DAL to give Virtual Basing a try
 

Soooo, Delta's new contract includes a provision for testing out Virtual Basing. The link below takes you to their MEC TA roadshow video from a couple months back. Discussion of specifics begins at 1:04:40 and lasts about five minutes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvXzXuVZbeg

Some highlights:
A one year test which can be terminated by either party at any time, and only extended with consent from both sides.
Participation by any pilot would be on a strictly voluntary basis, and would be open to pilots on the VB equipment system wide (vice from any one base).
If enough volunteers come forward to make a particular VB workable, the VB flying is 'pulled' from the respective bases of the pilots who will be staffing the VB. This is possible because the 'volunteer' process happens before the monthly bid process, allowing the company to build the appropriate amount of flying for the planned manning at the VB. VB would include 'normal' reserve coverage and rules as well.
Volunteers who live >125 miles from the VB get PS travel to work and airport hotel rooms (nearly the same as TDY here). Free parking at the VB.
As VB would make pairings more efficient for DAL (thus requiring less manpower), DAL ponied up more pilot vacation time in exchange.

I don't really care to engage in a pointed debate over the merits of the VB test at DAL, or VB in general. As some folks here may recall from last spring, I'm already familiar with the subject. I expect that if the perception develops that good flying is being 'pulled' for the VB, whether true or not, the test will fail. There were some colorful debates on the DAL forums about this subject prior to the TA vote. But the TA passed, and now it is coming to a competitor near you (along with their pay raise it appears).

If it works well for DAL, it is a safe bet the UAL's new senior management team will revisit the subject with us down the road.

More vacation time? Hardly. We got our vacation pay increased by 15 minutes per day not additional vacation days.

How will VB work for them? Will they have select cities / airports that pilots will have to choose from or will the number of pilots desiring a certain VB dictate where the VBs are? Interesting.

You could just watch the 5 minute video posted above...all of your questions would be answered.

Lmao. I think people on APC would rather be spoon feed than do their own research.

To be honest I missed the part where the video was linked but what I didn't miss is that being a "Richard" comes very naturally for some.

Happy to help:)

I don't like the idea of it because I think it undermines seniority. I may be wrong but it will be interesting to see how it plays out at DAL. I'm not for it.

Thanks for the fill in. That section of video didn't say precisely what you guys got vacationwise in return. Offhand, 15 minutes a day seems pretty minimal.

I hope virtual basing works. UAL's experiment in satellite domicile didn't go so well. For those of you newer than the Shuttle, UAL tried a satellite domicile out of PDX. For the most part it worked ok, until someone called in sick, and they didn't have reserves to cover the trip, then someone from SEA had to go down to PDX on their own time and nickel. That part could have been fixed, but we had Glen, and he was not interested in happy employees.

American tried it more recently when they closed SFO as a pilot domicile. Tried a satellite base, and it failed miserably. Not because the pilots weren't trying to make it work, but because management was being a pain, and for lack of a better idea, wanted to punish the west coast pilots.

It'll be interesting for sure. If anyone can make it work, I think they have the best shot. Win win.