LoudFastRules

IF and ONLY IF you are LOCAL. 1hr50min is still absolutely local.

if you are a commuter (by airplane, not car), our reserve system is absolute pure h#ll.

texpilot

Once again, not exactly true LoudFast. If you've got 5 on, and staffing is in the green, you can get LC the first 2 or 3 days and then SC the last two. Now for the last two months it hasn't been like this on the 190 JFK, but the previous year or so were actually pretty good. FLL FO is still like that.
I had a day here in FLL last month where I had Long Call for 4 days and was Released the last day! Is that normal or even supposed to happen, nope, but it did.
Our system needs help, but it doesn't always suck...
Now the CA side, that's a different story.

Tom

PotatoChip

If someone lives in PA about a 2:20 drive from JFK would reserve be manageable? What's the cutoff of being tolerable?

texpilot

Well, it's a 2 hour call out from positive contact. And you have 15 mins to call them back.
I live 1:50 away and it's barely doable; I keep a bag packed and shirt ironed. But I also only get about one call a month. I would say it's 50/50 of whether I get a 2 hour call out vs 2+.
Tom

Tom a Hawk

Tex, I wasn't trying to be negative and I know some people have had a good experience on reserve. I just think the reason the junior captain slots go sooo low is because without true am/pm and long call many people simply don't care for the flexibility and uncertainty required. Now, if you can get me that dc base, I'd love getting one call a month like you.

texpilot

TAH, I totally understand. And although things can be descent for FO's on reserve, I will never upgrade to CA out of base.... Just not worth it for me.

PotatoChip

Thanks, Tex.

Kellwolf

I'd be saying this to, but being based in/living in MCO, I doubt I'll have a choice if I ever want to upgrade. Granted FLL is driveable, just not on SC reserve.

I think a lot of guys are just waiting until they can hold a line as a CA. It's not that reserve is terrible, I guess. It's for sure better if you're in base, but I don't think there's an airline where that ISN'T true. But the odds of having a decent, commutable schedule go up if you're able to hold a line. So, I'm thinking a lot of guys have their upgrade bids set as percentage bids rather than first available.

For me, it's not necessarily the reserve rules. If you game the system and bid to start reserve on a Wed or Thurs, you're likely gonna get LC. You'd be SC on the weekend anyway, so why not make that your last two days of reserve? Same with Friday and being escalated from LC to SC. On reserve in BOS as an FO, I rarely saw my crashpad between switching to better coverage days or bidding on trips in open time to keep from just sitting around. That was 3 years ago, though. The big thing for me is I don't feel like sitting around a crashpad for 2-3 days with 18 other guys waiting on the phone to ring.

CaptCoolHand

Since 2008 I've only bid a line 11 times.

Commuting to RSV not fun....
Sitting RSV at home, if you can handle the leash, AWSOME.

The RSV rules need improvements, but it's workable for sure.

clear4approach

I live in my base. I don't bid lines. Tonight (assuming I don't get called) will be night #19 in a row, sleeping in my own bed.
That being said, I am always paranoid about leaving my phone in another room, or leaving it on vibrate, or getting ready to do something and getting a call. The "leash" feeling sucks.