They can assign you RAS (hot reserve). Up to 8 times / month.
Sometimes you’ll fly more / month as a reserve pilot than a hard line holder does. Sometimes you’ll get lucky and not ever be called in. There is no rhythm or pattern to it. Being on reserve you should expect a ton of schedule changes and you’ll be on the phone with scheduling a LOT.
Overall reserve at piedmont is quite terrible. We do not have long call reserve and we have weak outdated reserve rules in our pilot contract. If you live in base it is tolerable, as a commuter it’s near impossible and very frustrating.
09-12-2021, 10:56 AM
#6395
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Feb 2018
Posts: 182
Originally Posted by Elisia76
Been on reserve for a while, I can second this. However, in terms of “you’ll get lucky and not ever be called in” Maybe I’m just not lucky but I’m used all the time on reserve, and I’m pretty sure most other pilots are as well.
When you are called in is there a breakdown of the length of the trip? One of my buddies at another regional said that he can get called out on a four day but he typically gets turns or a two day then back to reserve.
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09-12-2021, 10:57 AM
#6396
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Feb 2018
Posts: 182
Originally Posted by CADR
Standard reserve line (schedule) is 11 days off per month, 19 - 20 reserve days / month (depending on if the month has 30-31 days). Generally it will include stretches of 4,5 or 6 days of reserve in a row followed by 2 days off. You’ll get 1 stretch during the month of 4 days off in a row (called golden days), but they may not be where you want them since you have to bid for where those days fall and you might not get what you want since it’s bidding and that’s a gamble.
You can “try” to swap reserve days around by submitting a request to scheduling via the company website. 9 times out of 10 scheduling will deny your request and say “coverage too low”. Unfortunately our contractual rules for reserve pilots are very weak. Your only reference for what actual coverage for reserve pilots is on the company website where it says if a day is “Good”, “Okay” or “Bad”. That is literally it, I’m not making that up… that Good, Okay, Bad for reserve coverage is broken down for base (PHL or CLT) and position (CA or FO), and it is updated at the end of day for the next day. We do not have access to the reserve grid like every other airline usually does. You cannot see who is on reserve or where you fall on the pecking order call out list.
General reserve is being on call from 5am to 7pm, with a 2 hour call out. Meaning they can call you at 5am with a report time (being at the gate) at 7am. They will always call you the day before your reserve stretch (on your day off) to swap around your on call times for your upcoming stretch. They are always trying to maximize the amount of time they can use you. You are not required to answer your phone on your day off. Sometimes it benefits you to answer and sometimes it does not. It is a gamble and up to you if you want to talk to them on our day off.
We also have RAS (hot reserve), where you sit at the airport for 8 hours (and only get paid for 4 hours FYI). You are there basically to cover anything that pops up, sometimes you’ll get used during that and sometimes you won’t. They can assign you RAS (hot reserve). Up to 8 times / month.
Sometimes you’ll fly more / month as a reserve pilot than a hard line holder does. Sometimes you’ll get lucky and not ever be called in. There is no rhythm or pattern to it. Being on reserve you should expect a ton of schedule changes and you’ll be on the phone with scheduling a LOT.
Overall reserve at piedmont is quite terrible. We do not have long call reserve and we have weak outdated reserve rules in our pilot contract. If you live in base it is tolerable, as a commuter it’s near impossible and very frustrating.
You can “try” to swap reserve days around by submitting a request to scheduling via the company website. 9 times out of 10 scheduling will deny your request and say “coverage too low”. Unfortunately our contractual rules for reserve pilots are very weak. Your only reference for what actual coverage for reserve pilots is on the company website where it says if a day is “Good”, “Okay” or “Bad”. That is literally it, I’m not making that up… that Good, Okay, Bad for reserve coverage is broken down for base (PHL or CLT) and position (CA or FO), and it is updated at the end of day for the next day. We do not have access to the reserve grid like every other airline usually does. You cannot see who is on reserve or where you fall on the pecking order call out list.
General reserve is being on call from 5am to 7pm, with a 2 hour call out. Meaning they can call you at 5am with a report time (being at the gate) at 7am. They will always call you the day before your reserve stretch (on your day off) to swap around your on call times for your upcoming stretch. They are always trying to maximize the amount of time they can use you. You are not required to answer your phone on your day off. Sometimes it benefits you to answer and sometimes it does not. It is a gamble and up to you if you want to talk to them on our day off.
We also have RAS (hot reserve), where you sit at the airport for 8 hours (and only get paid for 4 hours FYI). You are there basically to cover anything that pops up, sometimes you’ll get used during that and sometimes you won’t. They can assign you RAS (hot reserve). Up to 8 times / month.
Sometimes you’ll fly more / month as a reserve pilot than a hard line holder does. Sometimes you’ll get lucky and not ever be called in. There is no rhythm or pattern to it. Being on reserve you should expect a ton of schedule changes and you’ll be on the phone with scheduling a LOT.
