Reserve usage
 

Anyone know if its pretty standard for reserves not to be used? Its been nearly a month and haven't flown. I enjoy the time at home, since I can pull reserve at home. But on first year pay, I could use the cash right now.

It will vary wildly---particularly in the "off" months like January.

Don't expect to sit at home all summer. ;)

If you're in a black base, you fly your sphincter off. If a line holder, you have the option to gobble up 200% OT in an attempt to help them mismanage the show. Make sure you wear your hat.

If you're in a blue base, you alternate between working on your golf game and chilling in the drome on FSB. If you're really lucky there is a nice long dwell between going non-qual and landings class. I understand the Homies in DEN ski while the LA types surf and polish their hot cars.

Those in DC study the Federal Aviation Regulations and invert bourbon bottles.

If on the 67 in ORD, you just eat brauts while tearing around on your snow machine as you forget how to fly. Its a pretty good gig!

At least that's my take based on reading the other forum.

Averaging 20 hrs per month in EWR

Ouch. That's 20 too many.

Yes, if these FOs would just stop dropping trips with Corbus I'd be fine

Welcome to the minor leagues. Diplomacy and a very thick skin are your friends. That and the aforementioned bourbon.

No matter how often you tell him to go fornicate with himself, he will still follow you around Antigua trying to be your friend.

average callout time
 

I am trying to figure out if I am going to be able to sit reserve at home. I am assigned to the 76T fleet in EWR and will be doing a 2 leg commute from the south. How typical is a callout at the 13 hour minimum? Do you usually get a bit more notice?

You will need to use aggressive pickup to help yourself out. At the former united, the rules were very cut and dry how trips are assigned and there was always a paper trail to follow when you need to wave the BS flag. With the current regime, they don't think that contract compliance applies to nit picky details. Hopefully we will nip this in the bud and get back to something similar to what we used to have.

You're on long call until converted to short call or FSB. Long call is 13 hours. While they USED to assign all the next days short calls before noon, now they just wing it and assign trips in an attempt to repair todays screw-ups, and to buy them wiggle room for tomorrows. IOW, you may get a late afternoon call for a 0700 short call or FSB the next day. It sucks if you commute.

Short call is 2.5 to ops, 3.5 to push. Compared to what we had, this also inhales. But hey, it was a great win according to those who are senior enough to hold a line. It will suck to be them when the next round of bumps occurs.

My guess is that a two leg commute may be an issue for you even on long call depending on where you live.

As of today, Aggressive Reserve Pick-Up doesn't exist given that the SC's and FSB's aren't loaded. Nice.

As of today, the FIFO list no longer exists and your opportunity to sharp shoot open flying after predicting your status no longer exists.

As of today, the screw desk has no idea what's going on and when caught in direct violation of the contract will simply tell you to go fly and "grieve it".

As of today, there is zero transparency in the reserve world and all the QOL tools you used to have (which helped to offset your puny paycheck) are gone.

Welcome to UMesa.

Don't worry it will pick up for you!! What they do first is train FO's in the Bid. Then move to Capt's that's why you saw so many FO's get trained and now they can release FO's upgrades that YOU are going to replace! It's also a very slow time of yr. Probably, the slowest month all yr. You know that you can aggressively pick up trips the day before the trip starts. Not sure how it works haven't done it in quite some time. Welcome to the airline and enjoy time off you'll have plenty of time to work!! ;) p.s. - they will call you for a 4 day trip 2 hrs prior to the kickoff for the Super Bowl, Sorry!!! :eek:

How do I get on that reserve working on my golf game gig. I'm on reserve and I fly 75+ hours per month with at least 3 conversions to short call. 756 in EWR= no golf game :D

Transfer out of EWR.

Good idea :D

I'm 73 IAH and have been long called at the 13'ish hour point twice in the past 6 months. I would never risk a 2 leg commute on long call while on probation.

I've been on a lot of 3 day reserve periods lately and have sat 2 out of the last 3. December was similar (I had a 5 day block where I sat). I'm averaging 50 hrs a month the past 6 months.

On the bright side, I am getting my KDR up on Call of Duty and have watched all 6 seasons of Breaking Bad on Netflix.

2 leg commutes aren't good for your long term happiness even as a senior line holder. Trying to sit at home on reserve doing that will quickly cost you your job, at least on probation.

