New hire schedules...
 

Typically (depending on base etc,) what kind of schedules can a new hire expect? Week on, week off, two weeks on, two weeks off? And is there a chance for a dreaded four weeks on due to change in months?

Expect "A" reserve (midnight to noon), you work 14 days of each 28 day pay period.

they build 7 on/7 off schedules, but new hire probably could not hold that. More likely 4 on 4 off.

IF you get a base trip line(a line made up of left over trips), expect to work 15 days of the 28. The problem with these (junior) lines is that they are not commutable. You may have 36 hours off 6 times during the month, plus a 3 day stretch here or there.

You could end up working a long stretch if one bid period was end loaded and the next was front loaded, and there were short (24-36 hours) off between trips.

I have seen base lines where you would not get home (if you were a commuter) for 16 days straight.

2 of these, back to back, would be crappy

Base line trips......

This will be what you fly as a new to new-ish hire. I am junior on the A-300 Captain list and fly with generally very junior F/Os. If you get hired, bite the bullet and move to SDF, your life will be so much better no matter what lines you hold. Reserve will either be a day off or travel as scheduled to your home with no lost time in SDF (did that for 5 years, totally sucked).

Hey thanks guys. I appreciate your time. Let me ask you this, as crazy as it sounds, even if you can hold a "line", can you still bid reserve?

The problem is you may not be senior enough to hold a reserve line.

I've been here for over 10 years and still can't hold a reserve line in SDF I want.

Schedule at the bottom depends on fleet, domicile, and to a point...time of year.

Airbus seems to be base trip lines for the bottom 5, with the occasional Reserve A sneaking in. 757 Domestic is RSVA with a stray Hot Standby; MD11 and SDFZ (757 International) is RSVA.

Can't really speak for ONT or MIA, and I don't think newhires are going to ANC lately.

Even if you get a crummy BTL you can improve your lot in life by checking opentime 4-5 times a day and trading. You will get denied (a LOT) but you can significantly change your schedule around.

And yes, there are plenty of people that live in SDF and bid reserve to get days off, maximize vacation/training conflicts, or hope to avoid a couple days of duty. RSVB tends to go much more senior but even mid-seniority FOs bid RSVA when it suits their needs.

I don't care what the schedule is... I just want the call... lol

Your schedule will suck. Just look at your pay check after the first year and you will feel better. You get paid to be abused. There is no difference between the schedules of the 10% and the 75%. Progression up the list is slow here, but at least it is moving some. Move to SDF.

Ok, bottom schedules suck relative to....? Compared to the "good" schedules I was getting at the regionals, even the worst lines here are better than most of the best over there. Factor in the ability to trade with open time (not to mention options with the new drop board options) and even base lines can be turned in to great lines which are totally commutable. There is a difference between the 10% & 75%, the senior get to choose their days off but at the same time none of us actually at the bottom are actively complaining about our schedules. I've found that the schedules I think are the worst go senior to me; one guys trash is another's treasure.... Despite it all, year 2 pay does make whatever crap they through at you worth it.

When you say training/conflict bidding, does this mean if you have a training event next month, and bid for a schedule with a trip that fall on that training event, they remove the trip and you are still protected for the block time?