Cruz5350

Bid specific pairings in your first 2/3 layers make it the dream bid, then back yourself down to what you can hold. I'll bid pairings in my first couple of layers and then go down to pairing properties and line properties. Your graph should start out small and open up each layer until you're at 7. I take my % in base and bid down until I have a layer that's greater than that... I know I'll be able to get pairings from those layers easily.

WhoCares

Must be why Mesa owns one. Ask JO.




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soakingpilot

I have a graph

soakingpilot

so i just ended up setting up layers in the end assuming im getting scraps in the end anyways. now what happens when you have diff values say both at ( 1 and 2 ) its a "and" "or" situation...

NVUS

Maybe the 10 United bought will go to Expressjet. Hard to say. But I dont believe any of this will be new flying. Lately everything has been a this-for-that deal.

saxman66

You'll get better guidance in the SAPA forums. Also you can call the help line during the bid process for help. They have always helped me out. Bid for trips you want. Even being junior, if no one else senior bids that specific pairing, it's yours. You may not get that 27 hour four day, but if you want to see your cousin in Des Moines you just might that trip.


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Crazy Canuck

FWIW, when I was a fairly jr line holder I would bid EXTREMELY generally. Almost to the point of not even considering it a bid. I feel like I generally got a better schedule because of it. The trick is to the percentage of trips available to you by layer 7 to be greater than your bidding percentage.

As I rise up the seniority pole I've started bidding specific pairings in layer 1 and 2, and then general parameters in the other layers. Starting by being very restrictive, and gradually becoming less so.

Crazy Canuck

You also have to learn how the PBS system works. There are some preferences that you put in there that seem to be "hard" preferences (for example, avoid landing at XYZ: This will eliminate ALL trips in that layer where there are any landings at XYZ in that trip). Others seem to be "soft" preferences, such as "max weekend days off." From what little I know, it seems like bidding that is like telling the PBS system "if you have the choice between two trips, give me the trip that gives me the most weekend days off."

First determine what you want to do with your bid. Do you want to hold commutable trips? Do you want to bid for credit? Do you want to bid specific overnights? etc.
Second, figure out how to do it. Talk to other crews, use SAPA forums, and call the PBS helpline.

The PBS helpline is most helpful when you have a specific issue. For example, I was putting in a parameter the other day in layer 5 or 6 that appeared to screw up everything else in my bid. I didn't get it so I called the PBS helpline and they explained it to me.

Egg320

Think I will be paying you a visit in ORD to get some 'Bidding Goundschool lessons'

Utah

Soaking, next month between the 10th and 16th while you are sitting on a break or ready reserve in the crew lounge, ask someone to give you a five minute tutorial on how to bid. It doesn't have to be a pilot either, some of the FAs know their stuff.

Read the PBS users manual again if need be. You should know what the system defaults to as well, as well as how you can modify stuff.

You do not have to bid specific pairings unless you want to.

Before you are done with your bid, look at what parings you have in each layer.

Have low expectations on what your bid award will look like. It'll make life easier.