Cowbell

The Facts: Just checked out on the Airbus. Was given 4 R Days toward the end of the month as my custom line. Tried moving the last day in front of the first (slide the block 1 day earlier). Denied for insufficient reserves. 1 ASBY in open time for each day. MAXOPEN on R Day I want to move is 14; the day I want to move to is 12.

The Conundrum: Doesn't "Insufficient Reserves" imply there are too few pilots on reserve? And doesn't buying up regular lines imply there are too many pilots holding regular lines? Isn't the solution to both problems to add more trips into the scheduled lines (avoiding the buy up) and build more reserve lines? For example take a line with eleven 6-hour trips, add one trip to eleven other lines bringing them up to 72 hours (based on the 66 hr avg for September) and turn that line into a Reserve line. Viola, both problems solved. Maybe we need something in the contract like "Any month that has more than x% of bid line adjustments disapproved for insufficient reserves when Max Open is not exceeded shall trigger the building of y% increase in the number of reserve lines for the following month". Just throwing this out because it seems to me the company is currently under no obligation to ever man the aircraft at a level that will allow "reasonable" schedule changes.

Gunter

The reply "Insufficient Reserves" is just a place holder. It's not necessarily the real reason.

They may disallow a move from a more critical day to one that already has an overage of reserves on it.

Or they may simply disallow moves on a day that drops are allowed. I have come to believe this is a policy in some seats. They have already calculated that they have more on reserve than they need. They would rather you save the company money with a drop so they deny the move to encourage the behavior they desire.


Good luck.

MaydayMark

I probably spent 5 years on B Reserve as an MD-11 Captain. I'd bet a beer that AT LEAST 90% of my "bid line adjustments" were denied due to INSUFFICIENT RESERVES. Personally, I've come to believe that CRS has been told to deny every request ... it's cheaper to pay someone on Reserve to fly the trip for 4.25 hrs/day than to pay a line dog 6 hrs/day.

When I've called to inquire about things that just didn't make sense, they told me VIPS doesn't give them very many options for saying NO THANKS. I'd bet "INSUFFICIENT RESERVES" is the computer default if they don't change it.

WE NEED TO FIX THIS PROBLEM IN THE NEXT CONTRACT!!!

USN2FEDEX

take PBS no REALLY it'll be great. you will LOVE IT

pipe

A bastion of fair-dealing and integrity. They can certainly be trusted with PBS.

Pipe

Bamaboy

Anybody ever seen this message on a Crew Notification? I had one day of Reserve hanging (RB) and wanted to move 3 RA to marry up with it. I got the following message:
"Your move reserve day request
reference number 278894 was DISAPPROVED because
May only pick up base airport STBY as make-up"

Rock

I would be excited right now for an opportunity to submit something worthy of a crew notification, but 44 minutes after 757 F/O open time is released, nothing has moved. Just three trips that were all that was left before open time was released. Is it really possible that nobody has tried to pick up or drop a trip for November? I doubt it. But PBS will be great for us...like Obamacare maybe.

gderek

It's ridiculous as usual. I love sitting here wasting my time hitting refresh. I'll probably get locked out soon2

NoHaz

welcome to the club....

Message #1:
Your move reserve day request
reference number xxxxx was DISAPPROVED because
Insufficient Reserves

Message #2:
Your move reserve day request
reference number xxxxx was DISAPPROVED because
Insufficient Reserves

FDXLAG

Whereas denying a trip trade or R day move request for "Insufficient Reserves" is an admission by the company that their reserve manning is not adequate to meet their staffing model; I propose no contract shall be permitted to be forwarded by the MEC to the membership for approval unless it contains a Section 25 provision that an "Insufficient Reserves" denial shall trigger either a string of R24 days or Htl Stby days to cover the period for which there are "Insufficient Reserves".

Just venting.