CAL Folks, a little Reserve advice, please
11-15-2011, 11:05 AM
#32
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Feb 2008
Position: 737 Captain
Posts: 872
Fathead's has a good offering as well..... as does 21st Amendment out of MN. Its a tasty time of year.
Sorry about the drift..
11-16-2011, 08:39 AM
#33
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: May 2010
Position: 737 CA
Posts: 110
Use the BAT tool to run a feasibility test on every bid group.
I don't know if there is an easy way to bid that with one or two groups? My guess is you'll have to bid every scenario that would result in limited commutes.
Reserve bidding gotcha's that I know of are: Do not bid to "AVOID" more total days than the "immovable" days off you are allowed and don't bid more than two "AVOID" statements (unless you are a master hacker and know how to trick HAL9000 in to bending the rules).
Do not bid a group that would result in less than a 3 day block of reserve days. You can be assigned less than 3 but you can't ask for it.
Other reserve musts: try to be diligent about checking your master schedule at the exact time you need to for your next day assignments or post paring release and PRINT a copy. Scheduling has and will try to change your assignment or add flying after they are allowed to and if you have a copy of your sched showing that it wasn't there at the legal time then you are off the hook. I just print to a pdf file at home, take a screen pic on my phone at work or if im near a company computer then print with their ink and paper.
Go to the CALALPA MEC website and download "Rules of the Road" and "Summer Flying" on the Grievance Committee page. (MEC COMMITTEES TAB, select GRIEVANCE)
Lots of good info in there on reserve rules and typical scheduling tricks.
11-17-2011, 04:25 AM
#34
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Mar 2005
Posts: 396
It'll print out in a nice monthly format showing your schedule.
You might not get it due to seniority, but at least you gave it the old college try in 20 different versions and it will show you technically it could work.
11-17-2011, 04:57 AM
#35
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Feb 2011
Posts: 3,866
Part One
These are some plain text lessons-learned that the union put out based on problems the UDOs addressed repeatedly during the annual summer meltdown. These are things we want to be aware of all the time, but coming up on the holidays they might be especially useful to review.
The summer travel season is upon us and we expect more than the normal challenges for our pilots during this summer's flying. However, as the old saying goes, a lack of prior planning on their part does not create an emergency on ours. The same applies to management's unwillingness to properly staff the airline in case of irregular operations. What follows is a summary of a few of the situations you may encounter in the coming months and your contractual rights in dealing with these issues.
Remember that you do not work for Crew Scheduling or Crew Coordination. If you have a disagreement with them over contractual or FAR issues, always remain calm and professional and politely ask them to contact the Chief Pilot on duty. You can also contact the ALPA office at 281-987-3636 during normal business hours or the UDO line at 888-990-4227 for time critical issues after hours for assistance.
Regardless of the issue you have, documentation is extremely important. PRINT EVERYTHING that could remotely affect your case. Note the TIME and NAME of any scheduler you speak with so that we can request any tapes we may need to support your case later. Of course, if you have the capability, you can record the calls yourself.
Legal Assignment
• Unless an assignment is actually placed on your Master Schedule by Crew Scheduling, you have no assignment. There have been instances when a scheduler has advised a pilot to head to the airport without an actual assignment reflected in CCS and after arrival at the airport, discovered that Scheduling never put any assignment on his schedule. You are not required to head to the airport until you have been given a legal assignment. • The FARs state that a pilot shall not accept an illegal assignment and it's not possible to assess the legality of a particular assignment when you can't see it. It's your certificate in jeopardy, not the scheduler's. • We have had cases where a pilot has been given an assignment that doesn't contain legal rest and is told he will be given legal rest upon arrival. The FARs on flight time limitations are scheduling limits; for a pilot to accept a schedule, it must be legal at the time the schedule is published. The required rest must be on the schedule—not a promise that they will give you the rest when you arrive at the place where flight duty is to begin. This is why an assignment must be placed on your Master Schedule; you must have an opportunity to evaluate the legality of the assignment prior to accepting it.
The summer travel season is upon us and we expect more than the normal challenges for our pilots during this summer's flying. However, as the old saying goes, a lack of prior planning on their part does not create an emergency on ours. The same applies to management's unwillingness to properly staff the airline in case of irregular operations. What follows is a summary of a few of the situations you may encounter in the coming months and your contractual rights in dealing with these issues.
