you start with 18x LC… during a LC they can assign you a trip (14 hours notice), SC (10 or 12 hours notice), or FSB (12 hours notice I think). Depends on the fleet, seat, and base how often you get trips and SC/FSBs. I’ll give you a example using my schedule as a reserve Captain on global for Jan-Mar: I was away on trips 6 days a month on average… and sat SC 5 days out of the remaining 12 reserve days (out of 18). So on average I flew 6 days, SC 5 days, and sat LC reserve 7 days… and played golf 6 days per month (wx stopped me from playing 3 extra days).

 

Even then! I've seen maybe 3 LCRs in 4 months

 

Can reserve be better, yes. Will it get better next contract, somewhat. If you think they will stop rolling days off and lesson # SCs assigned you are smoking something. Best we will see for global reserve is add pay for rolling days off, get rid of FSBs on global (don’t see those anyway), and add pay for all SCs (not just after first two). Domestic reserves already have hard days off, already get jammed with SCs and FSBs… maybe, just maybe they’ll cap these… but honestly domestic reserves is not gonna change much based on last NC update. Sounds like you’ll be really disappointed with the next contract.

 

you need to bid to a WB… narrow body domestic reserve is why your getting abused… and that’s not gonna change anytime soon.

 

For sure, it's definitely as advertised. I plan on making the jump asap pending the contract. If reserve rules aren't awesome and/or I don't have a line- I'm out.

My buddies at DAL make well north of 100 credit on rsv flying a little less than I do now. Its ridiculously better.

 

Okay, thank you very much for the details. Your concrete example is very helpful to my understanding. That actually sounds not too bad (about half time home as a commuter). I was just concerned I could end up away from home 18 days a month (or maybe more if I had to commute the day before or after)!

 

As a commuter it will be painful… living in base is the key; I can aggressively pickup a SC assignment to get out of a trip… most commuters would rather be assigned a trip than a SC. As a commuter every SC you are assigned you will have to stay in a crash pad or hotel… so you’ll want trips. So you are probably not far off… as a commuter you’ll probably be sitting in a hotel on a trip or near the airport 15-18 days a month. I live on the east coast… global trips to Europe generally leave after lunch and through the evening… and return after lunch or early evening… commutable as long as not bad weather. I commuted for 9 months on reserve… I would aggressively pickup trips to stay away from SCs… thankfully lots of local pilots would pick up the SCs… so when I wasn’t on trip I’d be sitting LC. During this 9 months of commuting I paid for a total of 10 hotel rooms due to early departures or late arrivals… had to buy 2 to sit a SC assignment. What surprises me is the number of commuters who have double commutes because of air service at their home airport… that is crazy talk long term.

 

Maybe this will help because I can see the confusion on the way the previous answer was written("Even then! I've seen maybe 3 LCRs in 4 months"). As NB you may start the month with all those long calls thinking great I'll sit at home and commute up when they call. Well the evening before your long call day the phone rings, you don't answer, screen the call. Screw scheduling assigning you to SC starting at 10am. If not used, they then later assign you FSB for the next day . If not used then you think you're going into LC finally. Phone rings, It's your lucky day. You have been selected to help people get to weddings, funerals, business meetings, vacations, even Diney World after the super Bowl. You are truly excited to be so helpful. Only downside is, your block in flight misses the last departure to get home by 15 minutes. This happens again, and again, and again. So, viola, only 3 or 4 LC in 3 months!!

Welcome to the brotherhood of, "Well, commuting IS a choice. I lived through it, you can too. There are bigger things than trying to get industry standard(Delta) reserve rules. Suck it up buttercup"

Hope this provides a little clarity. Totally diff story on WB or if you live in base, it's much more palatable

 

B737 or A320 would get you to ORD the fastest. If you get forced to a WB as a new hire good luck

 

You don't get add pay for SCs. Look it up.

Yes, if the agreed items are the only changes (or non-changes) to the contract, then yes, I will be very disappointed. Read the room, dude. Most of us will be disappointed, and that goes far beyond just reserve rules.