anybody else think it’s insane that AK are only keeping 10 busses? How is that in any way cost effective.

They won’t keep them long term.

The short answer is, yes. Line construction is limited to 85 hours (with up to six months chosen by the company limited to up to 88). Pilots are then able to add up to 5 more hours through picking up or trading.

There are numerous exceptions and ways to go above this limit for “pay only” at the pilot’s discretion, such as vacation, training, pilot-to-pilot pickups, premium trips, voluntary senior assign trips, half the time you deadhead.

You forgot to mention that if you go even 1 minute above, let’s say the 85 hour limit, and all you have are 4 day trips (example only)you will have to ‘fix’ it yourself during the steps following the bidding and if you don’t the Company will fix it for you and it’s not pretty! Just one of the many gems in our current contract! Pretty sad… so, when you hear people like ALA5KA complain it actually has some teeth to it and it’s not all “crazy talk” as implied by SHYGUY…

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^THIS^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Thank you. I’m not crazy and I want to like working here. I’m just tired of the way this place treats us all..including shy, whether he is too blind to realize it or not

That is called being subjective. You feel mistreated and want to like working here, whereas I feel fine and like working here. Of course I want scope and work rule improvements. Until then, I take advantage of whatever parts of the contract I can.

Hahahahahahahaha you feel fine. Please enlighten us on anything you take advantage of in our steaming pile of a contract. Please. Seriously. I’ll wait.

* Give trip away, take it right back to break a hard cap of 90.
* Borrow a day trip or 2-day, swap/drop an original trip, and then give the other guy his trip back to him. Breaks lower end of 75 hr cap.
* Until the union cancelled the MOU, rsv pickup on day off. Easy way to get above 79 hrs on reserve.
* Paying attention to reserve grid, keeping an eye on new names being added as guys finish training = changing reserve grid. What wasn’t approved before may get approved now. I have to yet to fly a fully original awarded month. Whether regular line through step trade or an OF line with regular open time, I’ve always swapped stuff to something different.
* If rsv, paying attention on day 1 to try to make sure I’m not the only one available in that bucket for X amount of days. Then looking at pairing package list to see what pairings check in that day during RAP time. This works well in my base (and probably any base except SEA). And I’ll try to set up day 1 reserve to make sure there are other guys available in same RAP for same amount of days.
* Just because denied automatic trade process, taking advantage of manual trip inquiry. I’ve had many swaps approved through manual inquiry, that were originally denied in crew access auto process.

Wow! I never realized we had all these gems!
gmafb....