On the other side of the argument, anything that makes me think I am farther from EWR increases the reading on my happiness meter. Miles, VOR's, number of legs, etc.

I thought there were only five seasons. Can't believe they killed Hank. You bastards.

Thanks for ruining the ending for me;)

I flew......one......leg in Jan. Long call=snowboarding.

TW

They killed Hank!!!???

TW, nicely done. Sounds like a few of my months as well. Last May I almost went to landing school on the bus! One of my prouder moments. I picked up an easy two day to skip TK.

Any reserve updates from Bus FOs in EWR? You folks flying much these days?

I'm EWR based and live in Iah. Would you sit long call from Iah?

Well, that depends on how much you are willing to roll the dice. Long Call is 13 hours, right? So you are on long call and you check your schedule per the contract at 1500 Base Time. You have a 0530 show in EWR. Can you make it or not?

I wouldn t do it. If they call you at 2000 for an 8 am show, you re hosed

Reserve usage
 

Also they can switch you from long call to short call with only 10 hours notice from 0000 to 1759. From 1800-2359 requires 12 hours notice. If they called at 1730 and gave you a 0300 short call assignment would be able to make it?

As an ORD 67T f/o that lives local, I threw a "no-hitter" last month. I missed the "perfect game" by just one FSB. So, I left the house 1 time for mother United, but did not turn a wheel. 1 un-used FSB and 3 un-used SCs and I get 75 hours for all my trouble.

Don't expect that will last too long as all the 67T F/Os that have gotten a bid will undoubtedly be sent to training first.

It is difficult if you need the cash associated with higher flying, but if not, it is a pretty sweet deal.

I hear this, but it doesn't make sense....

So you can sit at home for 75 hours pay, or fly 18 days and get paid 90. Because that 15 hours of pay is such a big deal.

And giving up 18 days off for an additional 15 hours of pay doesn't sound like a good trade-off to me.

Or you could find something else to do in those days off that also earns money, and lets you be with your family at night. You might even find you can make even more money.

I realize some guys are running their finances pretty right, but United Airlines isn't the only way in the world to make money.

After all we are all (98%) college grads....

What do you care? To each his own.

Kiss my *** Holmes! I'd rather be a line holder and have a schedule, than hope THEY don't ring me....why do you care so much what another college grad is up to?

Reserve usage
 

Thanks for the responses guys.

He's still tormenting FO's? He's one of the reasons I took the left seat back in 05, to escape!

The problem is ANU is awesome. All inclusive

Oh I know. I was an island bum on the 73. Now it's all about QOL as I sit and watch the locals use the beach outside my hotel room window as a human litter box (Mumbai).

Ironically, I will play the role of the choir in that sermon.

That is exactly what I do, I took some of my eggs out of the United basket when this whole exciting merger got going.

While I agree with you on the logic of the extra days worked versus extra pay, I don't want to judge the importance of the extra pay for somebody I don't know. Hopefully the movement over the next few years (trying to be an optimist) will allow folks to get to a seat that allows them to better balance pay and QOL issues to their own liking, and not have the whims of UA make a mess of their finances on a seasonal basis.

I understand that working another gig it is not for everyone (though I think you would be surprised if you tried) and for those folks that don't, not being able to fly as much as they want does suck.

If you can afford to live on 75 AND you don't have to put on your plastic pants too often and don't have to ride the UN Bus too often, etc, reserve can be a pretty sweet gig. 18 days of go get em BS per month for an extra 10-12 hours pay seems kind of oppressive to me, when and only when, they are fat on your seat.

To my mind the most heinous issues are the pay cut and more importantly the loss of the additional 16% of what you might have earned had you been pulling down 85 hour lines year after year. Those numbers will add up if you're a res maggot for a long time, as many of the blue teamers have been.

If you're not close, SC sucks and FSB is an absolute travesty. And now with the loss of transparency (CCS, FIFO, etc) it has gotten worse.

Reserve usage
 

Well, being only 2 hours away, I can work my paramedic job on long call and "double dip"!

Zippitydoodah…..good for you

I hope you can still check the fit for duty box when they call after you have responded to a car wreck.

Reserve usage
 

Ehh, I've got 13 hours to decompress. Obviously wouldn't do it on short call.