Originally Posted by Guppydriver95 (Post 3776980)

Im more of the mindset that we should retire with as close to zero as we can get in our SL balance. No need to carry a big bank. Can’t take it with you😁

Originally Posted by ugleeual (Post 3776838)

I don’t commute… but seniority IMO should be the key for JS. I do believe there should be a published cutoff (15 mins?) so JS users can’t be bumped by a-holes rolling up as door closes. I had one the other day try to bump a new hire as the gate agent came up with papers… he looked at new hire JSr (not me) and “said sorry, I gotta ride”… like it was his to give. I said “sorry, but you’re too late”. He wasn’t happy but hopefully will learn.

regarding DAL/AMR JS reservations… what’s stopping a pilot for booking it daily and then being a no show or cancel last minute just to hedge their bets?

Originally Posted by guppie (Post 3776988)

Good point. I've parked mine at about 500 hours. Great cushion for the unexpected.... but not too much that I can't whittle it down on the WB my last few years.

Originally Posted by Guppydriver95 (Post 3777087)

i think the time to Ltd is key. Isn’t it 60 days in the new upa? Couple hundred hours should be plenty, I would think.

Originally Posted by Hedley (Post 3777127)

Time to LTD is the key if you plan to spend the last few years on LTD and just ride that train until retirement. If you plan on coming back, I'd recommend having enough pad to avoid LTD of you can. While out you don't get vacation accrual, can't contribute to your 401(k), no profit sharing........ It's still a great safety net and I'm glad that it's there.

Originally Posted by Guppydriver95 (Post 3777152)

good point. I was being a pessimist thinking that if I had to go on it, I’d be there for good.

Originally Posted by guppie (Post 3776988)

Good point. I've parked mine at about 500 hours. Great cushion for the unexpected.... but not too much that I can't whittle it down on the WB my last few years.

Originally Posted by nemich (Post 3776564)

Delta and AA are seniority based also

Originally Posted by ugleeual (Post 3776838)

…regarding DAL/AMR JS reservations… what’s stopping a pilot for booking it daily and then being a no show or cancel last minute just to hedge their bets?

Originally Posted by Race Bannon (Post 3776864)

Sort of correct. At Delta you can only book 5 1/2 days out if you are going to work. You can book 3 1/2 days out if commuting home from work. The "work" has to be on your published schedule. I think personal travel on JS is 1 1/2 days out.

Instead of "race to the phone", I think a hybrid system would be good. For 5-3 days out from going to work, it goes by seniority and the list gets locked in by seniority over that 2 day period. So, if #17K books JS 5 days out and #1 books same JS 3 days out the order would be 1 followed by 17K. But at 2 days out if #1 books then the #17K guy keeps the first spot.

IOW, some sort of hybrid that respects seniority but the senior people also respect common decency for the junior. Rarely do I have competition for the JS. But to abide by the commuter policy I buy a ticket to get to work because a couple of times a senior guy came up 30 min prior and needed the JS for his non rev trip. When there are only 2-4 flights/day this uncertainty pushes me into buying a ticket.

Yes, commuting is a choice. But the expense borne by the underlings, cumulatively, adds up because "you never know" if you have the JS unless you are system sen of #1.

Seniority is in full force for the other 200 seats on the plane for "the senior guy" and all his family that's NR when I'm trying to get to work.

My suggestion is but one feeble attempt to respect seniority while also decreasing costs for many commuters by providing some certainty on the JS booking.

Originally Posted by ClncClarence (Post 3778047)

AA is absolutely not seniority based for nonrev or JS booking.



For AA you cannot hold two primary JS reservations simultaneously within 24 hours. You can however hold one primary and one alternate.