Southwest questions
05-07-2017, 05:37 AM
#462
Gets Weekend Reserve
Joined APC: Jul 2007
Posts: 3,776
Bid what you want not what people want you to bid. Picking up TTGA just enables people more senior to you clear their boards and get premium. If there's a great trip in there that works out for you then grab it. Otherwise, if you're junior look for something in open time you like and put in a straight bid .69 seconds before it closes. No value addded to bidding straight time early unless you're on reserve and trying to dupe people into bidding straight time so you can get paid to sit at home.
We were also told incorrectly that if we pick up premium, we'd get premium based on our first year pay, not second year. INCORRECT!!! You get second year pay even if picking up premium. Guys, don't be afraid to bid premium. You may not get your first choice, but you'll get something especially on weekends.
Another less known gem, and I get the aversion to it, but if you live in domicile, bid for reserve blocks in 0900 DOT. You can only bid reserve at straight. Anything you as a first year pilot do on that reserve block including sitting at home pays second year. Scheduling will often add flying to your board during this block and likely deadhead you all over the system, and if they bring you back to your domicile past the original time of your initial assignment, you get premium for that day. It can really add up. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I flew 11 hours one 3-day block and got paid over 33. It happens more often than not. The trick is - picking it up in OT.
In all cases, in order to get second year pay, keep in mind you have to be at or above your original line value. In other words, you can't give away flying and then pick up OT to get second year pay. If you do that and your projections drops below your OLV, anything you pick up will credit at first year until you reach OLV and then anything beyond that in that same pairing will credit at second year.
Hope this helps someone.
05-07-2017, 05:50 AM
#463
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Apr 2013
Posts: 3,670
The threshold to get second year pay is that the pairing had to be run through Open Time system, not necessarily picked up there. In other words, suppose your classmate picks up a trip in OT, and then gives it away in TTGA. If you as a first year pilot pick up that trip, you will get second year pay for flying that trip.
We were also told incorrectly that if we pick up premium, we'd get premium based on our first year pay, not second year. INCORRECT!!! You get second year pay even if picking up premium. Guys, don't be afraid to bid premium. You may not get your first choice, but you'll get something especially on weekends.
Another less known gem, and I get the aversion to it, but if you live in domicile, bid for reserve blocks in 0900 DOT. You can only bid reserve at straight. Anything you as a first year pilot do on that reserve block including sitting at home pays second year. Scheduling will often add flying to your board during this block and likely deadhead you all over the system, and if they bring you back to your domicile past the original time of your initial assignment, you get premium for that day. It can really add up. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I flew 11 hours one 3-day block and got paid over 33. It happens more often than not. The trick is - picking it up in OT.
In all cases, in order to get second year pay, keep in mind you have to be at or above your original line value. In other words, you can't give away flying and then pick up OT to get second year pay. If you do that and your projections drops below your OLV, anything you pick up will credit at first year until you reach OLV and then anything beyond that in that same pairing will credit at second year.
Hope this helps someone.
We were also told incorrectly that if we pick up premium, we'd get premium based on our first year pay, not second year. INCORRECT!!! You get second year pay even if picking up premium. Guys, don't be afraid to bid premium. You may not get your first choice, but you'll get something especially on weekends.
Another less known gem, and I get the aversion to it, but if you live in domicile, bid for reserve blocks in 0900 DOT. You can only bid reserve at straight. Anything you as a first year pilot do on that reserve block including sitting at home pays second year. Scheduling will often add flying to your board during this block and likely deadhead you all over the system, and if they bring you back to your domicile past the original time of your initial assignment, you get premium for that day. It can really add up. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I flew 11 hours one 3-day block and got paid over 33. It happens more often than not. The trick is - picking it up in OT.
In all cases, in order to get second year pay, keep in mind you have to be at or above your original line value. In other words, you can't give away flying and then pick up OT to get second year pay. If you do that and your projections drops below your OLV, anything you pick up will credit at first year until you reach OLV and then anything beyond that in that same pairing will credit at second year.
Hope this helps someone.
Great advice. Nicely done.
05-07-2017, 05:59 AM
#464
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Apr 2013
Posts: 3,670
Bid what you want yo. I have bid straight time on pairings that I can't get for premium that work for me. As an example, I have seen a double deadhead to my commuter city followed by one leg and then a deadhead back. Home asleep in my bed that night. Paid 9.something straight, 12 premium.
I looked at the list of bidders and sure enough, every senior FO in my base was all over it bidding premium for a sweet turn. I waited until about 30 seconds prior to close and threw in a straight bid. I got the trip, got released from the DH, went about my daily business, and showed up at the airport after dinner for one leg to base. I got there and an hour later was sitting on a commute flight back home. Easy peasy.
I do agree with the sentiment by Zap above to a degree. If you are going to bid straight on a normal 2 or 3 day pairing and you aren't in your probie year, just grab it out of TTGA. Not everyone in there is a senior guy clearing their board. The vast majority are guys who just would rather sit at the house than fly. Some of the trips in there are great and your odds of flying with an avoidance bid CA are a lot lower.
I looked at the list of bidders and sure enough, every senior FO in my base was all over it bidding premium for a sweet turn. I waited until about 30 seconds prior to close and threw in a straight bid. I got the trip, got released from the DH, went about my daily business, and showed up at the airport after dinner for one leg to base. I got there and an hour later was sitting on a commute flight back home. Easy peasy.
I do agree with the sentiment by Zap above to a degree. If you are going to bid straight on a normal 2 or 3 day pairing and you aren't in your probie year, just grab it out of TTGA. Not everyone in there is a senior guy clearing their board. The vast majority are guys who just would rather sit at the house than fly. Some of the trips in there are great and your odds of flying with an avoidance bid CA are a lot lower.
05-07-2017, 02:10 PM
#466
Furloughed Again?!
Joined APC: Aug 2007
Position: Boeing 737
Posts: 4,804
Yes, seriously. I did not intend to imply that at all!! Probies bid whatever you want/need to.
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05-09-2017, 07:31 PM
#467
Strike averted!
Joined APC: Mar 2015
Position: B737
Posts: 3,789
05-10-2017, 04:47 PM
#469
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jan 2007
Position: B717 CA
Posts: 447
Any guesses on how/if this affects hiring? http://www.seattletimes.com/business...e-with-engine/
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