Originally Posted by neodd

My understanding is that you can still swap into a trip that is 2 days out, but that trip will simulataneously be in coverage ladder so it may be awarded to someone else via that before it hits a PCS run. I think there was a union email about it months ago when 2nd day coverage first started.

Originally Posted by Buck Rogers

Sounds like a pretty legit hobby.

That's probably why many would like the choice to fly longer.

Originally Posted by crewdawg

Lots of really good trips pop into opent time within 2 days. Trips that are way better than any bid packet trip. Stuff like fly one leg in the evening and dh home early in the am. Being able to swap into that trip was a nice QOL enhancer. At the very least, it would have been nice to have swaps be applied all the way until a day prior, before being sent to a reserve.

Originally Posted by tennisguru

One way to get out of crappy trips later in the month is a worse-day swap with a close in trip. Traditionally, reserve coverage is the worst 2-3 days out. Say you have a crappy 4 day trip a week or two out where the days are all negative on the reserve grid, say by a total of -20. Then two days from now a sweet, easy 2 day pops up, and both those days combined are -22. If that 2 day had to go through a PCS run then pilots would be able to swap those farther out crappy trips for the easy close in ones. Most broken trips don't pop up 3 or more days out. So with second day coverage now in effect as soon as a second day trip hits OT scheduling runs it through the coverage ladder as opposed to letting it sit and go through a PCS run. Swap with the pot can only be done via PCS. It would be a nice tweak in the next contract to say that any second day trip that pops up between 0700 and 2159 must go through a PCS run before scheduling can run manual coverage. That still gives them plenty of time to run manual coverage and assign a reserve pilot if necessary, while allowing for more schedule flexibility through the PCS swap process.

Originally Posted by tennisguru

One way to get out of crappy trips later in the month is a worse-day swap with a close in trip. Traditionally, reserve coverage is the worst 2-3 days out. Say you have a crappy 4 day trip a week or two out where the days are all negative on the reserve grid, say by a total of -20. Then two days from now a sweet, easy 2 day pops up, and both those days combined are -22. If that 2 day had to go through a PCS run then pilots would be able to swap those farther out crappy trips for the easy close in ones. Most broken trips don't pop up 3 or more days out. So with second day coverage now in effect as soon as a second day trip hits OT scheduling runs it through the coverage ladder as opposed to letting it sit and go through a PCS run. Swap with the pot can only be done via PCS. It would be a nice tweak in the next contract to say that any second day trip that pops up between 0700 and 2159 must go through a PCS run before scheduling can run manual coverage. That still gives them plenty of time to run manual coverage and assign a reserve pilot if necessary, while allowing for more schedule flexibility through the PCS swap process.

Originally Posted by Scoop

But either way these "good deal trips" are still being awarded and flown by DAL Pilots. So now a reserve Pilot would get an easy trip vs perhaps a line Pilot swapping into it.

I am not advocating either way since I never do this​​​​​, just trying to figure out the Pros/Cons of this for the Pilot group as a whole. It just seems like one way benefits Line holders more and one way benefits Reserve pilots more.

Perhaps the differences in pay methodology more heavily benefits the Pilot group if line holders fly thsee trips but it seems like a Reserve Pilot would also like these type of trips too.

Scoop

Originally Posted by crewdawg

He seems to be talking about the ultra premium trips that are 10.5 hours of pay for 1 hour of block and 14 hours TAFB. It can also be done without putting yourself on a shortcall style status. Most of the trip I get are awarded a day or two out, though some are same day if nothing going on. But I certainly don't feel I'm on a SC, most of the time I don't even pack a bag. I get that it's not for everyone, but some people think in extremes when talking about this stuff and the truth is somewhere in the middle.





You know what else is work...going to work and flying bid packet rotations lol. It only takes me a few minutes to put in my WS for the month, then less than a minute to change the date in morning to push it out two day. I don't sit and watch open time, as the WS will cover me. Answering ARCOS takes less than a minute. Check the date/sign-in time and decide. I already know what type of trip it is, or I wouldn't have been called. In the end, I"m gald it doesn't work for everyone, less competition.






I don't disagree and that's what I hope to get to that some day. I'd even consider bidding back to the right seat of a NB if I knew I could get the type of flying most months. But until we start building a lot more 1 and 2 day trips, that plan doesn't work all that well.

Originally Posted by Trip7

Well stated. Many think playing the game involves a ridiculous amount of time staring at iCrew at home. Since we've outlined the positives, let me introduce the true negatives:

1. Due to having an open schedule, a pilot may fall into credit anxiety from:

• Waiting too long into the month to start picking up trips
• Picking up a Greenslip, then open time, and WS starts going dry with you far from the trigger. This scenario is unlikely in large categories like 320 or 737 in ATL
• You get called for a somewhat easy short-notice trip early in the day, but you pass up for something better then the phone doesn't ring rest of day

2. Some of the best trips you are called on very short notice ie 8pm or later for a get here as soon as you can report.

3. Sometimes the days you preplanned not to fly are the days ARCOS calls the most

4. Since your schedule is clear, if you get sick/hurt early in the month and for whatever reason you cannot fly for several weeks, your paycheck will be very, very small.

5. If you are a commuter, Credit Surfing is still doable but significantly more challenging than living in base with 1 one-hour drive.

Overall, if you live in base and value max time at home without having to do a gig in the Training Department, 4th floor, CPO, or DALPA etc and lack the seniority to hold exclusively turns or 2 days, Credit Surfing is a good option to explore. There are risks to it, and each pilot will have to weigh whether the risks are worth the extra time at home.

Originally Posted by Sputnik

I cover 1-3 by using very specific WS. If I get a trip it's.somryhing I wanted.

4....you can still pick up trips out of OT, probably the longer ones no one wanted. And be sick. Right?

Originally Posted by m3113n1a1

Came here to say this. You don't know that you're still going to be sick. Pick up trips and then exercise your contractual right to call in sick.

Originally Posted by m3113n1a1

Came here to say this. You don't know that you're still going to be sick. Pick up trips and then exercise your contractual right to call in sick.