Quote:
A friend sent me this and I agree. Feel free to copy and send to your Reps if you are inclined to do so.
Suggested improvements to trip coverage:
I don’t speak for the association, but I find these concessionary. I don’t want to cede the time I currently use to investigate the feasibility of flying a green slip (or sorting multiple rotations) since like many pilots I have friends, family and commitments that sometimes need accommodation. If I’d have to yield that just to be in the running, how about I get an hour of pay for checking the magic box? Originally Posted by Bucking Bar
Since we can control "Auto Accept" and "Auto Acknowledge" the obvious fix is to insert coverage just above 23 M. 7. that gives the trip to the most senior pilot who has waived their proffer.A friend sent me this and I agree. Feel free to copy and send to your Reps if you are inclined to do so.
Suggested improvements to trip coverage:
- Conditionally waive the proffer: If a close-in trip needs to be covered (in an instance where 23 M. 7. would be used) direct Crew Scheduling to skip to pilots who have selected YES to AUTO ACCEPT that trip via PCS and award the rotation in seniority order of those who want to fly. Limitations would have to be mutually agreeable and specific, say < 120 minutes to report.
- If we want to maintain the "proffer" aspect of close-in assignments, then expand the batch size. This is a worse choice than #1 because it will disturb rest (for some reason these calls seem to always come between 2 & 4 AM) and Crew Scheduling still has the uncertainty of knowing whether the pilot awarded the trip is willing to fly.
- Require trip coverage be initiated within a specific time limit and make this information transparent to line pilots. Line pilots have no visibility into when trip coverage is pulled, or coverage begins. This would drastically reduce non-productive calls to Crew Scheduling.
Some things I’ll voluntarily give to the company:
- My approval to schedule flying their manning actually supports
- My approval to schedule ALVs that allow for adequate reserves in every category, to include on holidays, in leap years, and even in months with a chance of thunderstorms
- My approval to pay pilots extra to beef up their short-notice trip coverage options that we JUST negotiated
- My approval to let them use contractual means to add extra voluntary reserve days despite never (to my knowledge) using this win-win provision
- My approval to cover trips a day earlier than they ever have in the history of Delta Air Lines as detailed in our new contract
- Carte Blanche to modernize the white- and green slip parameter interface as they see fit
- My approval to move on instantly once I’ve declined a rotation
- No questions asked if they want to pay schedulers well enough they stay and learn their jobs and our contract
- No questions asked if they want to grow the scheduler cadre sufficiently to staff the operation during IROPs.