FLYBOY2900

Can someone explain to me how bidding works at Southwest? Here’s what I have heard and/or noticed. Bidding period begins on the 4th of the month, and ends on the 9th, I believe rewards are presented on the 10th. But I also heard someone say the period starts on the 9th of the month and ends on the 10th of the following month but I could be wrong. (Also I assume rewards means your monthly schedule that you get.) The other thing I have heard is that at Southwest pilots only have 1-4 day trips. So my questions are this, how long is the bid period, does it start/end on different days relative to other bases? I also heard prior to your actual bid you have a blank line bid, what is that? I also heard that unlike other airlines Southwest bid packages are in trips rather than individual destinations but I could be wrong. If any of this sounds incorrect please correct me I am here to learn!

Thanks!

symbian simian

So, before I start typing a 25 page essay, what do you know about bidding, so I can reference the stuff you do know.

Crockrocket95

You get your bid packets on the 4th around noon, and need to have them submitted by the 9th at noon. Around 5ish you can see your bid awards.

Line bidding. Look it up.

Blank lines are training, vacation pulls that are left over and made into lines. Some people like them. They can be a mix of reserve and hardline.

at6d

If you are awarded a blank line, you bid again within the blanks later in the month.

TheBlueBaron

As mentioned above, we line bid as opposed to prefbid (PBS). Our trips (or pairings) are built in to lines of flying by planning. We then bid by seniority for the lines that we want to fly and are awarded what our seniority can hold. Bids open on the 4th of each prior month and close on the 9th of said month. This is for ALL bases. Our awards will be published same day as bid close (9th) usually late afternoon.

We do have blank lines which we find out at bid close (9th) if we were awarded that. Then we bid again 17-19 and find out same day as bid close what blank line we were awarded. Blank lines will include flying that was pulled after first round bid awards which will include overlaps, training, vacation, etc... pulls.

And of course we have reserve lines. Our reserve lines are all 3 or 4 day reserve blocks. We have AM and PM reserve lines.

Our trips are only 1 to 4 days. No 5 day trips. However, if you are on reserve you may end up with a block longer than 4 days at the end/beginning of a month.

And just to be clear, we do NOT bid on flying based on city pairs. Each flight is built in to a trip (1-4 days length) and those trips are built in to lines of flying by planning. Then we bid accordingly.

Hope that helps.

hoover

Dont worry about it for 6 months, while on reserve all you'll get is weekend reserve. Then you might get into blank lines and get weekend reserve. I didnt even bid for my first 6 months then after that only bid week day reserve. Basically it took me 5 min to bid for the 1st yr. Once you get 75% in base you can play around with bidding until then it really doesnt matter.

Crockrocket95

New hires are doing like a month of reserve then blanks and hards. Its cray.

SylviaCone

Yes, it helps me. Thank you for the advice sir

Grumpyaviator

Basically you bid, get the award your seniority can hold, and then fly little of what you’re awarded and get JAd into days you planned to be off because scheduling thinks we’re billiard balls.

Ready to Strike!