Is their system first come first serve? Because that's all fine and good unless you're flying.

Now, to me, there should be better PCS runs but at the same time you want the opportunity to see what's in open time... of course when I see something good I want it right then and I fear someone will grab it. I guess it's a trade off, but maybe a 11pm run wouldn't hurt?

Yep them pesky little checklist keep getting in the way

So Mr. Lawson is calling it quits?

Think he's probably talking about Mr. Ford.

Yes it is.

The flight attendants have a first come first serve system. We could easily have that as I don't think the company cares. The current system was designed to respect seniority more then a first come first serve. Some flight attendants live all day long on their computers trying to swap. With the system we have you only need log on a couple times a day for a minute or two to see what is available. Makes life easier and I prefer it to what the flight attendants have. If your a junior pilot in category you might prefer a first come first served system but I don't think the majority would.

OR...you can put in a bunch of "blind swaps" and be done with it. That way you never have to look at it until you can get to a computer, and hope for the best.

There are several pages of trip qualifiers you should fill out, so you -hopefully- don't screw yourself too badly.

Or, do what the F/A's do, pay the Portland Mafia $1,500 to sit on the computer all day and put in your swaps...(that's what I was told, by a 15,000+ seniority F/A who was on a super senior trip!)

The "others" were not happy about her being there, I can tell you that!

asian mafia.

my last ER trip was to cph and the A line was a 28 year old guy who was a 2008 hire, so a year into the company. so the other FA's were a bit in a tizzy, as were we, because it was a mess back there and you've nwver seen meals screwed up as bad as these were.

Anyways, fa's start peppering this kid about how he got this trip. Now I have no freaking clue how FA stuff works but he said (after his initial claim was rebuffed) that within the Asian mafia somebody is assigned to monitor the computer. if you are a 'member' you don't drop without going through the person on the computer. they will then drop your trip for you, a's they have your codes, and then pick up the trip on behalf of another member as they have their codes as well. They have some sort of pecking order. everyone or the new members have to man that phone. don't go outside of that computer person or you'll pay.

they reason this works, according to this FA, is that it's first come first serve within the first 15 min of a drop. After that it's in seniority order.

that's how it was explained to me. fwiw

You both must have missed the whole Chapter 11 thing Delta went through. You can however google it and read up.

As far as SWA please tell me how SWA got the pay rates they have today? Also tell me when they achieved those rates how they compared to the rest of the industry.

We all know how SWA got to where they are now. We came back to meet them. But that isn't really the point is it? But folks seem to want to use them as the benchmark for pay.. fine. That is keeping within the concept of pattern bargaining, but the problem is that that "dot" if you will is artificial. Realistically, and I know I am gonna get slammed when I say this.. I truly do not expect that we can use them as the benchmark, and then ask for complete "restoration" of C2K+... it just ain't gonna happen. So basically, you can spin our payrates vs SWA all you want, but that doesn't change the fact that we are still, and will be in 3-4 years be working under a bankruptcy contract. Like I said in my last post.. for us to make any real meaningful "restoration" (whatever that means?) we have to look well beyond SWA, and that isn't likely to come to any fruition with a impotent national association of commuter airline pilots as our agent of change. So in a nutshell, management won.. we lost. SWA is king, and we ain't gonna change that.

/rant