Just a Lurker

My prediction... Alaska management will go after a hard freeze of the DB plans next round. They’ll push harder and harder, then suddenly offer to let the pilots keep the plans in exchange for PBS. To them, the cost savings of PBS will offset the declining costs of DB. After being pushed around and being terrified of losing DB, the Alaska MEC will LEAP at the chance, any chance, to save their plans. With the combination of VX, new hires who get PBS, and future pensioners, it will ratify. Voila - Alaska has PBS.

All of this debating in the interim is pointless. It’s Line Bidding until then. A better thread would be how to make Line Bidding better.

Jetlife

This is one of the more sad and pathetic things I have ever read on APC...

Jetlife

Or make a thread about how to get snails to move faster.

Want to make line bidding better? Take it out in the back and shoot it, replace it with PBS. Done.

OCCP

It amazes me how Alaska pilots hate their schedules but refuse to entertain better options.

Jetlife

I just hope that “embrace the suck” doesn’t become our 2020 contract negotiation slogan.

jayme

PBS does not equal better schedules.

Better pairings and/or work rules equals better schedules.

Pogey Bait

Here ya go:

https://www.amazon.com/Embrace-Suck-.../dp/B00AEVUVNG

Arctichicken

PBS is not the "better option" by a huge margin, especially here at Alaska. If you want scheduling improvements, fly the contract then we can talk about better language. Until the company is willing to fix the optimizer to build pilot friendly pairings, no scheduling tool will improve one's QOL. It never seizes to amaze me that pilots are so short sighted and suffer from short term memory loss. For you newbies and VX pilots, remember the TPA and JCBA? For the rest of us, we will never forget Kasher and the rest. Bait and switch, boys and girls. PBS is a concession here at Alaska and also at SWA, allegedly.

Mudhen200

Every one of the Native Alaska pilots above has spoken the truth about our management and why we are not even slightly interested in PBS. Not now, not ever - unless we have a massive change in the pilot / management relationship. Should that massive change take place, it would still take many years building enough trust to convince this pilot group that we can trust them with PBS. It is simply the truth - if our management wants it, then it is bad for you. Our management will not change, they will stick to this current business model. It will continue as is or it will fail. But above all, they will not spend one thin dime on making our QOL better. Soon young grasshopper you will learn. Someday you may even thank us for not letting PBS make your life even worse. I'm truly sorry for the pain that is coming to the X-VX pilot group. With 80% commuting to non-commutable lines is will indeed suck. PBS with this management would only make it worse. All I can say is that you are going to have to trust those of us who have been here a decade or two or three. This management is ruthless and they can not be trusted.

WutFace

Absolutely incorrect. Just having the flexibility to pick your days of flying and where you go is a huge benefit.

Here's the takeaway, if you've spent your career at AK you can't speak to the PBS issue because you don't have any experience on the matter. Most of us at VX have had experience with both. It's night and day.

And whatever nightmare scenario you're imagining happening when you can pick the pairings you want because ALAKSA MGMT R MEANIES isn't supported by the facts of the system.

So relax, and look at it seriously. The pros outweigh the cons by a mile.