Erubya

ALPA, Crew Scheduling, and Management just announced a PBS. Anyone more aware of things then I am have any thoughts? This is my first 121 so I've never used one.

sailingfun

PBS is a horrific, terrible bad thing! At least until you use it for a few months. At that point you will never go back to line bidding!

Peoplemvr

Highly depends on the company and contract language.

Ravenwing

Does anyone have any idea how PBS will affect Envoy's pilot hiring? PBS is supposed to schedule pilots more efficiently since it doesn't create the transition conflicts, training conflicts, and vacation conflicts that line bidding does. I am guessing PBS wouldn't be implemented until at least December since there is a period of instructing pilots on the new system until it goes into effect. More efficient scheduling should, in theory, mean we need fewer pilots to do the same job, especially if they could schedule more efficient trips, without lost days. I'm guessing the sudden agreement has something to do with AA's posted loss since PBS will work better for the company.

If we aren't losing many pilots, no one is flowing, and they figure out how to use the pilots they have more efficiently, that may not be good news for those waiting for class dates. Or maybe that's the reason behind the latest rumor of no classes until October.

Freedom2A

I've used PBS at another regional. It was quite good, even for the junior folks. But like has been said, it all depends on the contract language and PBS software. We don't have the details, yet, so it's just speculation.... and everyone freaking out in the Envoy pilot facebook groups Cant' blame them. The whole DTS vacation really seems to be a sore point amongst the group. From a user POV, the actual bidding is 100x easier and quicker (in my opinion and experience). The key was not to be to picky in your preferences especially as a junior pilot. You'll typically get what you want. Anyways, let see what the AIP reveals when the time comes. Hopefully, nothing was given up to get PBS, but I suspect otherwise......

Buford Justice

No reason to freak out at this point. The fact that it took years to get to this point should indicate a reasonable agreement was reached. Also came from another 121 life, and yeah, work rules are the key here.
1. hopefully were using a quality system
2. we need a better mix of 1 2 and 3 day trips for better QOL
3. hopefully no single days off unless waived by pilot, including reserves.
4. a week of vacation will currently get you 2 weeks off. We need a way for that to be preserved using pbs. At the former company, you could bid "vacation low" which gave your vacation week a virtual credit of 37 hours. It worked great.

This can be a great thing for both sides, if done properly. But my question is, why would we need to give anything up to get PBS? If anything, the current situation where we don't need pilots is only a temporary pause in hiring. Envoy still needs to do things to attract and retain talent...which brings me to my biggest gripe...hotels. Goodness gracious...we neeed long/short hotel language,like *SkyWest* cough cough

Cujo665

It will not be done to favor the pilots, that's for sure. it's removing all conflicts to save them money and get more use from you. In exchange for working more, it tries to give you a schedule you like. But things like using vacation to make your trips go away and get a month off is gone. It's just puts your work days around your vacation. This management is not out to make your life better. That's why it took over 14 years for them to actually get PBS on property. They need the pilots that remember how they treated us just a few short years ago to be gone so they can do this crap. The other issue was an old former MEC gave them an agreement to implement PBS or the pilots pay a $5M assessment. My guess is With a sudden surplus of pilots they feel they can get away with saying PBS or pay us to the current MEC. They will push to get it done quickly before the legacy hiring picks back up again

BurnCycle

THIS. I'm not saying all the hotels are garbage, but I'm not saying a lot AREN'T garbage.

Ravenwing

I understand DTS is the reason it has taken so long to reach an agreement on PBS, but there is no reason to believe it is going away completely. Envoy flights attendants have PBS and are able to slide their vacation and add 4 extension days to it. Spirit also has NavBlue PBS and they can slide their vacation and add 2 extension days.

You may not be able to drop as much flying with whatever rules ALPA agreed to, but you will be able to drop more than your vacation time. PBS is payment for the huge pilot pay raises in 2022.

ClappedOut145

As long as Jane is around, you can be sure that PBS is set in favor of the company as much as possible. She is a vile and horrid woman who enjoys suffering, which she creates around her.