LAXtoDEN

Nice, thank you.

smooth rides

After reading the latest RSR, I'm trying to figure out how trips are awarded on the CRJ side. I'm one of the trainees that was sent home last March and was expecting to fly the ERJ (for bases, not because it's any "shinier"). I have little working knowledge other than hearsay from other trainees and 3 days of indoc training. I asked a couple CRJ FOs that fly at OO and all I've learned so far is that the CRJ trips are awarded based on seniority just like any other type at any other airline, and better trips are more likely to be more senior therefore the more senior you are the more likely you are to find yourself up front in a 7 or 9 vs a 200. Is there any other way of bidding for the aircraft? And how much truth is there in senior CAs and FOs avoiding the 200?

LAXtoDEN

Senior CA/FO’s don’t necessarily bid avoid the equipment because they’re senior enough to bid for specific trips they want. When I was on the CRJ I’d place a bid on PBS to avoid the 200 specifically for at least 3 layers, but I guess that’s not as common on the FO side with the pay being the same.

When you’re junior the goal is to get off reserve, which sorry man, you’re going to be on reserve for a while most likely. When you’re able to start bidding a line you should expect to be doing mostly 200 flying. It’s not because of the equipment necessarily, but the 200’s tend to have hard working trips for less pay (credit to block). I’d say a normal 4 day 200 trip has 16 legs, where a 7/9 has 8-9 legs and better pay, usually. 200 is more work, less pay per credit hour on the CA side.

Also, I noticed the 200’s had more maintenance issues (that’s an understatement), which can cause delays and turn a 16 hour overnight into minimum rest fairly quickly. That part added stress for no good reason onto a trip. I came to eventually hate the 200. Honestly, I can’t think of one time where a maintenance issue ruined a trip on the 7/9, but oh I can think of many problems with the piece of crap 200’s breaking at an outstation with nobody in a 2 hour radius to fix the issue. You don’t get compensated for any of the extra work/delay/stress/announcements/passengers mean mugging you, it sucks.

LAXtoDEN

Thank you, I just gave them a quick call and they provided me with the login information.

Dream

Just talked with a ground school instructor and he says he was told to get ready for erj classes again. Of course I’m not gunna believe it until I see it though. Wasn’t much more he could say, probably a non disclosure agreement in place somewhere.

Utah

Things vary between bases. The SLC CRJ domicile has very few commuters. Most pilots here want shorter trips. CRJ 200 split duties are the most senior trip. Than it use to be followed by locals, two days, etc.. Covid has put a hit on our parings and there are a lot of 3 and 4 day trips out there now a lot of crew members living locally don't really want.

Contrast that with other domiciles that have a lot of commuters and they want commutable four day trips. Commutable on both ends.. Or perhaps three day trips. The commuters sure don't want the locals. Even if you are not a "commuter", driving in everyday to LAX or SFO if you are not real close to the airport will probably have you bidding the longer trips.

Some bases have a mix of 200 vs 700/900 flying. SLC for about a year was nothing but 200 flying. Now it has a mix. PHX and DFW are nothing but 700s.

When the bids are done here in a few more days, look on the PBS page and pull up the PBS transparency report. You can look at every position at every domicile and see what is being awarded. You can look at the pairings for each domicile as well (you can do that now). Once you've been here a while and have some seniority, the transparency report will also show where you would bid, seniority wise, in every domicile.

Where are you hoping to get based?

And to answer your last question. My bid for next month is nearly entirely 200 flying, and I'd be considered senior.

Turbosina

This right here. Just finishing up a trip on the -200. Sitting at a hub waiting for our 3-hour-delayed aircraft to show up. In the past 2 days, on six out of eight legs, we had no APU (really great in the middle of the winter wonderland we're experiencing right now,) plus a deferred FMS. Not one -- not even one of our legs has departed within 3 hours of scheduled departure, and only one of those delays was wx-induced -- the other 7 legs were all significant mx delays.

Today we did 3 legs in an airplane with 5 deferrals, and they weren't for NEF or trivial stuff either. No APU, no APR, no FMS -- all on the same airplane -- means lots of extra hassle when you consider the weak / unavailable huffer carts at most outstations (never mind ground air), the refusal of ground crews at many hubs to air-start both engines at the gate (meaning in the middle of an LAX departure bank, you have to beg Ground to let you stop somewhere to do a cross-bleed). Oh, and ground power carts that keep crapping out and plunging your cabin into the dark since you've got no APU. Mind you, you don't get paid for any of this extra stuff. None of it.

I used to kinda love the Deuce but they're getting really, really, really tired. In general I think we have pretty decent mx here, but there are no spare aircraft, ever, anywhere. And the ones that are here, are breaking at a worse rate than I've ever seen.

I hate to say this but it's time for these birds to go to the desert. And I say that as someone who truly enjoys flying the Deuce.

TeamSasquatch

After reading this, I don’t know how anyone could see them going any place other than feeder cargo for UPS. 1.0hrs of MX time 5 days a week, no real rush to push, multiple MEL’s. They could live on for decades.

brockenspectre

Tip of the iceberg.....just wait until summer kicks in and we will be yearning for what is happening now.

domino

nah. He just didn’t know what he was talking about and as the schoolhouse rumor mill goes, was talking out of his a— as usual.