Andy

Thanks; I wanted to make sure that they couldn't simply leave you on reserve and not pay you for those days that they don't use you.
... it's probably naive of me to think that there are many days they won't use you.

bkaz

I remember someone on here saying that you have to make the call to scheduling before you will get the 4.5 hrs/day.

If you don't call, you lose out.

Can anyone verify this?

Blockoutblockin

Sad but true.

APC225

Yes. Once you call scheduling to "pay me or release me" you are now the #1 reserve. They don't go by seniority, day matches, etc. Their view is that if they're paying you extra, you'll have to earn it. Along the same lines, you won't get the 36-hour Omaha layover. It'll be 4:30 per day.

APC225

A minor correction to this. The 4:30/day is not above MPG as the starting point. Rather, it is a credit added to your current earned line value. In your example if you have a 76 MPG and you get within 4:30 of it, say 72 hours of pay credit, then you call to "pay me or release me," and the 4:30/day then gets added to your pay credit, starting at 72 hours. It will certainly go above the 76 MPG, but it doesn't start there.

"25.11.G.10. If a Reserve Pilot's credit value is within four hours and thirty minutes (4:30) of his MPG, the Company may elect to release him for any or all of his scheduled Reserve Days in the remainder of the bid period (with no adjustment in MPG), except that the Reserve Pilot will not be released for a single day, other than his last day, without his consent. A Reserve Pilot whose credit value is within four hours and thirty minutes (4:30) of his MPG who has not previously been notified regarding release from remaining scheduled Reserve Days must contact Crew Scheduling on the day prior to each of his scheduled Reserve blocks no later than 0900 LBT to determine whether he has been released. Should he not be released, he will receive four hours and thirty minutes (4:30) credit, times the scheduled Reserve Days in the remainder of that scheduled Reserve block from which he is not released, or the total actual credit time, including Deadhead, flown on those days, whichever is greater."

EWR73FO

Thanks. Just noticed that on my pay screen. All that means is you need to get your live value as CLOSE to MPG as possible before calling to be released or paid.

Andy

APC225, thanks for the contract reference.

APC225

Call the very day you reach MPG minus 4:30. Otherwise you may miss out on the pay bump. If you get within 4:30 and spend another day on reserve without calling, you missed out on 4:30 getting added to your line value. Or, you get within 4:30 and you fly less than 4:30, you just lost the difference in pay. As soon as you get within 4:30, call.

P.S., they will also "level you" when you're getting close to the MPG minus 4:30, which is to say they'll cease flying you to prevent you from getting the extra pay. They won't fly you but they won't release you either. You can sometimes trick the system by personal dropping a reserve day that is over coverage (I know, very rare) which lowers your MPG thereby bringing you within the 4:30 from the top down vice from the bottom up. If you have at least one day left on reserve after doing this, then the value of the day you just dropped gets added right back in. You just went from 12 days off to 13 days off--with the same pay. I did this for many months, getting one (or more) extra days off and still getting paid nearly what my original MPG was.

APC225

They offered VJM the entire summer of 2011. I don't see how this summer will be any different. But they have other tools to use and nothing will surprise me.

"CAL Part 5 - Vacations General
A. When unforeseen circumstances create an operational need, that is, an event severely limiting the availability of pilots in a Base, Equipment and Status, a pilot's vacation may be canceled. Before a pilot's vacation may be canceled, Pilot Manpower Planning will ask for volunteers who are willing to change their vacation. If there are not enough volunteers, then pilot vacations will be canceled in reverse order of seniority. A pilot will be given at least thirty (30) days advance notice of a vacation cancellation unless he agrees to a shorter notice."

APC225

Looks like it'll be VJM right through September.

"Date: March 9, 2012
We are offering Voluntary Junior Manning for all B737 Captains and First Officers in all bases. If you are a B737 Captain or First Officer in IAH, EWR, CLE, LAX or GUM that does a straight pickup after the issuance of this bulletin of a full trip pairing from open time that originates on March 9, 2012 through March 12, 2012, that pickup will be treated as a “voluntary junior manning” (VJM) event and you will be paid a minimum of 4:30/day or flight time flown, whichever is greater, at 150% of your normal hourly rate."