CousinEddie

Good question. In those first 3 bid groups you are unwilling to fly SA-SU, period. So that late night SU trip you mentioned never makes it out of the supply pool in those first 3 bid groups, so you the system can't give it to you. I agree, I'd be willing to go out SU night if that's what it took to get the rest of the weekend off. Remember that you can also adjust the time frame you are willing to work on SA-SU. So, you can say AVOID Work SA from 0001 - SU 1945. Now, that 2100 departure would be let out of the supply pool and the system could give it to you. Long story short, you can try some bid groups asking for the whole weekend off, and others where you adjust the time so you tell PBS you are willing to work a part of it. Like you, I would hate to lose the whole weekend when PBS would have given me a trip that allowed me to walk in the door at home around 9AM on Saturday morning or leave for an easy leg out SU night.

svergin

And I think this is a problem we have with our PBS. Its almost like this joke...

A computer programmer goes to the store.
His wife tells him to get a loaf of bread, and if they have eggs, get a dozen.
The programmer comes home with a dozen loaves of bread.

So my frustration is the "all or nothing" approach that our PBS uses. Its not intuitive from a preferencing nor an awarding standpoint.

A pilot shouldn't have to enter numerous bid groups to let the system know what he wants.

CousinEddie

I agree with your assessment. Bidding like the above example really doesn't have to be as time consuming as it looks as far as entering multiple bid groups. Let's say I have 8 AVOIDS instead of just 3 like the above example. For the first bid group I can type in the 8 AVOIDS followed by AWARD WORK L--. For the second bid group, just hit the copy function so you don't have to type it all over again, and use the arrow keys to slide the first AVOID you are willing to give on down to between Award Work L-- and Award Work L-. For the third bid group, hit copy again and use the arrow keys to slide the second AVOID you are willing to give on between L-- and L-. Keep copying and sliding until all the AVOIDS (moving each AVOID one bid group at a time) are sandwiched between AWARD work L-- and Award work L-, then you are done. Each bid group slowly gets less restrictive, and despite the multiple bid groups you would end up with in this case, you really didn't spend very long typing.

FMS DR

I highly recommend watching the videos on the prefbid website. Very insightful. The system is amazing if pilots would just take the time to learn it. This particular system spends a lot of time optimizing which sets it apart from other PBS systems. For example, as a junior line holder desiring a particular trip (i.e. a layover in EWR), it will spend the time to swap a trip that was previously awarded to a more senior lineholder if the senior lineholder didn't specifically preference EWR trips in a lower bid pool. It still gives the senior lineholder in this example what they asked for (no preference on EWR). As the program churns, it makes everyone's schedules better.

As for why anyone would want a layover in Manewark, that's anyone's guess.

APC225

Trainers are currently online...

http://prefbid.com/forum/index.php

Fresh

Agreed, just learn the system and it's not very difficult at all. I'd rather spend $600/year on beer but that's just me.

Grumble

That's the spirit!

oldmako

We gave up a ton when we gave up old style line building and transitioned to PBS. Now, guys are giddy when they smack a double every now and then.

They're winning.

Dave Fitzgerald

Yup, kind of like pay banding. Guys here are defending it?

Tank21

Where are the videos? On CCS or Flying Together?

I can't find them for some reason!!!