I had a couple of weeks in OCT, awarded 14/33. Screen now blank, nothing nada…both runs awarded the same. Heard it's a rerun all over again. We're doing great.

 

Hard to believe at some point that its not more than just simple incompetence.

 

Well look on the bright side, it was ONLY 17 categories.

 

Our union and negotiating committee shares the blame for this debacle, why would you accept a system where you don't bid until March for a May vacation when we used to know our next years vacation in October?? Guess that was the LUAL way?? Was that under your bankruptcy contract that you guys got stuck with that??

 

What about blaming the people that voted for it?

 

Who didn't see this coming? I suggest go ahead and make your vacation plans. I refuse to let United's incompetence impede on anything I have planned.

Any means necessary.

 

Moomba

The reason for this system is the same as it has been for my 35+ years! it allows for more summer vacations. The reason UAL bid in February (not March BTW) for summer was to let the Company firm summer flying up and have more dates available to bid.

The problem isn't the date we bid, it's the fools who have broke a bidding system that worked. And what was that system? At each Domicile's Flight Operations (not CPO because it didn't belong to him or her it was there for the pilots to meet and plan their flights) (domicile because most people at one time lived where they flew out of) the office had a manger who would hand sort the bids after getting the manpower requirements from EXO Planning.

It worked and we knew the person who did the work personally, rather than some Far East programmer over the internet.

 

You know what?

This whole idea of calling it the "Chief Pilot's Office" is probably the reason why most exCAL pilots don't meet there. Who wants to go to a place that adds nothing to your job except the risk of confrontation.

At UAL it was a "Flight Operations" and at one time even had charts, schedulers, dispatchers and friendly people who would help you when needed. Now it belongs to the "Chief Pilot" so why bother stopping in unless called, and then bring your ALPA rep.

 

It could even be done by hand faster....and used to be that way.. Pencil and paper anyone?

Bidding was done in first part of January. Never been this screwed up on the LUAL side, that I can remember.

 

Bingo. Walking into the LUAL ops areas for the first time was a (pleasant) throwback to a day when there were folks there to help the pilots with all manner of admin and a pleasant smile. LCAL has long since gotten rid of these folks and drywalled over their office space. Quite frankly, with LCAL's DIY philosophy and advancing technology (a green light for iPad flight plans, no paper, is coming soon) I don't see how it can last.