It's usually on a Wednesday.

 

Can you pick up out of base Open time while on Reserve?

Also, how hard is for junior pilots to pickup open time?

 

Yes, but you're behind every pilot in that domicile for open time.



Depends on how picky you are and what month of the year it is (among other variables). If you're willing to fly straight-time weekend trips, there is always plenty of inventory to choose from.

 

So even if you fly above guarantee or in a day off, is it still straight-time unless is defined premium?

 

The line guarantee isn’t a limit to you, it is a requirement on the company to build bid lines.

All Open Time can be bid as Straight Pay or Premium Pay (150%). [Note: Charters are always 150%,and usually go senior] The contract defines in what order Scheds is to assign the bid-upon trips (Straight Pay/Assign to Reserve/Premium Pay). If nobody bids it straight, and no RSV is used, AND you are the senior Premium bidder, you SHOULD get the trip Premium. But sometimes Scheds plays around to split the trip to run it again, hoping to get a straight-time bidder.

For a new-hire, any Open Time trip you get, above your original line total, will be paid at 2nd-year rates, whether it was awarded straight or premium (2nd year @ 100% or 2nd year @ 150%). This is the High-Pilot-Productivity Indoctrination Program.

Others here on APC are better versed on the intricacies of Open Time for New Hires and Junior folk, so don’t listen to me. 😉

 

Are lines usually constructed around the domicile? For example, a DAL assigned pilot will only to destinations in/out of DAL? Or you can fly anywhere as long as you get back to domicile on the last day?

 

It's the latter. It's very common to leave your base on the first leg and not return until the last leg of the trip.

 

So for example DAL pilots are not assigned lines to just around Central US or in vicinity of? So technically they could make it all the way BWI for example?

 

Thanks Big.

 

Yes, you will be flying around the whole system. Having said that, there are certain exceptions and I really don't know why. For example, some bases have less or no international flying built in to the pairings. Also, Hawaii flying will be flown only from ETOPS bases. Other than that, it's not unusual to visit both coasts and everything in between on a 3 day trip. Overall, flying is very diverse and easy to trade if you want to avoid certain destinations.