Remember that you do not work for Crew Scheduling or Crew Coordination. If you have a disagreement with them over contractual or FAR issues, always remain calm and professional and politely ask them to contact the Chief Pilot on duty. You can also contact the ALPA office at 281-987-3636 during normal business hours or the UDO line at 888-990-4227 for time critical issues after hours for assistance.
Regardless of the issue you have, documentation is extremely important. PRINT EVERYTHING that could remotely affect your case. Note the TIME and NAME of any scheduler you speak with so that we can request any tapes we may need to support your case later. Of course, if you have the capability, you can record the calls yourself.
Legal Assignment
• Unless an assignment is actually placed on your Master Schedule by Crew Scheduling, you have no assignment. There have been instances when a scheduler has advised a pilot to head to the airport without an actual assignment reflected in CCS and after arrival at the airport, discovered that Scheduling never put any assignment on his schedule. You are not required to head to the airport until you have been given a legal assignment. • The FARs state that a pilot shall not accept an illegal assignment and it's not possible to assess the legality of a particular assignment when you can't see it. It's your certificate in jeopardy, not the scheduler's. • We have had cases where a pilot has been given an assignment that doesn't contain legal rest and is told he will be given legal rest upon arrival. The FARs on flight time limitations are scheduling limits; for a pilot to accept a schedule, it must be legal at the time the schedule is published. The required rest must be on the schedule—not a promise that they will give you the rest when you arrive at the place where flight duty is to begin. This is why an assignment must be placed on your Master Schedule; you must have an opportunity to evaluate the legality of the assignment prior to accepting it.
Last edited by APC225; 11-17-2011 at 07:41 AM.
11-17-2011, 04:58 AM
#36
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Feb 2011
Posts: 3,866
Part Two
Lineholder Reassignment
During times of irregular operations, many of our lineholders may find themselves dealing with contractual issues they are not regularly exposed to and that are unfamiliar. If you don't know your rights, don't expect the Company to keep you informed. Section 25, Part 8 covers all of your rights and obligations when subject to reassignment. Here are some highlights:
• If you report and find that your trip has been cancelled, Scheduling has four (4) hours from your report time to either reassign you or release you [let them call you; do not call them]. If after four (4) hours you have not been reassigned, then PRINT a hard copy of your Master Schedule and consider yourself released (Sec 25.8.C.1). • Lineholders may be reassigned to a trip that begins up to two (2) hours prior to their original trip. However, you are not on phone availability and you are under no obligation to be in position at the airport two hours early should they decide they want to reassign you. If you are reassigned and you can't make it; you can't make it. Just be prepared to explain your situation (Sec 25.8.B.3.a). • Changing of your report time. Sometimes Scheduling will push back your report time and your only notification will be a CCS pairing acknowledgement. If you acknowledge a pairing modification on the computer prior to report time, you are agreeing to the later show time and potentially later maximum duty time. If you acknowledge inside of report time, then your duty day has already begun and the modification would be of no effect.
During times of irregular operations, many of our lineholders may find themselves dealing with contractual issues they are not regularly exposed to and that are unfamiliar. If you don't know your rights, don't expect the Company to keep you informed. Section 25, Part 8 covers all of your rights and obligations when subject to reassignment. Here are some highlights:
• If you report and find that your trip has been cancelled, Scheduling has four (4) hours from your report time to either reassign you or release you [let them call you; do not call them]. If after four (4) hours you have not been reassigned, then PRINT a hard copy of your Master Schedule and consider yourself released (Sec 25.8.C.1). • Lineholders may be reassigned to a trip that begins up to two (2) hours prior to their original trip. However, you are not on phone availability and you are under no obligation to be in position at the airport two hours early should they decide they want to reassign you. If you are reassigned and you can't make it; you can't make it. Just be prepared to explain your situation (Sec 25.8.B.3.a). • Changing of your report time. Sometimes Scheduling will push back your report time and your only notification will be a CCS pairing acknowledgement. If you acknowledge a pairing modification on the computer prior to report time, you are agreeing to the later show time and potentially later maximum duty time. If you acknowledge inside of report time, then your duty day has already begun and the modification would be of no effect.
Last edited by APC225; 11-17-2011 at 10:06 AM.
