Could someone please reply if at your regional airline, it is possible to arrange a schedule to get 5 days off in a row each month? (I am ready to make up for this by flying my ass off/sit reserve the rest of the month.)

Before you start bashing & making fun, here's the reason I ask:
My family members take turns to care for relatives who require long term care. I do my share and pitch in each month—any less than 5 days in a row, I wouldn't be pulling my weight and causes serious disruption to other family members.
My assumptions about FO work schedule kept me from applying to airlines so far—yes, I know I kinda have a "unique snowflake" situation. Tempted by the current hiring environment, I feel I might as well explore the feasibility.

Feel free to burst my bubble (kindly) with something like...No, that would never work at regional X, you would only be able to consistently get X number of days off in a row each month.

Hopefully, there might be 1 or 2 affirmative replies on how this (5 days off in a row each month) could be achieved at your particular airline (bid? trade? what contract mechanism makes it possible?). Many thanks!

 

SkyWest - I'm able to get at least 5 days off or more in a row every month, consistently. This month, I started the month with 8 days off in a row, traded some trips around and ended up with 10 days off in a row in the middle of the month and 4 days in a row towards the end with a couple smaller breaks in the middle. Definitely possible as a line holder.

 

in a row...spellcheck fail on my part

Thank you Zonda! Getting my hopes up.

 

How long you been with company?

I get that you said it had a lot to do with trades, but still curious.

 

At Endeavor I bid for 5 day trips and fly 3 of them a month with 7-10 day off stretches every month. Have had that schedule for 3 years or so now. New line holders at Endeavor can hold the same schedule if they bid for 5 day trips, they don't go senior.

 

If you want schedule flexibility there is only one choice at this point. PSA has by far and away the best schedule flexibility of any regional airline. 5 days off in a row is no problem. Want 2 separate stretches of 5 days off? No problem. Meet the SAP. It has flaws but is still an incredibly powerful QoL tool.

The only caveat would be that you must be off reserve to enjoy this benefit. Someone posts our reserve time in table form every month in the PSA info thread. Check that table for current times to see if it would be acceptable. I would expect those reserve times to come down a bit but I would use that table as a "worst case scenario".

While you are on reserve you should still be able to get your stretch of 5 off in a row but there would be significantly less choices as to when it would be available, and you may miss a month here and there.

 

I don't know the details of what you can and can't do but FMLA might be an option for you. I think you need to be with the company for a year before you can use it. I've only used it for paternity leave.

 

I will second that for SkyWest out trade/post/drop software is realy good and easy on the eyes.. But easy even in pbs to get 5+ days off in a row.

 

You won't have to sacrifice much if anything to get 5 days off in a row. Most places should afford you 5 days off in a row with trip trading.

 

Every regional I've ever worked at it's been fairly easy to hold one stretch of five in a row off a month once off reserve and have a bit of seniority. Of course you have to be realistic...you won't be able to do that AND hold wknds off for example.

I'm on a stretch of 10 off in a row and it's a crap schedule month with ground school etc. I usually plan on a stretch of 6-8 off every month...my mini monthly vacation. YMMV...