Hedley

The fact that people with only 5 years seniority can even touch a WB shows how truly unprecedented these times are. There’s going to be some real gnashing of teeth when things return to normal and we eventually slow hiring to handle attrition or stop for down markets.

Buck Rogers

Interesting, albeit age old, discussion about WB FO versus NB Captain. For me, there is no doubt that the QOL of commensurate seniority pilots is much better on the WB FO than the NB Captain. I am curious about pay issues. More pointedly, ability to pick up extra flying. Obviously, one needs to stay within FAR block time limits. That being said, I am curious about PWA limitations on picking up extra fly. At Delta, when the initial monthly schedule is built, they take soft time like vacation and training and include as pay and credit when calculating the monthly min and max to build a legal line. Once the schedules are released, the soft time credit is taken away but the monthly pay stays untouched. That pilot is then able to "fly back" that time if he so chooses.

For example, in the scenarios talked about above flying three 3 day trips worth 25 hours per trip, obviously the credit and pay is 75 hours. At Delta, if you have one week vacation worth 25 hours and fly two 3 day trips, your legal schedule is 75 hours of pay and, initially, 75 hours of credit. Once the schedules are released, that same schedule shows 50 hours of credit and the pilot is able to pick up a trip at their discretion. Consequently, that pilot will block 75 hours (if they fly back a 3 day trip) but their pay will be 100 hours.

The same is true of training.

There are numerous PWA limitations on picking up trips (ALV +15 maximum pick up limit) but numerous legal ways around those. For example, you can swap a 2 day trip worth 10 hours for two 3 day trips worth 50 hours (This comes into play with broken trips where its deadhead to Asia and fly home. So, they have the block hour overhead to swap into those 50 hours of pay because it may only be 25 hours of block due to DH.) Net result is a pilot may go from 80 hours pay initial monthly award to 120 hours of pay. We also have other things like IVD (Individual Vacation Day) and APD (Authorized Personal Drop) that allow pilots to maximize dollars if they want. (I understand the deleterious ramifications of increased productivity, especially to the lower end of the seniority list, so it's not necessary to get into that food fight, at least not with me.)

What I am interested in, is the nuts and bolts of how much the PWA rules affect the ability of pilots to fly more time if they chose to. IOW, how can you make $60k worth of NB Captain pay as a WB FO if the rules are so onerous that you are unable to pickup an extra 20 hours/month. At Delta, it is very easy. I am curious about UAL.

Thank you to anybody that takes the time to explain the "black and white" of your scheduling rules.

worstpilotever

No one cares about IAH. (or texas for that matter)

UALinIAH

Yes please get the word out so the masses stop moving here!

ClappedOut145

Meanwhile the population of red states continues to grow as people flee the taxation and general social devolving of the blue states.

guppie

VOTE NO!! This has been the most lucrative year of my career. Broke 1000 hours Jan-July with less than 500 hard and STILL averaged 15 off per month. It's some serious payback for the dark years around here. (18 year upgrade. $138/hr top 12yr pay for NB Captains) I am padding the heck out of the retro. Like taking candy from a Kirby. I fully support the right of an FO to stay an FO. Do not upgrade... I'm Guppie, and I approved this message. $$$$$$

guppie

Colorado is BOOMING. Two blue Senators, a blue Govenor, and a population that hasn't voted for a red president since George W.

UALinIAH

I think Colorado is a nice state but you do realize how small it is in relative size right? Houston metro 7.1 million people compared to Colorado’s entire state population of 5.8 million.

Andy

Rumor is that CO will be hiring M. Kaleo Manuel to manage CO's water resources after the awesome job he's done in HI.

Ice Bear

Been trying to beat this drum since getting here.