11-17-2011, 04:59 AM
#37
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Feb 2011
Posts: 3,866
Part Three
RX Days
• These can be traded for another trip regardless of reserve coverage, so if you don't want to sit RX, look for a one-day trip later in the month and you can remove them (Sec 25.9.B).
• There can be pay ramifications to dropping RX days. Trip protection will be retained only if the pilot remains on duty for all of the original RX days, unless he has been released from duty by Crew Scheduling (Sec 25.9.A.). • If you have RX days that are worth less than the original pairing and this is because all of the flying on one of the days was cancelled more than 24 hours prior, you have special rights. - You can drop the days without regard to reserve coverage (Sec 25.9.B.1.b), or - At 24 hours prior, you MUST call Scheduling and they can either assign you a trip or release you (Sec 25.9.B.1.a). • You are required to check at 1500 (Note: all times are local base time, LBT) the day prior for your assignment the next day, or within a reasonable time frame after the end of your trip if it ends after 1500, and if you see an illegal PAW, then your obligation is only for five (5) LEGAL hours that they could have assigned you. For example, if your trip wasn't supposed to show until 1900 and you see 0800-2000, then you can assume your call time is 1900-2000. Another example is if your trip was supposed to end at 0755 and you see 0800-2000, then you can assume that you have no phone liability and can consider yourself released. PRINT it out! • If you see no assignment when you check at 1500, then you can consider yourself released. PRINT it out! • Lineholders are entitled to a hotel room if assigned to a phone availability period and the original pairing had a hotel. If PAW starts before 1000, a hotel will be available the night before. You will need to call to receive the room. Note: If they are unable or unwilling to provide a hotel room to which you are contractually entitled, you can arrange for your own room and submit the expense for reimbursement.
• These can be traded for another trip regardless of reserve coverage, so if you don't want to sit RX, look for a one-day trip later in the month and you can remove them (Sec 25.9.B).
• There can be pay ramifications to dropping RX days. Trip protection will be retained only if the pilot remains on duty for all of the original RX days, unless he has been released from duty by Crew Scheduling (Sec 25.9.A.). • If you have RX days that are worth less than the original pairing and this is because all of the flying on one of the days was cancelled more than 24 hours prior, you have special rights. - You can drop the days without regard to reserve coverage (Sec 25.9.B.1.b), or - At 24 hours prior, you MUST call Scheduling and they can either assign you a trip or release you (Sec 25.9.B.1.a). • You are required to check at 1500 (Note: all times are local base time, LBT) the day prior for your assignment the next day, or within a reasonable time frame after the end of your trip if it ends after 1500, and if you see an illegal PAW, then your obligation is only for five (5) LEGAL hours that they could have assigned you. For example, if your trip wasn't supposed to show until 1900 and you see 0800-2000, then you can assume your call time is 1900-2000. Another example is if your trip was supposed to end at 0755 and you see 0800-2000, then you can assume that you have no phone liability and can consider yourself released. PRINT it out! • If you see no assignment when you check at 1500, then you can consider yourself released. PRINT it out! • Lineholders are entitled to a hotel room if assigned to a phone availability period and the original pairing had a hotel. If PAW starts before 1000, a hotel will be available the night before. You will need to call to receive the room. Note: If they are unable or unwilling to provide a hotel room to which you are contractually entitled, you can arrange for your own room and submit the expense for reimbursement.
Last edited by APC225; 11-17-2011 at 05:18 AM.
11-17-2011, 05:04 AM
#38
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Feb 2011
Posts: 3,866
Part Four
Involuntary Junior Manning
• “Crew Scheduling, when notifying a pilot of such assignment will clearly state that he is being junior manned.” (Sec 25.13.B.6). • You are under no obligation to check ACARS messages for junior manning assignments. • You are under no obligation to monitor ramp tower frequency for junior manning assignments. • You are under no obligation to converse with gate agents concerning junior manning assignments. • Lineholders have no obligation to check CCS at the end of their pairing for junior manning assignments. • You are under no obligation to answer or return phone calls from Crew Coordinators or Crew Schedulers once your trip ends. • You DO have an obligation to acknowledge direct, face-to-face communications with those in the Flight Ops chain of command, including Chief Pilots, Assistant Chief Pilots and Crew Trackers. • If contact is made and you tell them that you are unavailable, be prepared to defend your position. Unfortunately, our contract allows for involuntary junior manning; and therefore if you state you are unavailable, you will probably be speaking with an Assistant Chief Pilot at some point to explain yourself. You do not have to explain yourself to Scheduling, just state you are unavailable. If they tell you to contact your Chief Pilot, politely tell them that you know what you are contractually required to do. The Chief Pilots know how to contact you. You are not required to contact them.
