UA QOL
05-31-2023, 05:11 AM
#21
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Nov 2022
Posts: 240
Our reserve rules are in desperate need of improvement, but saying that all regional airlines have better reserve rules is false. At the regional I spent 5 years at, the reserve rules were a significant step down from where United presently is.
05-31-2023, 05:40 AM
#22
Gets Weekends Off
Thread Starter
Joined APC: May 2023
Posts: 502
West coast NB FO here. In 6 months of reserve, I averaged 2-3 short calls per month. I sat field standby twice in 6 months. Almost all my reserve days were unused long call. I even went an entire month without flying. I never was assigned to fly off short call or FSB. Most of my reserve work blocks, I commuted in on day 1 and commuted home on the last day after getting auto released at 1000. Usually scheduling would agree to cut me loose an hour or so early on the last day.
I recognize that many have different reserve experiences than mine, but my reserve experience wasn’t bad and if I lived in base it would have been quite pleasant. Many other FOs in my base had similar experiences to mine, but don’t seem to post about it much on the internet. I spent a month on reserve in a different base and flew 16 of 18 days, so some of this may be base dependent.
As a lineholder I’m getting 85-90 hr lines with 14 days off. I am generally able to make minor modifications to schedule via trip trades.
We do have some horrible trips for sure, stuff like two leg 1-days with 12 hours in between legs (spent at a hotel) that credits 5:00. Or redeyes followed by a day sleep followed by two legs. But most of the line trips are reasonable.
United’s reserve rules are by far the worst of all the legacies. But United’s reserve rules are significantly better than the reserve rules at the regional I came from.
Personally I’d think a lot about seniority when considering bailing from one legacy to another.
I recognize that many have different reserve experiences than mine, but my reserve experience wasn’t bad and if I lived in base it would have been quite pleasant. Many other FOs in my base had similar experiences to mine, but don’t seem to post about it much on the internet. I spent a month on reserve in a different base and flew 16 of 18 days, so some of this may be base dependent.
As a lineholder I’m getting 85-90 hr lines with 14 days off. I am generally able to make minor modifications to schedule via trip trades.
We do have some horrible trips for sure, stuff like two leg 1-days with 12 hours in between legs (spent at a hotel) that credits 5:00. Or redeyes followed by a day sleep followed by two legs. But most of the line trips are reasonable.
United’s reserve rules are by far the worst of all the legacies. But United’s reserve rules are significantly better than the reserve rules at the regional I came from.
Personally I’d think a lot about seniority when considering bailing from one legacy to another.
I agree about the seniority point. I’d be coming from a place with the best seniority outlook but I would only have been there about three months when this situation comes around.
05-31-2023, 05:59 AM
#23
Orbis Non Sufficit
Joined APC: Oct 2015
Posts: 735
05-31-2023, 06:14 AM
#24
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,351
I recognize that many have different reserve experiences than mine, but my reserve experience wasn’t bad and if I lived in base it would have been quite pleasant. Many other FOs in my base had similar experiences to mine, but don’t seem to post about it much on the internet. I spent a month on reserve in a different base and flew 16 of 18 days, so some of this may be base dependent…
United’s reserve rules are by far the worst of all the legacies.
United’s reserve rules are by far the worst of all the legacies.
So it’s far from being cataclysmic month after month. However, the fact that our rules open the potential for it to become cataclysmic in any given month is a huge problem & I recognize that. There’s just no good reason for us to remain so far behind what has become the industry standard. I’m not on RSV presently & I’ve had generally positive experiences bidding RSV in the past, but I’m still holding out for major RSV improvements on this contract. If not now, when?
05-31-2023, 06:25 AM
#25
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Joined APC: May 2009
Position: 787
Posts: 469
The truth about United QOL (at present) is it is entirely base / fleet specific. West coast 756, reserve is a cake walk if you have an easy commute. Mid-continent, or east coast base on the 737/320 is a whole different game.
The best advice I have for anyone on reserve here, is use the APU and silo-1 to pick up stuff early in your reserve block that makes you less likely to be useful at the end of the block, even more so with HDOs at the end of the block.
it should not be this way, but having a phd understanding of 117 and our reserve section makes reserve here palatable. Some of the already agreed upon UPA items will make it better on first glance.
finally, yes on a global fleet it is very possible that you could get a 6 day trip on the last day of reserve, and that is a bad deal (and even worse if you had plans those days), but you still get those additional 5 days ‘on’ restored and it is very likely that you now have a block of 8+ days off.
like I said, it definitely needs to be improved, and it will be (to the extent is the question), but there are also ways to make reserve suck less too.
The best advice I have for anyone on reserve here, is use the APU and silo-1 to pick up stuff early in your reserve block that makes you less likely to be useful at the end of the block, even more so with HDOs at the end of the block.
it should not be this way, but having a phd understanding of 117 and our reserve section makes reserve here palatable. Some of the already agreed upon UPA items will make it better on first glance.
finally, yes on a global fleet it is very possible that you could get a 6 day trip on the last day of reserve, and that is a bad deal (and even worse if you had plans those days), but you still get those additional 5 days ‘on’ restored and it is very likely that you now have a block of 8+ days off.
like I said, it definitely needs to be improved, and it will be (to the extent is the question), but there are also ways to make reserve suck less too.
05-31-2023, 06:33 AM
#26
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Apr 2016
Posts: 291
P.S. This is as an east coast 737 guy.
05-31-2023, 06:47 AM
#27
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Apr 2023
Position: 737 CA
Posts: 102
I’ll echo what the other guy said. I live in base and almost always bid reserve as a NB FO and love it. Instead of having a crappy line working 90 hours as a junior lineholder, I sit short calls from my house or the golf course. I get every weekend off and every holiday off, even year one, because you’ll be one of the most senior guys on reserve after a couple months. And I’ve been amazed by how little they call me to fly. I flew zero hours in January and zero hours in February. Picked up a nice trip in March just because I didn’t feel like going back to the sim for landings. This month (May), I got paid a little over 84 hours and blocked 4. Granted, summer is coming and it’s going to be busier, but as a prior-mil guy without any previous 121 experience, I’ve been really surprised at how well in-base reserve works for me, even at the legacy with the worst rules.
P.S. This is as an east coast 737 guy.
P.S. This is as an east coast 737 guy.
Agree. East coast NB CA. Reserve rules can always be improved, but IMHO other parts of the contract that need overhaul/improving should be primary focus at the negotiating table.
05-31-2023, 07:06 AM
#28
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Apr 2016
Posts: 291
Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of improvements to our reserve rules that we absolutely need to secure this during this contract cycle. Obviously those are high on my list personally, but good reserve rules are manpower positive and encourage upward movement, which benefits everyone. My point to the OP is just that reserve at UAL, even under the current book, doesn’t have to be torture if you’re willing to live in base.
05-31-2023, 08:27 AM
#30
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Mar 2014
Posts: 726
STOP!! You’re ruining the messaging!! Reserve sucks!! I want to live in Pensacola and never work!!
Agree. East coast NB CA. Reserve rules can always be improved, but IMHO other parts of the contract that need overhaul/improving should be primary focus at the negotiating table.
Agree. East coast NB CA. Reserve rules can always be improved, but IMHO other parts of the contract that need overhaul/improving should be primary focus at the negotiating table.
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