Let us think outside the traditional union reserve section of the contract (actually just burn it.)

KISS..... 1 page for the entire reserve section.

1. Everyone is a line holder and everyone gets a line of time.
2. A day of reserve pays a minimum of 5 hours or flight time whatever is greater.
3. Scheduling makes 1,2,3,4,5,or 6 day reserve pairings and are bid in PBS as a normal pairing.
4. Schedules are made to a minimum 75 hours of pay. If all you got were reserve pairings, you would only be working 15 days.
5. Just as a regular pairing, on reserve pairing the company pays for your hotel at your Base if you want it.
6. Unlimited trades, pick-ups, and drops of your assignments.
7. Scheduling can build additional reserve pairing as required to keep the airplanes flying. Anyone can pick them up.
8. No SC's or LCR's. You need to report to the airport in 2:30 if needed when on reserve. Like SC's you'll probably never be used. Why you ask????
9. Open trips within 24 hours of departure time pays 200% premium pay. Someone will fly the trip.

What's wrong with this concept? The company would save money and the constant drama for the pilots would be reduced.

Work Hard Fly Right!

 

No matter what system we use, 10% will be psychotically PO-ed about it, and those 10% will comprise 70% of the posts on internet forums. Our current system is the best it has ever been.

The crew desk being incompetent is a different issue. Changing the system, and the rules, doesn't fix incompetent.

 

For me, reserve isn't that bad anymore but that is probably because I now live in base. I was thinking yesterday that commuting to reserve with what my schedule has been lately would be cake. However, the minute I start commuting to reserve again is the minute it will turn into crap for me again.

I'm more upset about only getting 1 hr of add pay for this CQDL nonsense that takes up at least 3 hours of my time....

 

A simple improvement would be to make the CO pay an hour for each and every SC/FS regardless of whether they are used or not. It would give Crew Scheds the incentive not to over assign them while giving pilots living in base extra incentive to pick them up and leave more LC for commuters.

 

That has been your refrain ever since the issue was first brought up. Just because you repeat it over and over, doesn't make it true. Several people here have detailed exactly what has changed for the worse since this all began. Yet, you stick to your guns with remarkable zeal. What the hell is wrong with trying to improve the contract? What is your angle and who are you trying to appease? Your sample of satisfied pilots is laughably small. As I mentioned to Sled, the other forum has had a fairly continuous stream of detailed SC and FIFO abuses. I think that we're better off sampling a much a larger group of people if we're going to consider changes. That's where the PDR's will come in handy.

I've been on reserve for most of my career here, and I know all the systems we've worked under quite well. I post this because other people, particularly new hires, might just swallow your proclamations as gospel and I'd like to suggest otherwise.

In the end all this doesn't matter and I'm clearly wasting my time typing this. The MEC doesn't apparently doesn't think it's that important, well at least the last one didn't, and neither do most of the pilots here. I think I'll bow out of this discussion until its highlighted by the MEC and / or we're closer to negotiations.

 

Well, for starters, a reserve could not live out of base.

 

There wouldn't be reserve pilots...only line holders. You could bid blocks of reserve days just like you bid on trips. Company puts you up in hotel while you sit reserve in base.

 

Sorry James, but flying under this, and a similar system at lUAL since 06 or so, I have flown with 1 pilot on reserve that didn't like the system.

There have been lots of complaints about the screw desk, but the current system is pretty good.

When we fill out contract surveys, probably very few pilots stress desperately needed changes to our reserve system. Hence, ALPA doesn't spend a lot of negotiating capital trying to make it better.

I personally would not support (with lower wages) any change to our reserve system that makes it easier to commute to reserve. If enough pilots wanted it, ALPA would negotiate for it, and we would get to vote on it in the contract.

I would vote no.

 

Yes Probe we are aware.......for god sakes we are aware. We will try to get this fixed without you. Thank you for your time now go away.

 

Are you serious and do you think this is a freebie?

For the "Company" to pay for a hotel means the money has to come frm somewhere. Wouldn't you rather just pay it out of your own pocket?

One of the issues is the IRS will not let a pilot deduct commuting expenses because it is a choice and not required by the employment. Now if there was a way to have that changed in the contract...

Hey maybe the pilot can submit the hotel expenses to the Company and then have them deducted before taxes from their paycheck the following month.