Airline Pilot Central Forums - Does anyone like PBS?

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POPA	03-06-2009 05:50 PM

Having had both line bidding and PBS (at different companies), I'm a much bigger fan of PBS. If nothing else, it allows a better opportunity to get the days off you want by avoiding predetermined blocks of days off.

ToiletDuck

03-06-2009 05:53 PM

I'm about 40% in base and my trips are all commutable for the most part with 16 days off. The only time that changes is if I bid for something like a week off for snow skiing or something like that. When I ask for a week off it still has to build my 82hr line so then I'm more lax. Perhaps it's because of our contract but I can't imagine anything better. Being able to say "I want trips that start after 10am" is a HUGE plus for anyone not living in base.

Silver02ex

03-06-2009 06:40 PM

I'm on the top 30 out of 170+ . I bid CDO's and get the overnights and days off I want.

saab2000

03-06-2009 07:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ToiletDuck (Post 573717)

I think PBS is great. It's complex and requires a lot of trial and error but once you get it down it's an incredible system. You can ask or anything you want. I've never taken vacation time simply because if I want a week off I just bid for it and make it my first item on the list. If you want weekends off then make that first. When you're very junior its nice because you can bid reserve and pick your days off. If you commute then it's the best option simply because I'll put something like So that way I just told it to give me commutable 3 day trips. It will award you the best trips that you can possibly hold if you tell it to. It can be no more manipulated than other bidding systems by companies. They key lies in your trip trade system.

Personally I think it's the best option especially if you're a commuter.

I wanna know where you commute to/from where you can start your trips at 10 AM and commute in and finish at 8 PM and commute home.

In my base if you start before noon you aint' commuting in and if you finish after about 4 PM you're not commuting home.

SilkySmooth

03-06-2009 08:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by saab2000 (Post 573839)

Some commutes are better than others. I commute PHL-ATL. On almost any day of the week I can be to work by 8am and the last flight home leaves just before 10pm. If I want to commute in the night before, there's an 8pm flight to ATL. There are also several backside-of-the-clock flights per week on UPS for those diehards out there.

ToiletDuck

03-06-2009 08:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by saab2000 (Post 573839)

HOU-STL. If you don't cross time zones it's pretty easy. When I went to CMH it was a real pain esp since it was an outstation base. If you're based in a hub things are much easier since those flights don't normally start until after all the outstations bring the pax in. First flight gets me to work at 8:45am. Last flght going home is usually an 8:40pm but lately they've been fiddling with that making it an 8:10pm. Because of that shift I have a day trip I'm going to try and sluff off. The only problem is on a Sat where I think the last flight out is at 5ish pm.

matlok

03-06-2009 08:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by higney85 (Post 573758)

You need to be senior and have strong contractual language to make pref-bid good from a pilot's point of view.

I'll reiterate what higney said, and add that your airline must have adequate staffing. PBS will take whatever flying it has and spread it out amongst all the pilots, even if it means the senior 20-30% still only get 11-12 days off just like the junior guys. That's exactly what is happening with us right now.

chuckyt1

03-06-2009 08:36 PM

I have been senior, and I have been junior using PBS.

If you are in the top 10 percent, PBS is great. If not, it mostly sucks.

ToiletDuck

03-06-2009 08:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by matlok (Post 573867)

PBS won't have anything to do with that. No more than bidding lines. That's based on pairing efficiency. For instance in STL we started getting a lot of DAL day trips that rolled in from CVG. These trips aren't near the quality and thus go to the lower bidders. If everyone got 27hr 4 day trips then you'd only work 12 days a month :D It's all about the pairings. The system just awards them in the way you bid. Every time I've gotten a bad schedule it was because of some mistake on my part or someone above me bid for the trips which sent me into denial mode. I'm glad we have it. Lets the people living in base bid that way and the commuters bid their way. Also gives you the option to avoid working with people you have issues with. I don't see that as a problem in my base but the option is there.

forumname

03-06-2009 10:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ToiletDuck (Post 573874)

PBS won't have anything to do with that. No more than bidding lines. That's based on pairing efficiency.

Again, depends on the software and parameters. Again, just ask the CAL guys how good it is. It will disregard seniority to spread the flying out equally.

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