Major Airline w/best Schedule Flexibility
10-02-2018, 12:24 PM
#11
China Visa Applicant
Joined APC: Oct 2006
Position: Midfield downwind
Posts: 1,927
Honestly, I wouldn't use what you're asking as a discriminator in picking a career destination.
10-02-2018, 12:41 PM
#12
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Mar 2007
Position: Petting Zoo
Posts: 2,090
When it comes to schedule flexibility, how do the major airlines compare to one another?
Background: I have a little bit of time left in the military and am starting to discuss future job options with my wife and kiddos.
At this point in my life, I don't have a desire to fly 900 hrs a year and spend that much time away from the family. Instead of flying 75 hrs/month all year...I'd rather fly, say, 100 hrs/month for 3 months straight, and then 20 hrs/month for 3 months straight. rinse & repeat
So, since my initial question was super vague, I guess here are my real questions.
1) Is a schedule like this even allowed? Or are there no **** minimum hour requirements each month
2) Are any of the major airlines more/less accepting of schedule creativity than others?
3) Would I ever run into any currency issues?
4) Would PBS or straight bidding make a difference?
5) Anything else I'm not factoring in?
I guess that's it. I'm aware that this might be a pretty dumb question, but I'm sure you nice folks will let me know if it is
Thanks for your time!
Background: I have a little bit of time left in the military and am starting to discuss future job options with my wife and kiddos.
At this point in my life, I don't have a desire to fly 900 hrs a year and spend that much time away from the family. Instead of flying 75 hrs/month all year...I'd rather fly, say, 100 hrs/month for 3 months straight, and then 20 hrs/month for 3 months straight. rinse & repeat
So, since my initial question was super vague, I guess here are my real questions.
1) Is a schedule like this even allowed? Or are there no **** minimum hour requirements each month
2) Are any of the major airlines more/less accepting of schedule creativity than others?
3) Would I ever run into any currency issues?
4) Would PBS or straight bidding make a difference?
5) Anything else I'm not factoring in?
I guess that's it. I'm aware that this might be a pretty dumb question, but I'm sure you nice folks will let me know if it is
Thanks for your time!
It is very unlikely you will fly 900 hours a year, actual block. I might be overly literal though.
Speaking for Delta
1. Yes, may or may not be possible. You cannot bid a 20 hour month, but if manning is good you can drop to zero if desired. Will manning be good? Maybe. Pretty outside your control
2. ?
3. Not necessarily your problem. Though I was all about keeping my head down on probation
4. PBS has been very good to me. I have been able to get every kid and spouse birthday off so far. Even as a very jr guy, PBS allowed me to get a key weekend off for a birthday.
5. Overall the solution you are seeking is seniority. Get a job. Get to a Jr jet. Stay with it and build seniority. Seniority=choice.
For reference, a full month for me as a narrow body guy is 4 4 day trips. I live in base, so that's 3 nights away per trip. 12 nights a month. Not as hard for the family as we all thought it would be
10-02-2018, 09:22 PM
#14
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Nov 2015
Posts: 1,152
What does "flexibility" mean to you? If it means being able to fill up your schedule with work and get paid a ton to do it, then SWA is your place.
If you want to get paid a lot sitting around and not flying, then maybe a legacy widebody is your destination.
If you want to be able to drop from your schedule and fly when it's convenient for you even though you're not getting top dollar, then maybe Spirit is your dream job.
Scheduling flexibility means something different for everyone. At SWA, I found that I could get paid about the same blocking 90 hours in a month as I could by being patient, working more days, but blocking only 70 hours on better paying trips. And that was as a new guy. With seniority, SWA only gets better and better if you want to get paid more for the work you do. But if you prefer to be able to work only when it's right for you and don't mind not getting the huge premium payouts, maybe Spirit's red/green board is a better QOL tool for you than SWA's multiple ways to trade trips and/or pick up extra trips.
If you want to get paid a lot sitting around and not flying, then maybe a legacy widebody is your destination.
If you want to be able to drop from your schedule and fly when it's convenient for you even though you're not getting top dollar, then maybe Spirit is your dream job.
Scheduling flexibility means something different for everyone. At SWA, I found that I could get paid about the same blocking 90 hours in a month as I could by being patient, working more days, but blocking only 70 hours on better paying trips. And that was as a new guy. With seniority, SWA only gets better and better if you want to get paid more for the work you do. But if you prefer to be able to work only when it's right for you and don't mind not getting the huge premium payouts, maybe Spirit's red/green board is a better QOL tool for you than SWA's multiple ways to trade trips and/or pick up extra trips.
10-02-2018, 11:04 PM
#15
Strike averted!
Joined APC: Mar 2015
Position: B737
Posts: 3,773
Time to a blank line (mix of reserve and sched trips) and to lineholder status at SWA is fairly short at this time. In three years I’ve moved to a 50% spot in domicile with over 2000 new hires below me. I’m holding three-day trips with weekends off, drive to domicile (I rarely fly extra), and average about 105 trips a month credit.
We are presently heavy on reserves—I know FO’s that routinely pick up reserve blocks thru trades, don’t get called, and then fly extra trips on what would be a day off. They average 150 trips/month. There are ways to play the game as a junior guy!
In addition to in-base flexibility, we can also bid extra flying in any base, or trade trips out of base. This helps with reserve/new hires that are commuting to a junior domicile. For example, I would try to give away a trip and then pick one up at a much closer base.
We can also move domiciles without a seat lock (not including ETOPS yet). We have several FOs that summer in DEN and winter in PHX for example. Of course, at this time we have pretty steady vacancy bids every month so folks move around quite a bit.
As has been mentioned, somebody hired three years ago may experience a vastly different environment than someone getting on today. That goes for any airline.
We are presently heavy on reserves—I know FO’s that routinely pick up reserve blocks thru trades, don’t get called, and then fly extra trips on what would be a day off. They average 150 trips/month. There are ways to play the game as a junior guy!
In addition to in-base flexibility, we can also bid extra flying in any base, or trade trips out of base. This helps with reserve/new hires that are commuting to a junior domicile. For example, I would try to give away a trip and then pick one up at a much closer base.
We can also move domiciles without a seat lock (not including ETOPS yet). We have several FOs that summer in DEN and winter in PHX for example. Of course, at this time we have pretty steady vacancy bids every month so folks move around quite a bit.
As has been mentioned, somebody hired three years ago may experience a vastly different environment than someone getting on today. That goes for any airline.
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