Dropping trips / reserve?
 

Appreciate help for soon-to-be retired military pilot hoping to live near Louisville summer 2018. Does the new contract trip trade allow offering up reserve in a way you can not work for no pay? Trying to see how realistic my hope of working half a schedule is as junior SDF guy trying to figure out what to be when I grow up. One aircraft more likely than others to drop/trade away trips than others when sr enough to hold a line? Does working less than full schedule affect a/b plans? Thanks for your patience sorting out details w/o access to a contract to read.

I wouldn't expect to come to UPS and work half a schedule.

I don't know of any option to drop reserve days.

We have a new trip drop board, this is different then trading trips. You can only drop a trip if another pilot wants to pick it up.

Also our ability to trade trips online is limited with company restrictions such as: not enough or to many reserves.

One persistent theme I've noticed in the last 12-15 years is that pilot efficiency has increased steadily. Our open time ban during the furlough was the right thing to do and I would do it again. It taught scheduling to be more efficient though.

Anyway, A300 or 757 domestic is probably the best way to not work a full schedule simply because it's easier to put a short trip on the trip board than it is a long one that many intl lines have. B plan is an amount equivalent to 12% of earnings. A plan is unaffected assuming at least half the line is flown.

Thanks Airbum & Ray!
 

Really appreciate the info to help me sort out our options, thanks!

Longevity, pension (A Plan referenced), and healthcare are unaffected if 37.5 hours are flown in a BID period. Therefore, a quarter of the line is technically all that needs to be flown/credited.

Line value?
 

ShutUpnFly, does that mean 37.5x4 means min/avg line value is 150hrs in 8 weeks? I know it'll vary by jet/location but have avg # days you're at work per 4 week period on MD? Really appreciate the info.

Can do math
 

I see now the guarante for 4 weeks is 75 hrs. Does a line typically work out close to that or significantly more?

Yes. [emoji41] My bid for 1703 is a great example, first PP credit is under 70, second PP is around 80. It's all over the board. F/S/D also affects it, I'm a Bus driver.

Remember that if you do the math to convert 13 pay periods to 12 months the monthly guarantee is about 81 hours.

But with your 70, you get paid 75. (75+80)/2=77.5 average. Depends on the domicile. Easy to average 85 or more on the Z. Domestic if often under guarantee.

Thanks for the replies. Really appreciate it.