I want to hear more about this Long Call Reserve pilots being able to swap/pick up trips instead. How would that be a benefit to the pilot group? Seems to me it's just taking the burden off scheduling of sorting through the call me first list because now pilots who want to fly can simply schedule themselves - turning pilots into schedulers thereby reducing the company's workload.

Also, if LCR pilots pick up trips, won't that reduce trips in open time and therefore make LESS days critical? Isn't that another bonus for the company?

Speaking of which, is there any word whatsoever on this mysterious critical pay arbitration??

 

Do you think that this retention bonus is going to actually help in retaining pilots? Do you think that we have FO's that would skip going to a good LCC or a major because of this bonus?

This bonus will not help with retention.

 

It probably will not do much to get new hires unless we open some better bases. But, it will prevent FOs from jumping to another regional which is what some were considering.

 

This isn't about stopping people form going to JetBlue or Spirit or Atlas. It's about stopping people from going to Endeavour, Skywest, or RAH.

 

The day would in theory go critical at the beginning of the month, assuming the company abided by that section of the contract.

As far as LCRs picking stuff up. I don't think it will be for all LCRs it will just be for those displaced into LCR.

It's a QoL thing.

 

A day can go critical at any point in the month. So if LCRs begin taking trips out of the pot then that greatly reduces the chance of any day being critical. Now, if it's only a displacement option, that may make a little more sense, but basically the result is the same: more reserves, less open time = less days critical and less need for the company to Jr man from a list.

 

No it's not the way it's always been. There are a few small, but important, changes.
Before when you were displaced for your line for whatever reason you would go home and be on lcr. You could call last out, and they would have to call other junior lcr prior to you before calling you 12 hours prior to your assignment.
Now, if they call you to inform you less than 24 hours before the start of your trip, you do have the option to go home pay protected without being lcr. This is a positive change, however, that's not what they do. They call you more than 24 hours in advance and leave part of your trip on you. While you are out on a trip they continue to add to your trip until your original time is up thus creating a whole new 4 day trip worth of reserve flying. What is different is that before, when you finished your regular schedule, you went home and sat lcr and could call last out. Now, last out means nothing because they basically use you before all other reserves. This turns line holders into scr during displacements. I'm not whining, I'm not complaining. I'm simply explaining the subtle difference between how it was last year versus now.

 

So what's their next gimmick going to be?

PSA offered a "cadet program" (with a limited payment of student loans). Then they offered $5000 hiring bonuses. Then they offered $10,000 hiring bonuses. Then it was $15,000 hiring bonus for anyone with prior 121 experience. Then it was $15,000 for anyone with 135 experience. Now they want to pay first officers $10,000 annually to keep first officers from jumping ship.

By my calculations, PSA is out of gimmicks! What do you think PSA will do next in order to keep this sinking ship afloat?

 

Increase first and second year FO pay and pay open time at 200%.

 

I have been here 2 years and it's been like that the whole time. That didn't change with the LOAs