MDW Questions
 

Seems like from what I've seen, MDW can be had after a month or two in OAK for a new hire. Any estimates on how long someone would spend on reserve and/or how long to get a decent line (non-commuter)

Thanks

Looks like the bottom blank line holder in MDW for April is an 09-2018 hire and they had three months of reserve before being able to bid a blank. Their blank line did have one reserve block however.

However, if you live in base I wouldn't be so quick to get off reserve. It has it's advantages ($$$).

Thanks, I guess I'm used to the regional version of reserve which generally = suck.

RSV at Southwest is way better, especially if you live in domicile. The contract has decent work rules. It's still reserve but not a bad deal if you're within the 2-hour callout. I flew every day except two last summer but then it tapered off fast in the fall. In the winter I was holding blank lines but with RSV blocks and I wasn't flying much. As a commuter I ended up giving some days away.

The schedulers are way friendlier than at a regional and the work rules mean you actually make money if you get used and rerouted, something that can happen a lot on RSV, especially in the busy summer.

I started bidding for June of last year and I think I got my first blank line in October, which was mostly blocks of RSV anyway. I am holding hard lines now.

I never did reserve at a regional, but reserve at SWA isn't terrible, especially for non-commuters. SWA uses reserves differently then other airlines, basically using reserve pilots to cover open trips. However, with some strategy you can often avoid a "normal" trip and either get something that is easy and blocks low, or a monster that turns in to multiple premium legs. It's impossible on reserve to get paid your line value, your going to go over. As a non-commuter you have a huge advantage of being able to pick-up (at 2nd year) if you aren't used on rsv. One last rsv benefit is that you aren't supposed to JA'd, which will be good for you since it sounds like you'll be on rsv in the summer.

Biggest issues, no trip ownership and no schedule flexibility. Even if the company assigns you a trip and you accept, you still have to answer the phone if they want to change it. This is tough on commuters who can get assigned a late report, but still have to commute in for the beginning of their RAP. Flexibility is poor since almost all reserve lines are weekend lines, and you cannot trade reserve lines in ELITT. Hopefully in the future we will be able to trade reserve blocks for other reserve blocks.

Make sure you read the contract and be prepared to talk to SWAPA about how trips should pay. Don't answer your phone outside of the RAP. Don't acknowledge a trip outside of your RAP unless it benefits you (usually to avoid a 3am wakeup call). Know when you are due close in parking, know the connect time when you're taking the last DH home, know when an AM rsv is supposed to be released on the last day. Scheulding will due their job and try and cover the trip, it's up to you (and SWAPA contract admin to help you) to know the contract and make sure your not being abused.

^^^^^^^ This ^^^^^^^^

So is it possible to move reserve days at all? Or are you stuck with the line you are awarded?

You're basically stuck with what you get. You can however trade with other pilots or hope someone picks your reserve up from trip trade giveaway. That's probably the biggest con of our reserve rules. If we were allowed to trade reserve in ELITT, I guarantee reserve would go pretty senior.

You can trade with or give it away to other pilots. The fall/winter is easiest and summer harder. I managed to trade almost all of my reserve blocks away for trips or just give them away when I was on reserve. In fact, I’ve only done just a few reserve blocks total since I’ve been here. Once you trade rsv for a trip, you can easily trade that trip for something else. You may have to really work at making a trade, but it can be done. I was able to change an entire month of reserve to a good schedule of flying with no reserve at all more than once. That is probably not typical, but depending on the month it can be done.

Non-commuters like to trade low paying trips for higher paying reserve if they think they won’t get called, so it’s often a last minute (day before) trade and more prevalent during slower months (winter).

You can also trade reserve for a trip.