Why not. Seems like the most logical and cost effective solution for everyone, egos aside.

 

You just answered your own question....

 

Couldn’t have asked for a better response! Bravo!

 

Our contract is full of arcane currency requirements and penalties.

The WB Bunkie position has become almost a bid category of its own, even though it isn't. You bid 777 F/O. Within the F/O ranks, there are people who are able to hold lines, which is referred to as above the G-line, and then reserve. The currency requirements are the same, but accomplished differently. Within the F/O PBS bidding, you bid flying and Bunkie lines. Many of the Bunkie lines are much more efficient than the flying lines. More days off at home, more pay. Go non current, you get paid to stay at home till they can work you into a landings class.

But, if a line holder goes non-current for landings, they go to our training center on days off and basically don't get paid for it. However, and I'm not sure of all the intricacies, reserves go on reserve days and basically do--for that activity. The caveat is being paid at home while non-current.

Many F/O's work the system, both reserves and line holders, to purposely go non-current to work the schedule and days off they otherwise couldn't hold.

Captains can and sometimes do change who gets the landing, but it's not common. Usually, because someone is begging for a landing and doesn't want to go to landings class. It's all over the map, and I've stopped trying to figure out all the different motivations.

 

...............Deleted

 

How do you prepare for your 15 hour flight at Delta? If you show up with a great night's sleep and 2 cups off coffee in you and are told you have first break, how can you sleep?
For us at United you know what position you will be in. If I have the first 7 hour break I don't drink any coffee and show up at 80%. That way I can still sleep but am ready for an emergency.

 

Theres pros and cons to both ways.

PRO UAL - You are senior enough to get the flying seat and its yours unless you trade out of it. I like this because i prefer to sit in the flying seat. If a CA pulled me out of the seat to give you a landing without my agreement I'd be ****ed. Seniority needs to mean something, something more than I'm the CA do as I say.

PRO DAL - you actually get landings without needing seniority.

CON UAL - Unless you can get a trip trade as a junior pilot you can go years without seeing the flying seat.

CON DAL - You never know what break you are going to be on. How do you plan for a first or second break if you don't know when you are going to be in the seat?

 

Years? That may be a bit of an exaggeration. Could be that way on the 787 but from the junior folks I know on the 787 they can get at least one landing a month if they are aggressive with trading and pick up. If you have strict bidding criteria like having weekends off and only going to one or two select cities on specific days then yeah, you might go a while without being able to get the flying on a specific trip leaving on specific days. But if you're open you can get landings.

It's a little easier for junior folks to get landings on the 777 because we have more domestic flying than the 787.

 

This. Knowing what to expect is the only way to be prepared for the trip at hand.

 

When flying bunky, I generally don't like it when I show up and don't get the first break. A few months ago I showed up ready for the first break only to find out that our IAD LHR flight wasn't augmented due to deadhead back. I just assumed that there would be one assigned. I stared at the FFD button for a bit before I hit it. That was a long evening.

Our system is fine. It's not perfect, but its fine. And if a pilot group is capable of thinking an inch past their nose or wallet, they can use this to their advantage.

I'm not too sure about this one.