Drop To Zero
 

Can someone share the details of Spirit's Drop To Zero policy? I've heard it's great for QOL. Are there any limits on dropping on certain dates (holidays, low reserve coverage, etc...)? Can you drop to 0 hours in a month, or are you required to pick up to a minimum threshold? If you can drop to 0 hours in a month, are there limits to how often you can do this in a year? What other airlines offer this? Thanks in advance.

oh FFS.


first!!!

as long as the day is green (enough reserve coverage) you can drop as much as you want. Doesn’t matter if it’s a holiday. You are not required to go back up to a certain amount. there are no limits to how much you can do this.

Thank you. Anecdotally, how often is reserve coverage green? I know that is tough to answer, but is it more like 25, 50, 75% of days?

Contractually has to start off 75% green. In my current seat and base right now everyday is green except for Christmas/Christmas Eve.

seriously the OP needs to do a search. I almost feel like someone that owns the forum goes in and starts threads like this just to stir up activity to help sell ads.

If you drop to 0 hours in a month, do you owe the company for your benefits? If so, is there a minimum to not owe?

Can you decline your benefits at Spirit if you get them from another place?

Noisecanceller, go try that and see what you find. I searched Drop to Zero Spirit and it gives ~30 threads, most of which are not even on the Spirit forum. The ones on the Spirit forum are mostly pilots saying Spirit has Drop to Zero, but no details. At least going forward, someone who uses search can find this answer in a consolidated thread.

we could help them out by talking about Miata sports cars.

Spirit is not hiring and wont expect to see any hiring any time soon. So might as well not worry too much.

1) Yeah, they'll take whatever you owe from the next paycheck. If you go several months without flying, I hear they'll call you and ask what's up and ask you to start paying to cover benefits. But, I haven't done this.

2) I think you can, yes. But, don't quote me on that one. Our bennies are actually pretty good here. I'd use ours over something like VA healthcare, for example.

What would happen if you DTZ for 90days and lose currency? Would you get paid for any further delay regaining currency?

No pay until you do your bounces. I used a couple sick days during those times to cover the cost of health insurance. No phone calls or explanation asked. The DTZ would have been worthless without the Reserve Grid language.

Hope the Bluemeisters get it. If I want a 60' Benneteau, I'll work the hours for it not hope in one hand and poop in the other for a PS check.

The grid language is the key.

Every other major airline (except JetBlue go figure) has DTZ. But, they effectively can't because the grid won't allow it. Requiring the month to start 75% green forces the company to adequetly staff the airline. This creates a bunch of positive effects regarding sched flexibility, ability to earn extra if you want, take time off if you want, and actually decent trips end up in open time b/c it's so easy to drop/pickup stuff. The grid rules must survive into the JCBA. Any contract without them is a NO vote from me and I might even quit over it.

Agreed, we at JB have lived with the locked up reserve grid for years and it is absolutely horrific. It was the biggest giveback with our CBA in my mind.

I'm just here to raise my hand.

I’ll second this and add; our grid rules have been fought and won in arbitration. Having the language is nice, having it held up with an arbitrator setting precedent, even better.

All while Pi$$ing all over your reserves.

100%. It’s also not just the grid starting at green which they could do by making days green by one. The arbitration cemented that they have to be green based on historical averages making many of the days not just green but very green.

The OP needs to go look some stuff up. The horse is so beaten.

That didn't come along till C2018. The grid arbitration happened long before. Reserve used to be a sweet gig here, just ask Meatballs....err ahhh, Chimpy.

Reserve should be made awesome again, we should all want flexibility and more DESIRABLE bidding positions/options, and not simply make reserve something to "survive".

JCBA comes before the SLI

So better have great reserve rules in the JCBA because many won’t know how valuable those reserve rules might just be to them, as they wait for the SLI

When is your class date?

I'll happily spend a few months on reserve while enjoying the next 20 years on my own terms. Also, reserve here is better than at Jetblue in some respects. But, there is room for improvement here for sure.

Wrong. Many JB senior pilots cycle in and out of reserve intentionally for quality of life. Not allowing any trading or dropping of reserve days, and generally not have language that makes reserve a desirable bidding position, takes away the ability for many of us to live "on OUR own terms".