Overall reserve at piedmont is quite terrible. We do not have long call reserve and we have weak outdated reserve rules in our pilot contract. If you live in base it is tolerable, as a commuter it’s near impossible and very frustrating.
Awesome info, appreciate it.
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09-12-2021, 01:14 PM
#6397
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Mar 2018
Posts: 335
Originally Posted by peaches
When you are called in is there a breakdown of the length of the trip? One of my buddies at another regional said that he can get called out on a four day but he typically gets turns or a two day then back to reserve.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
What's a turn????
you'll probably be out all days you are on reserve (even 6). They utilize you as much as they can and if you're on for 6 days, even if you're assigned a turn, you'll get tagged when you check out with another trip. There's always work to be done at Piedmont! p.s. don't think being utilized = time building. pdt does short legs and the schedules are inefficient, so you don't build time as quickly as our friends flying aircraft with first class seating.
09-12-2021, 03:58 PM
#6398
Eating A Gruben
Joined APC: Feb 2020
Posts: 1,065
Originally Posted by send a check
I guess it’s en vouge to hate on PDT and I get it. But you do realize that increasing the flow to 9 per month MUST be contingent on hiring metrics. Or at least that is my assumption since the final language is not published??
I guess most of you guys would rather warn everyone else then get out in 33% less time then it could take. Six flows per month is 72 and nine flows per month is 108. Why be here 5 years when you can be here 7.5. (Sarcasm)
It is awfully nice of you!!
Cry non stop about a job you took in free country (which you can quit at any time) and then actively sabotage and undermine a recruitment effort that would get you gone sooner.
Keep up the crying. I’m sure it will pay off. Yippee!!
I guess most of you guys would rather warn everyone else then get out in 33% less time then it could take. Six flows per month is 72 and nine flows per month is 108. Why be here 5 years when you can be here 7.5. (Sarcasm)
It is awfully nice of you!!
Cry non stop about a job you took in free country (which you can quit at any time) and then actively sabotage and undermine a recruitment effort that would get you gone sooner.
Keep up the crying. I’m sure it will pay off. Yippee!!
09-12-2021, 06:23 PM
#6399
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Aug 2016
Posts: 155
Originally Posted by sanicom3205
Let me get this straight, you’re advocating lying about your experience to guys who came here to get the low down - so that you can get a better job. Stabbing pilots in the back to better your career. Nice
You got so bored you came back over here.
Actually flow is to be based on attrition so my assumption was wrong. It’s not based on hiring. So my post and your response are meaningless.
But you don’t have it straight. I don’t advocate lying. However I am amused by people’s hatred of a job they can leave at anytime. If flow had increased due to hiring then those who hate this place would be here for longer and not a shorter time if they drove applicants away.
But it’s an invalid point now!
09-13-2021, 05:44 AM
#6400
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jan 2018
Posts: 644
Originally Posted by send a check
You got so bored you came back over here.
Actually flow is to be based on attrition so my assumption was wrong. It’s not based on hiring. So my post and your response are meaningless.
But you don’t have it straight. I don’t advocate lying. However I am amused by people’s hatred of a job they can leave at anytime. If flow had increased due to hiring then those who hate this place would be here for longer and not a shorter time if they drove applicants away.
But it’s an invalid point now!
Actually flow is to be based on attrition so my assumption was wrong. It’s not based on hiring. So my post and your response are meaningless.
But you don’t have it straight. I don’t advocate lying. However I am amused by people’s hatred of a job they can leave at anytime. If flow had increased due to hiring then those who hate this place would be here for longer and not a shorter time if they drove applicants away.
But it’s an invalid point now!
There are a few things I disagree with here.
1) we can't just up and leave without significant consequences (lateral career progression on interviews, losing seniority, etc), and the company knows that. Most of us came here during a different time where we worked harder than our peers in exchange for a guaranteed job at the majors after a 5 year stint. Right now, we work harder in exchange for nothing special. I don't count a $30k bonus with a 3 year commitment, after upgrade, at the beginning of the largest non-military hiring binge in history as 'special.' Same for the flow bonuses, especially if you passed up other opportunities.
2) The company won't pay us more or increase quality of life out of the goodness of their hearts; they'll do it when supply/demand makes it necessary in order to keep the airline staffed (either recruitment or retention). It's pretty much impossible for a 1,500 hour CFI to understand how the contract will affect their lives on the line. All they understand is hourly pay rate and bonuses. By pointing out the issues, it educates pilots who are being recruited, and if it's a bad deal, they won't take it, which will hopefully lead to meaningful changes to our pay and quality of life to entice people to come here (or stay instead of bolting to LCCs). It's not like PDT is struggling to remain profitable, it's that PDT is always trying to find ways to reduce costs and now they're reluctant to adjust their expectations to increase costs to be on regional parity. It's not about sinking the boat we're on. It's the opposite. It's about bringing attention to issues that are fixable. That's the problem with "if it ain't broke, why fix it." By the time things break, they're usually much more costly and difficult to fix.
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