Any "Latest & Greatest" about Delta?
06-11-2014, 10:48 AM
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I must be missing something in my bidding, but why would you need to call for bid assistance every month? Maybe that's why I'm on reserve all the time... Or perhaps it's hanging out 6 from the bottom of the category.
Just curious what they offer that I'm not taking advantage of.
Just curious what they offer that I'm not taking advantage of.
cpberry,
I don't call every month - perhaps 3 or 4 times a year when I have a specific question unique to that months situation.
When I said "it happens every month" I was referring to the PBS Bid assist wait times which is far too long. This is what I have experienced every time I call and what I hear from my fellow Pilots.
Besides hearing all the bidding "screw-up" stories perhaps more Pilots should be calling.
For the record - I am a big PBS fan.
Scoop
Last edited by Scoop; 06-11-2014 at 11:17 AM.
06-11-2014, 11:01 AM
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I am not saying that I want to go back to LOT bidding, but to say it was a minor concession is disingenuous. The really fortunate thing was that we had DEX as a test bed and we really learned what an abortion PBS can be if not properly structured.
06-11-2014, 11:07 AM
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PBS is a HUGE gain in productivity.
Can't speak for DAL, but from talking with friends at other airlines who were involved in looking at the PBS, the numbers are pretty big.
Overall, PBS provides a %15 increase in productivity (IE same work with less pilots). Just the month-month transition alone is worth 7-8 percent. The rest comes from eliminating the conflict from vacations, training, mil leave and so on.
%15 increase in productivity is HUGE. That is a FAT number to the bean counters at any airline which is why they trip over themselves to push it.
What that means in real terms is if you are at the bottom %15 of your category, you face the real possibility of displacement. If you were looking to upgrade or move to a higher paying piece of equipment, you are SOL.
If you are going to engage a company for PBS, this has to be taken into account. Sure, PBS offers some pretty decent bid satisfaction by the nature of the way the system works, but the loss of "touching trips", if a contract contains it, can really wreck "good deals".
So you have to decide what kind of pay rate makes up for the loss of potential. That number can get pretty fat.
This issue is related to, although not the same, as pay banding. Depending on the size of the bands, you REALLY need to make the pay rate worth it, which would have to include a raise for the guys at the top of the band.
Nu
Can't speak for DAL, but from talking with friends at other airlines who were involved in looking at the PBS, the numbers are pretty big.
Overall, PBS provides a %15 increase in productivity (IE same work with less pilots). Just the month-month transition alone is worth 7-8 percent. The rest comes from eliminating the conflict from vacations, training, mil leave and so on.
%15 increase in productivity is HUGE. That is a FAT number to the bean counters at any airline which is why they trip over themselves to push it.
What that means in real terms is if you are at the bottom %15 of your category, you face the real possibility of displacement. If you were looking to upgrade or move to a higher paying piece of equipment, you are SOL.
If you are going to engage a company for PBS, this has to be taken into account. Sure, PBS offers some pretty decent bid satisfaction by the nature of the way the system works, but the loss of "touching trips", if a contract contains it, can really wreck "good deals".
So you have to decide what kind of pay rate makes up for the loss of potential. That number can get pretty fat.
This issue is related to, although not the same, as pay banding. Depending on the size of the bands, you REALLY need to make the pay rate worth it, which would have to include a raise for the guys at the top of the band.
Nu
Nu,
PBS in itself does not increase productivity. PBS is basically a computer program that turns our contract and work rules into a schedule.
I remember "trips touching" and Line of Time bidding - but that was specific to those contracts.
I will agree that PBS enables efficiencies but it is mainly the contract that drives efficiencies. For example:
You could have Line of Time bidding that would not award a line if it conflicted with your vacation. You could also have a PBS that for the most part puts vacation on after a line is awarded - thus dropping "trips touching." A lot of this is contract driven and to some extent enabled by PBS.
PBS is just a tool not inherently good or bad. It does make it easier for the company to increase productivity but in my opinion that is mostly a function of our contract and less a function of PBS.
Scoop
06-11-2014, 12:21 PM
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06-11-2014, 12:21 PM
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[QUOTE=
What that means in real terms is if you are at the bottom %15 of your category, you face the real possibility of displacement. If you were looking to upgrade or move to a higher paying piece of equipment, you are SOL.
Nu[/QUOTE]
The percentage, 5, 15 or whatever you want to claim, is far worse than you credited, since it is cumulative across categories and seats.
What that means in real terms is if you are at the bottom %15 of your category, you face the real possibility of displacement. If you were looking to upgrade or move to a higher paying piece of equipment, you are SOL.
Nu[/QUOTE]
The percentage, 5, 15 or whatever you want to claim, is far worse than you credited, since it is cumulative across categories and seats.
06-11-2014, 12:25 PM
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I've used it a few times and have never waited more than 2 mins. Yesterday (between 6 and 7pm) I got an answer right away with no hold.
06-11-2014, 12:30 PM
meh
Joined APC: Oct 2010
Posts: 828
Why are we suddenly talking about PBS? Nothing has changed, what's popped this to the top of the Delta topics today?
06-11-2014, 12:44 PM
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06-11-2014, 01:21 PM
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Wife stuck in MSP. Any cheap hotels near airport with shuttle? Thx.
06-11-2014, 01:27 PM
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Courtyard Marriot 651-452-2000 $60 out the door. No real food options other than a bistro in the lobby. Worth the extra few bucks on the room. Tell them your the "Delta Project" rate. Courtyard fills up quickly however.
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