nwaf16dude

The way I've seen it before is that you have an automated system that notifies via the pilot's choice of notification. Could be an automated phone call to any number you want, or it could be and e-mail or SMS text. No notifications are official until you reply. Could be any combination of the above. it's fully customizable. It's good for the Company and the pilots. None of the notifications systems are valid until you reply, of course. One piece that is better currently is that you can log in to delta net and look at what they are trying to give you without acknowledging the assignment. North side had it set up so that you couldn't get past the log-in screen without self notifying.

acl65pilot

I know that, but a lot of guys do not want to be on the hook for something as soon as they read it or if it is sent. We are talking things like mid rotation reroutes, 23K, IA etc. Many times it is no biggies, but many of the pilots I have talked to about this issue, want a notification delivered and then they want the ability to respond. SMS is a great idea, but it does not give notification to the scheduler that you have seen and acknowledged the trip or change. Things like windows based e-mail allow read messages to be sent back on request, but to outfit 12200 pilots with a blackberry is cost prohibitive, so a SMS that directs a pilot to log in may be the quick and easy fix. Issues with things like this, is there is a possibility that the SMS will not get to the pilot and therefore the effort is a waste, so thinking up another way to use today's technology and at a cost effective price that benefits everyone is the key.

Most not all of us have smart phones with e-mail. Demanding that everyone have e-mail capability on a phone costs money. There is some work that needs to be done in this area, but many want it and are aware of it.

nwaf16dude

If you'll re-read what I wrote, I'm not advocating any situation where the company can send you a note and suddenly you are commited. They would all depend on some sort of reply before you are committed....no reply, no commitment; move on to the next guy.

LeineLodge

NWA had it setup so you could put in several phone numbers, email address, etc and they would all be automatically notified via the VRS (similar to the VRU, but with outgoing capability - kinda like the robo-call IA messages). This way they guys with email on their phone could actually see the trip if they weren't near a computer. Those without email on their phones just kept on doing it the way we do it now. It allowed the user to pick how he/she wanted to be notified.

The big key to this system was the notifications had much more information such as layover cities, checkin/out times, and total credit. This gave you the information you needed to make a decision "on the fly" when you aren't near a computer. As it stands now, you need to drop everything and hurry to iCrew to check out the GS or IA trip that they're offering to see if it's worth it. Or what reserve period you got, LC vs. SC, etc, etc. All these items existed previously and would be fantastic to get back.

Keep the good ideas flowing into the SOT - especially the no-cost items. It would be great to see some of this stuff improved prior to section 6.

acl65pilot

I read what you posted, I was stating some of the issues that many of come up with. The one way system that NWA used may be the lowest cost best option.

Simply put, many just want spelled out wording that states the limits of said system.

LeineLodge

Everyone needs to give their input. Alot of guys have some really great ideas, and we need everyone to participate to clean up some of these scheduling items.


Hi XXXXX,

Just wanted to throw in my input for the SOT per the latest council 20 newsletter. A few wants:

1. Seniority bidding for short call/long call assignments

2. Bidding of short call windows without having to request short call. It would be nice to preference short call windows "if needed for short call" but not necessarily be asking for short call - similar to how we can set Yellow Slip preference qualifiers "If needed to fly"

3. Be able to see the reserve availability list more than 1 day out - at least 7 would be great

4. Similar to #3, be able to see on the reserve availability list what time a pilot becomes legal for trip assignment. Oftentimes a pilot shows up that is only legal for a few hours in the evening. The only way currently to find this out is to view every pilots schedule which is time consuming and cumbersome.

5. Giving a little more info when assigned a trip via automated phone call, specifically to include layover cities, total credit, and first report/last release times. I frequently receive calls for IA trips but without a computer nearby I have no way of knowing the specifics of the trip and whether I can accept it or not. Including more specific trip information in the automated calls would help with this.

6. Similarly, it would be nice to have an option on the GS preference qualifier page that allows us to put in "premium pay minimum". I recently had a slip in with a minimum avg credit of 5:00/day, but the total premium pay was still only going to be 1.5 hours because the first day (an X day) was just one leg while the subsequent days were very heavy with credit (but were on call reserve days, thus no premium pay.) This trip was not really worth it, even though I tried to filter it out.

LeineLodge

Another nice thing to have would be a more real-time reserve availability list. There is a pretty lengthy lag between when a trip is assigned and when that pilot disappears from the list.

Most of these suggestions seem to be centered around providing reserves with more information so they can plan their days/weeks a little better. With more/more accurate information it's much easier to sharpshoot when you will be used, put on short call, released, etc.

Oh, there's another one. Be able to release more than 2 hours prior to the end of short call if NOTHING is going on. You know the days in February, in the middle of the week, when high pressure dominates the entire country, and no one has called in sick in the previous 5 days, AND +10 guys are sitting around on short call . . . . . .

nwaf16dude

I guess my bottom line is this... if you are looking for off-day flying, you should have a chance to look at what they are asking you to fly, and always have a right to refuse if it's not something you want to do; after all, it is your off day. And any off day flying should produce some kind of premium. Straight pay on an off day is just plain bs.

acl65pilot

I like you idea NWAf16, but DAL generally finds more than enough pilots to willfully volunteer via WS for off day flying at straight pay. I like the way you think though.

nwaf16dude

Well, at the risk of being labeled a radical... a union could take care of that small issue