Vacancy 22-11
#131
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Mar 2005
Posts: 395
The juice isn’t worth the squeeze to be a junior CA on the narrow body. The pilots peeling off for junior CA or WB FO means a new hire on the NB gets senior, and quick.
For example, an FO I flew with, who has been here for 2 years, already has a sweet schedule on the 737. 17 days off, good trips, some holidays at home, etc.
If he were to upgrade, it would be nothing but reserve or 90 hour lines with redeyes - for years.
If 737 CA paid significantly more than WB FO I’d understand. But it doesn’t. Why put up with the pain when you can hang out and really not make much less?
For example, an FO I flew with, who has been here for 2 years, already has a sweet schedule on the 737. 17 days off, good trips, some holidays at home, etc.
If he were to upgrade, it would be nothing but reserve or 90 hour lines with redeyes - for years.
If 737 CA paid significantly more than WB FO I’d understand. But it doesn’t. Why put up with the pain when you can hang out and really not make much less?
#132
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jul 2007
Position: 756 left
Posts: 766
Positive space commute would definitely be an improvement, but the reserve system is the larger problem. Hopefully both get addressed.
#133
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jul 2014
Posts: 805
I can't imagine reserve not sucking even with some tweaks. Reserve going senior is pure fantasy. We are grossly understaffed, the awful pairings aren't going away (day overs, redeye, cle overnights), and the non profile reserves guarantee the rest of the reserves are working every holiday... fixing short call abuse and field standby is nice but it isn't rainbows and unicorns.
#135
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jul 2007
Position: 756 left
Posts: 766
I can't imagine reserve not sucking even with some tweaks. Reserve going senior is pure fantasy. We are grossly understaffed, the awful pairings aren't going away (day overs, redeye, cle overnights), and the non profile reserves guarantee the rest of the reserves are working every holiday... fixing short call abuse and field standby is nice but it isn't rainbows and unicorns.
#136
Line Holder
Joined APC: Dec 2019
Posts: 84
I can't imagine reserve not sucking even with some tweaks. Reserve going senior is pure fantasy. We are grossly understaffed, the awful pairings aren't going away (day overs, redeye, cle overnights), and the non profile reserves guarantee the rest of the reserves are working every holiday... fixing short call abuse and field standby is nice but it isn't rainbows and unicorns.
#137
On Reserve
Joined APC: Jun 2022
Posts: 17
Wouldn’t that make reserve suck MORE for commuters? Getting stuck in a crash pad while senior dudes cherry pick all the open time doesn’t sound like an improvement.
#138
I like Kirby, but his solution to most problems is throwing money at theoretically short term problems. Any reserve foxes are likely to be QOL neutral/negative for pilots, but allow for money making during high demand months.
Making reserve months 70 hrs, but 16 days would drastically increase QOL for a commuter, while decrease the cost. This however would require an appreciable number of additional bodies (a fixed cost).
OR
They can allow reserves to pick up PPU on their reserve days and/or fly on their days off (variable cost). HUGE increase in earning potential, and manpower positive for the company as well.
I suspect this contract will have low hourly rate increases, with massive short term earning potential while we’re short staffed. All pairing adjustments become “untriggered reassignment,” etc. As long as we’re growing, he’s happy to have slimmer margins, when we slow down, the additional pay (labor cost) provisions that are built in to our co tract will dry up. The old chess V checkers thing
Making reserve months 70 hrs, but 16 days would drastically increase QOL for a commuter, while decrease the cost. This however would require an appreciable number of additional bodies (a fixed cost).
OR
They can allow reserves to pick up PPU on their reserve days and/or fly on their days off (variable cost). HUGE increase in earning potential, and manpower positive for the company as well.
I suspect this contract will have low hourly rate increases, with massive short term earning potential while we’re short staffed. All pairing adjustments become “untriggered reassignment,” etc. As long as we’re growing, he’s happy to have slimmer margins, when we slow down, the additional pay (labor cost) provisions that are built in to our co tract will dry up. The old chess V checkers thing
#139
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Dec 2018
Posts: 1,085
I can't imagine reserve not sucking even with some tweaks. Reserve going senior is pure fantasy. We are grossly understaffed, the awful pairings aren't going away (day overs, redeye, cle overnights), and the non profile reserves guarantee the rest of the reserves are working every holiday... fixing short call abuse and field standby is nice but it isn't rainbows and unicorns.
- no duty before 12 noon on day one
- company paid airport hotel for every day
- ability to trade reserve days via crew companion rather than being at the whomp of CS
in that world every day could be FSB / SC - if you can sit in your company paid hotel room.
#140
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Feb 2017
Posts: 1,360
The only system I could envision to make reserve somewhat attractive would be to make it a quasi line with
- no duty before 12 noon on day one
- company paid airport hotel for every day
- ability to trade reserve days via crew companion rather than being at the whomp of CS
in that world every day could be FSB / SC - if you can sit in your company paid hotel room.
- no duty before 12 noon on day one
- company paid airport hotel for every day
- ability to trade reserve days via crew companion rather than being at the whomp of CS
in that world every day could be FSB / SC - if you can sit in your company paid hotel room.
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