Junior Manning – Big $$$? Maybe Not
Some of our pilots hear the words “junior manning” and regardless of the staffing implications, think that they are in for a big paycheck. Not true. Many pilots think that Scheduling is “buying” the trip they were supposed to fly and then junior manning them for a different pairing, basically thinking they will be making “double time and a half.” The reality is that you will receive 150 percent pay for only that portion of flying that was more than the trip you were scheduled to fly.
• “Crew Scheduling, when notifying a pilot of such assignment will clearly state that he is being junior manned.” (Sec 25.13.B.6). • You are under no obligation to check ACARS messages for junior manning assignments. • You are under no obligation to monitor ramp tower frequency for junior manning assignments. • You are under no obligation to converse with gate agents concerning junior manning assignments. • Lineholders have no obligation to check CCS at the end of their pairing for junior manning assignments. • You are under no obligation to answer or return phone calls from Crew Coordinators or Crew Schedulers once your trip ends. • You DO have an obligation to acknowledge direct, face-to-face communications with those in the Flight Ops chain of command, including Chief Pilots, Assistant Chief Pilots and Crew Trackers. • If contact is made and you tell them that you are unavailable, be prepared to defend your position. Unfortunately, our contract allows for involuntary junior manning; and therefore if you state you are unavailable, you will probably be speaking with an Assistant Chief Pilot at some point to explain yourself. You do not have to explain yourself to Scheduling, just state you are unavailable. If they tell you to contact your Chief Pilot, politely tell them that you know what you are contractually required to do. The Chief Pilots know how to contact you. You are not required to contact them.
Junior Manning – Big $$$? Maybe Not
Some of our pilots hear the words “junior manning” and regardless of the staffing implications, think that they are in for a big paycheck. Not true. Many pilots think that Scheduling is “buying” the trip they were supposed to fly and then junior manning them for a different pairing, basically thinking they will be making “double time and a half.” The reality is that you will receive 150 percent pay for only that portion of flying that was more than the trip you were scheduled to fly.
Last edited by APC225; 11-17-2011 at 05:28 AM.
11-17-2011, 05:06 AM
#39
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Feb 2011
Posts: 3,866
Part Five
Doing the Right Thing
We have had pilots who have checked their CCS schedule and see a PAW for later the next day (say 1200); then Scheduling calls them to tell them they have been reassigned to a morning pairing or PAW. If you contact Scheduling to tell them that you aren't on duty until 1200 and won't be doing the morning pairing, they will use the “contact” rule to force you to do exactly what you were calling them about. We discussed this with Flight Ops management during our last Grievance Review meeting and told them that these pilots were just trying to “do the right thing” and not leave Scheduling hanging. We were informed that they don't need our pilots' help and if you call them, they will use the “contact” rule from the Reserve Renegotiation LOA to force you to fly the trip. Although a prudent person using good judgment would normally say, “Make the call,” DO NOT make the call unless you want to fly the trip. Contact either the UDO line or the ALPA office and make sure all your ducks are in a row and then ignore them. We can't tell you how disappointed we were to hear that they don't want (or appreciate) pilots doing the right thing.
We have had pilots who have checked their CCS schedule and see a PAW for later the next day (say 1200); then Scheduling calls them to tell them they have been reassigned to a morning pairing or PAW. If you contact Scheduling to tell them that you aren't on duty until 1200 and won't be doing the morning pairing, they will use the “contact” rule to force you to do exactly what you were calling them about. We discussed this with Flight Ops management during our last Grievance Review meeting and told them that these pilots were just trying to “do the right thing” and not leave Scheduling hanging. We were informed that they don't need our pilots' help and if you call them, they will use the “contact” rule from the Reserve Renegotiation LOA to force you to fly the trip. Although a prudent person using good judgment would normally say, “Make the call,” DO NOT make the call unless you want to fly the trip. Contact either the UDO line or the ALPA office and make sure all your ducks are in a row and then ignore them. We can't tell you how disappointed we were to hear that they don't want (or appreciate) pilots doing the right thing.
