Junior Base?
06-20-2022, 08:32 AM
#231
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Sep 2011
Posts: 1,027
I haven't seen it like this in my 8 years here. Hard lines are built max block and max duty. Reserves at never before seen levels, yet utilization is sky high. The flight schedule is stretched out with planned 0500 launches and 0130 recoveries. Who flies at 5am you ask? Apparently everyone. The flights are completely packed.
One thing is clear. Crew planning and network planning have built a house of cards and they are rolling the dice like a degenerate gambler that this summer is all going to work out and they are going to make a fortune without any major disruptions.
Someone has decided that it is cheaper and more dependable to have a ton of prepaid reserves than it is to have legal and available open time players. I guess we will see in October at the earnings call.
One thing is clear. Crew planning and network planning have built a house of cards and they are rolling the dice like a degenerate gambler that this summer is all going to work out and they are going to make a fortune without any major disruptions.
Someone has decided that it is cheaper and more dependable to have a ton of prepaid reserves than it is to have legal and available open time players. I guess we will see in October at the earnings call.
07-29-2022, 03:56 AM
#235
Gets Weekend Reserve
Joined APC: Jul 2007
Posts: 3,776
There used to exist a happy median where they would have some high paying, high blocking lines and some on the opposite end of the scale. Now all the trips are absolutely slammed packed with flying. The very fact that someone thought that doubling the reserves was going to solve the issue is laughable.
My seniority used to allow me a nice choice of lines and trips that would net me the best paycheck for my time spent at work. Now I get to choose between 100 crappy choices and hope that I can drop some high blocking days in overlap or ELITT.
By doubling the reserve coverage, the company is taking a little bit of your seniority and sprinkling it down the line.
Yes, I love that premium flying is available 7 days a week. The rest of it is garbage. Up until May, you could fly premium AND bid a line of easy going low blocking trips.
My seniority used to allow me a nice choice of lines and trips that would net me the best paycheck for my time spent at work. Now I get to choose between 100 crappy choices and hope that I can drop some high blocking days in overlap or ELITT.
By doubling the reserve coverage, the company is taking a little bit of your seniority and sprinkling it down the line.
Yes, I love that premium flying is available 7 days a week. The rest of it is garbage. Up until May, you could fly premium AND bid a line of easy going low blocking trips.
07-29-2022, 04:04 AM
#236
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Aug 2015
Posts: 833
I'm gonna be a contrarian on this one. As someone who likes to play the game, I actually preferred being overstaffed if you can believe it. I liked it when reserves didn't fly and the junior pilots were able to trade all their reserve trips with line holders and the reserves sat home. I'm way more tired now than I ever was back then, and in both instances, I've been averaging around 150-165 TFP.
Overstaffing works better for more senior pilots. If you are stuck with the trips you bid (cannot giveaway, many red days in ELITT), and any trip can be flown for premium, seniority doesn't help much other then set you to for a JA when your weekday trips finishes on Thursday. I miss giving away my good trips and then trading the rest of my trips for reserve.
Perfect staffing (can't give away, but no premium) is the worst situation.
07-29-2022, 04:14 AM
#237
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: May 2018
Posts: 766
As long as staffing isn't "perfect" there is money to be made.
Overstaffing works better for more senior pilots. If you are stuck with the trips you bid (cannot giveaway, many red days in ELITT), and any trip can be flown for premium, seniority doesn't help much other then set you to for a JA when your weekday trips finishes on Thursday. I miss giving away my good trips and then trading the rest of my trips for reserve.
Perfect staffing (can't give away, but no premium) is the worst situation.
Overstaffing works better for more senior pilots. If you are stuck with the trips you bid (cannot giveaway, many red days in ELITT), and any trip can be flown for premium, seniority doesn't help much other then set you to for a JA when your weekday trips finishes on Thursday. I miss giving away my good trips and then trading the rest of my trips for reserve.
Perfect staffing (can't give away, but no premium) is the worst situation.
07-29-2022, 06:04 AM
#238
7.27%
Joined APC: Feb 2006
Position: Boeing
Posts: 543
Let’s say a new hire wants PHX base, which is possible out of training apparently, but also wants to be ETOPS qualified so they can pick up LAX trips that DH to PHX and Fly to HI; How would you suggest to make that happen? Would you be crazy to bid LAX/LAS/OAK to get the ETOPS qual if living in PHX and possibly getting stuck commuting if things change?
07-29-2022, 06:11 AM
#239
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jun 2006
Position: American Airlines Brake Pad Replacement Technician
Posts: 476
Let’s say a new hire wants PHX base, which is possible out of training apparently, but also wants to be ETOPS qualified so they can pick up LAX trips that DH to PHX and Fly to HI; How would you suggest to make that happen? Would you be crazy to bid LAX/LAS/OAK to get the ETOPS qual if living in PHX and possibly getting stuck commuting if things change?
You place PHX as your top choice on your vacancy bid. With the other ETOPS bases as your last choices. There's a good chance you won't be able to hold PHX first month after IOE, but you would be assigned to OAK or LAX or LAS-E. In this case the 6 month seat lock associated with ETOPS tng wouldn't apply to you. So you'd get ETOPS trained, but then after a month or 3 or 6 have the seniority to sneak into PHX. Then you'd be a PHX FO that's ETOPS qualified, not have the seat lock, and be able to do exactly what your wanting in regards to picking up additional ETOPS trips over and above (to pile on some extra 2nd year pay) out of LAX, OAK, and LAS-E.
I'd keep an eye on where new hires are going, and your Seniority standing in that new hire bid (By age in your specific class), and the number of vacancies in that specific bid closely to see if this scenario is going to play out. If/when that time comes, there's plenty of fellas on here, and with our SWAPA union SRC (Schedule Research Committee) that will help you decide a good plan of attack on this.
Definitely put this thread in your crosscheck and scan, lots of first year GOLD in here.
https://www.airlinepilotforums.com/southwest/135668-newbies-work-smarter-not-harder.html
Last edited by Caveman; 07-29-2022 at 06:23 AM.
07-29-2022, 06:26 AM
#240
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Apr 2013
Posts: 3,671
Junior Base?
It's hard to play any kind of game with no seniority horsepower to back it up. There really is no good way to game an ETOPS qual in this hiring boom anyway. The best way to try is outlined above. With PHX getting a bunch of new gates, it and Denver will have positive vacancies for a while. Right now they are playing whack a mole with the new gates in both locations since they don't have the people to staff the flying they plan on doing from them. That means this is going to be drawn out for a while.
