20 years ago, when UAL reserve was just FIFO, everybody was short call. Very transparent. Unfortunately over the years complexity has been thrust upon us, some by the Feds, some self-inflicted.

Some of it has been an improvement. The lack of transparency is unfortunately a negative side effect.

We have some great things in our current reserve system, like most of the time you are on long call. We never had that 20 years ago. This is a HUGE improvement. You get paid for SC after 2, which we didn't get 20 years ago.

The vast majority of us like our current system. Can it be improved? Yes. FSB should absolutely be paid. 5 hours credit, or 2 or 3 add pay. You are showing up for work. M5D should apply.

Maybe a bit more reliability in how they assign SC's.

If you are on a global fleet, your days off are going to be rolled occasionally. Sorry. You knew it before you bid it. It is what it is. If you are domestic they can break up a 4 day trip and get you home on time. If you are on a 7 day international trip, there is no way to break it up.

As for WB FO going very jr, it is just cyclical. When there is movement, it goes junior. If we are stagnant, not so much. If we furlough 15% of our pilots, WB FO will go to 6500 as the JR guy, and narrow body CAP will go to 5500.

In 21 years I could have been a 3 year CAP. 3 years after that I was a very junior 757 FO, 4 years after that I was a junior 10 year CAP, 3 years later I was a 13 mid level 757 FO.

It is a roller coaster. Hop in, strap in, and hold on.

 

All I know is I had to work 5 days last month!! WTH? That's too much!! I'm used to 2-3 days. RSV is getting onerous.

 

I read your entire first post. Any unbiased observer can see that based on my previous responses.

Sadly, you've decided to attack me because I haven't acted like a mindless bobblehead, agreeing with your self-inflicted plight.

To make matters even worse, your father is/was a Captain at United so had you consulted with him, he likely should have told you that you wouldn't see a decent WB FO schedule for many years.

Feel free to bend the numbers well beyond fiction and make sure to continue to attack anyone who points out holes in your thesis. it's time for me to walk away from this silly thread because you're simply going to dismiss anyone who points out your errors. This isn't worth my time.

Probe, spot on. It'll be interesting to see how different Master of Puppets' tune will be in a few years. At this point, the only thing I take away from this thread is that it's very self-serving. Completely different than those that were lineholders who suddenly find themselves on reserve.

 

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

 

I'm going to my 2nd consecutive landings class....you are working waaaay to hard Sled! 😬

 

I agree with everything you said Probe. So let's keep going with making things better. Let's not stop. I want to look back in 20 years and say you junior pilots don't know how good you have it.

Reserve here isn't that bad but let's make it better where we can.

 

No, not everyone knows the reserve rules. Since times are good now, many pilots are bidding new equipment, or being bumped in the case of the 747. There are vast numbers of pilots that have absolutely no idea how reserve works anymore. So much has changed, and they are blind sided at what is legal--yes, it's their fault for not doing their homework, but as I said, many have no idea about reserve today.

The basic point is, with minimal negotiating capital, we can make a very few changes to the contract and have a large increase in the QOL of the reserve. That, in my book, is every negotiators dream. The changes proposed by Mako, really wouldn't impact the availability for the company much either. It would improve predictability and transparency.

So, yes, I think we need improvements in reserve. Is it a good system today? I don't think so. Way back, when everyone was short call, not nearly as many people commuted, but your days off were your days off. No rolling days. Things are different than they used to be, my take would be not as good, but it could be, or better.

Do the contract surveys, talk to your reps, make resolutions at your council meetings. One thing I do agree with, is if you aren't willing to be part of the solution, then don't whine about something you don't like--well, ok, maybe a little. We are pilots after all...

 

i just finished my third landings class in a row!

 

The extension did more for reserves than you can image. On my aircraft every 3 or 4 day pairing is worth nearly $10K. When a trip pops in to open time those trips are immediately picked up by pilots in the double digit seniority. Then we have the reserves who live next to the airport and they volunteer (beg) for every trip trying to break guarantee.

I have not been to the airport since November 5th ( except for landings at Boeing). Every few days Scheduling calls me and gives me $328 for answering the phone. Looks like a line for April, don't know if I can afford the pay cut.

 

Yak02,

True. A wonderful unintended consequence. Guys on the triple in my domo are foaming at the mouth to go to work now, as well as slurp up the SC's. I am finally in my airline happy spot. However, being eternally optimistic (as well as belligerently antagonistic) I believe that there is room for improvement.