With all the talk of financially incentivizing the crap no one wants, I offer this would increase QOL for NB pilots fairly significantly.

1) If a weekend trip touches a SAT or SUN, make that trip on those days M6.5, but only M5 for credit.
So in essence, any weekend trip Fri-SUN would have a minimum of a 23 hr pay. 5,6.5,6.5,5. That a min, and most I'm guessing would pay more.

OK, you might say that would incentivize the company to either 1, build more trips that don't cover the weekend, or 2, make weekend trips more productive. Isn't that what we want?
A senior bidder always has the option to go after the $$ (more money, maybe less work and more soft time if company builds trips this way) or if they want the days off they choose.
This would in essence incentivize less weekend trips (just like holiday pay will incentivize less pilots working on holidays) for both the company builder and perhaps get the more senior guys who don't care and would rather get the soft time or an easy weekend trip, one that pays 23, but only work 19-20 hrs. I used to see a lot more 25-26 hr 4 day pairing, not so much anymore.

2) The M6.5D on SAT/SUN would not pay if you call in sick. You still get the M5D for SAT/SUN and it only removes sick call based on the actual current book rig, not including the weekend bonus. So this disincentives guys to call in sick on the weekend (we know they will anyway), but also incentivizes guys to pick up those pairings that might go to a Jr bidder too. This would also help reserve coverage on weekends. The company could add this M6.5D qualifier if they see a nor'easter coming or other weather event which would also disincentivize those pilots from calling in sick also using less reserves for those events. This might also incentivize more trip trading since now a weekend trip that today is undesirable, might actually be a good trip trade if someone decided they have no plans for the weekend and would rather make a couple extra $$.

You might argue then premium pay will be less. Yes, it probably will be less for those ultra senior guys that get it all here at United. Let's be honest and say that right now, our premium pay system goes to 2 types of pilots, ones that are super senior, or those that are constantly hustling in crew companion and made trading or dropping to 0 a 2nd job. Senior guys still have those options of bidding for weekend trips that pay a min of 23 hrs and like to pick up that soft time, which sometimes is harder to get.

 

different company but swa has short notice open time and trips get taken pretty quick

 

I realize that, but just look at the current operation with the current book. If you're getting reassigned from a normal pairing, they've run through the wickets already and had no takers for SRM or PPU. That's with our liberal reserve policy in place. If we don't make other improvements in the reassignment language, but drastically reduce the amount of SCs & FSBs available, you'd see a big uptick in reassignments. We'd be looking DL, AA or SWA in that regard without those protections in place. I'm hoping that the union has the sense to see that. The company sure does.

 

see yes if it’s voluntary and some pilots may choose to do it for extra compensation especially if it isn’t a big inconvenience for them. But I doubt it’ll become voluntary. My post was meant to say they aren’t improving qol they are simply going to throw more money at the issue to shut people up.

there plenty of ways to earn extra income at other airlines voluntarily for those that want more work. So keeping items that are inherently bad for qol and simply paying more for them isn’t a win.

 

that is essentially the ALPA proposal. CompAny doesn’t like it

 

crew meals.

 

pilots on LHR layovers should get paid for the van ride to and from the hotel.

 

EDV pilots have customs pay, not much but just another thing regional contracts have that UAL is behind on.