Last edited by APC225; 11-17-2011 at 10:15 AM.
11-17-2011, 05:06 AM
#40
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Feb 2011
Posts: 3,866
Part Six
Reserve 1500 Check
If you check your Master Schedule after 1500 and there is no assignment for the next day, then;
• If you are off today and they have no legal way under the contract to contact you, PRINT your Master Schedule and you have no obligation to answer the phone. • If you are on duty today, then you have to wait until the end of your PAW and hope they don't contact you to fix their mistake. If they don't contact you, PRINT your Master Schedule at the end of your PAW and you have no obligation to answer the phone. • If you do answer the phone, then they have made "contact" and can reassign you. See “Doing the Right Thing” above. • If you are on a trip that ends after 1500, you must check after your trip ends (normally 15 minutes after block in, 0 if deadheading, 30 if customs required). If there is no assignment or PAW on your Master Schedule, PRINT it out and you have no obligation to answer the phone. • If you are on a trip that ends before 1500 and you have no assignment on your Master Schedule after your pairing ends (0/15/30 after block in) and you have a day off the next day, you are released to your next duty period, i.e., next reserve block. You do not have to check at 1500 to see if they decided to roll you (Sec 25.11.L).
Reserves – RMPG, Rolling, 18 Trip Days
There are provisions in our contract where a reserve will be paid extra if certain parameters are exceeded. However, the reserve must be proactive or he will be giving up his contractual rights to the extra pay/MPG.
• RMPG (Sec 25.11.G.10) – A reserve must contact Scheduling in order to force Scheduling to either release him or pay a minimum of 4:30 credit per day for the remaining reserve days. • 18 Active Trip Days (Sec.25.11.Q.1) – A reserve who is on trips for 18 days in a bid period will have 4:30 added to his MPG, but he must put in a pay claim for this to be added. Pilots should wait until after the bid period has ended to put in this pay claim; otherwise, when you qualify for RMPG will be affected. • Excessive Rolling (Sec 25.11.Q.2) – A reserve who has been rolled excessively will have 4:30 added to his MPG, but he must put in a pay claim for this to be added. Pilots should wait until after the bid period has ended to put in this pay claim; otherwise, when you qualify for RMPG will be affected.
If you check your Master Schedule after 1500 and there is no assignment for the next day, then;
• If you are off today and they have no legal way under the contract to contact you, PRINT your Master Schedule and you have no obligation to answer the phone. • If you are on duty today, then you have to wait until the end of your PAW and hope they don't contact you to fix their mistake. If they don't contact you, PRINT your Master Schedule at the end of your PAW and you have no obligation to answer the phone. • If you do answer the phone, then they have made "contact" and can reassign you. See “Doing the Right Thing” above. • If you are on a trip that ends after 1500, you must check after your trip ends (normally 15 minutes after block in, 0 if deadheading, 30 if customs required). If there is no assignment or PAW on your Master Schedule, PRINT it out and you have no obligation to answer the phone. • If you are on a trip that ends before 1500 and you have no assignment on your Master Schedule after your pairing ends (0/15/30 after block in) and you have a day off the next day, you are released to your next duty period, i.e., next reserve block. You do not have to check at 1500 to see if they decided to roll you (Sec 25.11.L).
Reserves – RMPG, Rolling, 18 Trip Days
There are provisions in our contract where a reserve will be paid extra if certain parameters are exceeded. However, the reserve must be proactive or he will be giving up his contractual rights to the extra pay/MPG.
• RMPG (Sec 25.11.G.10) – A reserve must contact Scheduling in order to force Scheduling to either release him or pay a minimum of 4:30 credit per day for the remaining reserve days. • 18 Active Trip Days (Sec.25.11.Q.1) – A reserve who is on trips for 18 days in a bid period will have 4:30 added to his MPG, but he must put in a pay claim for this to be added. Pilots should wait until after the bid period has ended to put in this pay claim; otherwise, when you qualify for RMPG will be affected. • Excessive Rolling (Sec 25.11.Q.2) – A reserve who has been rolled excessively will have 4:30 added to his MPG, but he must put in a pay claim for this to be added. Pilots should wait until after the bid period has ended to put in this pay claim; otherwise, when you qualify for RMPG will be affected.
Last edited by APC225; 11-17-2011 at 10:10 AM.
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