I'm not sure ultimately what your position is on reserve improvements, but we aren't going to allow reserve to sh$tty and something just to be "survived".

And, with Spirit shrinkage and JB issues, most upgrades won't be "a few months" on reserve as our seniority progression will likely be slower than it was in years past. It's already happening at both companies, and that's before the merger.

12 months of SCR for me this year. 165hrs block, and probably 30-40hrs of that was premium flying i picked up. Reserve is really a great QOL, and would be even better if we could get the NK reserve grid rules along with JB bid/swap rules.

Reserve at NK is only great for those who are incredibly senior (15+ years in my base) because they rarely get called on some RAPs, for everyone else it kinda blows.

The only way to move reserve days around is to trade with other pilots, which is complicated due to our contract.

NK reserve is way behind everyone else, and I don't think it's even close.

And RSV rules are gonna be more important than ever. Upgrades are slower than in the past, and when someone does take the junior upgrade, they will be on reserve much longer than before. And even for those that can hold a junior line, or even a good line, RSV should be something worth bidding at times. The more DESIRABLE bidding positions we all have, the better off we all are.

Been on reserve at NK as a commuter now 2 years and it feels like a form of punishment. I like to reiterate a statement made by another poster here who said that the reserve rules were implemented during a time upgrades were rapid so you’d only spend a few months, if that, on reserve. Now it’s years.

After talking to a JB pilot about their reserve QOL and seeing how much (little) they fly, I think I’d much prefer what they have.

Either way we definitely need some provisions to improve QOL and pay during the JCBA.

YES

filler

FWIW I voluntarily did reserve for Nov/Dec. I have flown two days in that time so far and expect to fly another 2/3 over Christmas. So 5 working days in 2 months.

Yes we should definitely prioritize senior pilots getting paid to sit at home and not work over the QOL of life of the rest of the pilot group.

Nome of us is arguing that we shouldnt improve reserve QOL.

Oh, only senior pilots can bid reserve? Weird.

And before I have to field another stupid comment, being senior on reserve doesn't do much for you at JB. Other than week days vs weekends, the rest has almost no effective difference. I'm not that senior in the left seat and still bid RSV periodically...

And... If senior people are intentionally bidding reserve, that leaves more and better lines for all the middle and bottom.

That's why my comment that having more desirable bidding positions benefits all of us.

Your comment fails on so many levels.

Your own comment focused on senior pilots. I replied to you. Thats how conversations work.

It also improves our lives to be able work the days and hours we want. And before you go there, as you always do, yes we work, yes some of us work holidays.

Ill take a bad trip on the days I want to work over a good trip on days I dont.

And yet again, none of us is arguing against reserve improvements.

My comment didnt fail, your reading comprehension did.

The loudest voice in the room.

My senior comment was to show that at JB, reserve isn't something to "survive" a few months until you can hold a line. JB pilots across the seniority spectrum bid reserve at times, for QOL.

And yes, some of yours (SoFloFlyer at a minimum) has argued against reserves being able to participate in drops/swaps, because it would make the grid/DTZ less great for lineholders.

As to the rest, we all want to work the "days we want to work", you don't get a cookie for that revelation.

F the junior guys. They should have been senior. Lol.

I’ve bid rsv plenty over the years at NK and it’s been glorious. Does it need improvements oh hell yes. Variable RAPs- not interested.

I always do Long Call, so can't speak to the variable RAPs. I'll let those with an educated opinion opine on that. A great reserve system helps all pilots. Even line holders. Because it means some senior pilots will occasionally/regularly bid RSV l, which leaves better trips and more lines for those that want them. Everyone wins, and no one gets F_d.

Allows to commute in day one and commute out on the last. Also allows for “last day auto release NLT 1700L.” As I understand it at NK you know your RAP AM or PM from the award for the entire month. So you know a month in advance that you’ll be commuting in the night before or getting off after last flight takes off for home adding to more time away Hooray! Bid 17 in a row at B6 and that could wind up giving two 30 hour periods extra at home depending on where you live from your base. Maybe your RSV system worked before you gave away the farm in 18’. Before that you didn’t have reassignments either as I understand. Now you get reassigned and gain nothing for it. Great job.

Not sure what any of this means. What’s a commuter. Move to a base!

I will happily once this thing is approved. 😂

likely dashing someone else’s hopes and dreams.