Thanks again, the continuing discussion was extremely informative. I feel like I've got a good handle on the bank and GS pay rules now.

You still worked the exact same hour for the pay. You simply time shifted when you do the work. If you want more time off at a later date works well.

Or if you think you'll be stuck on reserve when you upgrade. Bank hours now at your FO rate and withdraw them later at your Captain rate to fill up. This is then a simple investment of hours today at FO rates for a return of X% when you withdraw them tomorrow at Captain rates.

I was having trouble hearing a captain once because of his speaker. I said, "I can't hear you."

His response: "Maybe you should take those earplugs out."

(I have worn them on every flight from pushback to shutdown since the day I started flying Boeings.)

With all due respect, what was the captain supposed to do? Few guys wear earplugs in the cockpit, though many (including myself) wear noise cancelling headsets. Usually I cover my left ear with the headset and leave the right ear uncovered for cockpit chatter. I rarely use the speaker as I find it a bit obnoxious.

Currently on the 717, spent a long time on the 757/767 prior to that.

I think you are missing something. If a guy banks a lot of hours at F/O rates (and the lower the "better") and then bids capt, is on reserve, and uses his positive bank to bring him up to ALV+5 (paid out at captain rates) then I think he has made a pretty astute decision.

Not that it helps me much, as I am at -28 and haven't had a positive bank balance in 15 years!

What happens if your bank is negative when you retire?

Turn his speaker down. It was on 11.

You have to work it off as a ramper.

Scoop

Presumably, the dollar value at that point in time is withheld from your last paycheck.