saturn

Deltuh here. I'm bidding reserve by choice, since I have young kids at home. In fact, in many bases the plug can get a line because reserve QOL can be so good senior folks bid it. Everybody is on long call with a minimum call out of 12 hours. You'll get 14 hard off days a month, and you can swap them around. Work rules have a lot of commuter friendly language (first reserve block no reports before 12pm, select trips to be assigned on your reserve days, deviate from deadhead). So far this year I've averaged 10 days of work a month, probably 6 of which I'm home for part of the calendar day. I'm not senior either, I see many guys that fly the equivalent of a 4-day or less for a monthly guarantee. Some can (if the stars align) pickup premium flying on those days off for extra pay.
Widebody reserve is even better, since inside 3 days of RSV, you basically cannot do an ocean crossing and are unusable. And say you do get used? 1 leg to Paris, full day off, 1 leg back. Do two a month. Tough life.

Some months I feel like a stay at home parent, some are busy and I am yo-yo-ing to the airport a lot. Overall it's the best TAFB-Credit ratio I've had. And that's just the reserve side of the house.

Skyward

Yes, reserve is also AM/PM at SW. It’s a pretty simple and consistent system.

I prefer PM trips with a late start each day and no alarm clocks

Tjamaica

Sounds like life is good on reserve. Curious, can you drop reserve days or is it once you get your schedule it is basically set in stone?

DaGreenBanana

Why would a person ever not bid for this?...

sailingfun

You can drop reserve days if they have coverage above the minimum required. If coverage is below that number you have 3 silver bullets to use each year where you can still drop as long as coverage is 25% of required. You get one APD and two IVD blocks for that. You can also swap and move off days within certain parameters. As mentioned reserve is very good at Delta. If your category has good staffing you will not work much. If the staffing is poor you may be able to roll thunder and generate 120 to 180 hours pay and still work only 12 days give or take.

Sliceback

Money or better control of their schedule. Or ability to pick, or avoid, certain types of flying or city pairs. The difference between reserve pay and hustling as a line holder is easily 25-30% and can reach 40%. If you’re a senior enough to hold premium trips, and they’re available, the equation changes which is why a handful of the most senior guys bid reserve.

Reserve is about 60-70% of the workload at 80-90% of the pay.

I’ve averaged 12.5-13 days per month for years. Narrow body and wide body. Low, with some reserve flying, was 11days a month. High was 13.75. If you start throwing in commuting it gets higher. Living in base makes a huge difference.

ImperialxRat

Can you explain what this means? I didn’t follow it.

GuardPolice

Rolling thunder is a Delta technique whereby a reserve pilot picks up green slips on days off. Pay back days for those green slip days are put on the next reserve days on his schedule, thus freeing him up for more green slips. It takes the right category and more importantly the right amount of seniority to successfully pull this off on a regular basis.

OOfff

Might want to check that contract. It’s 12-13 depending on the month

flensr

Seriously?

Someone would complain about flying a brand new 320 a couple of legs a day and sleeping at home every night? Yea if they're having a mgt meltdown I can see avoiding, but long-term it sounds like the easiest job you'll ever turn down.