SWA Reserve

[RyansDad]

I will be starting class in a couple of weeks and it sounds like there is quite the slow down on classes in the immediate future. I think I may have around 4 classes behind me if they do 3 in August and 2 in Sept... So it sounds like I will be doing reserve for a little while...atleast a few months and probably into the holidays. My question is what can I expect on reserve? Do they use their reserves often, still opportunities to pick up open time, reserve times..etc
Also, I will be trying to be based in MCO as soon as possible...If I'm based in say OAK or LAS(since it will be opening right around the time i should be bidding for the first time) does scheduling ever allow a pilot to sit reserve outside their base? Also, If training is slowing down to the extent that I have read on here what would be your best guess on time on reserve? Thanks for any insight...Im sure I will be able to get most of theses answers in a couple of weeks but would like to hear about it from guys out on the line...THanks for any info and look forward to joining your ranks soon...

 

[RedDogC130]

You will get a hard line the first month off IOE. You then will get your bid line for future. You will sit reserve in your base, no other. You may be able to trade your reserve with somone in another base but that is highly rare. With the slow down you may be a bit longer on reserve but you should be off in atleast 3 months depending on base. Right now people are sitting 1 month of reserve in MCO/OAK then getting lines. IF you switch to the other bases, expect a few months on reserve possibly 3-4 once you get the base of choice. Right now MCO/OAK are the junior bases...LAS I assume will become junior also.

 

[RyansDad]

Does the 6wks of training include IOE or is that just ground and sim? When in the month do you guys bid for schedules and bases? Also, is there any word on how many crews they plan on opening LAS with? I have heard or read somewhere that the plan is 600 total when they are done staffing....I would think or more likely hope there are enough guys that live out there or could drive to there that would cover the first bid...just trying to get a feel for whats in store for the next few months after training....thanks for the info...

 

[The Victors]

The first 6 weeks doesn't include ioe. That's just ground school and sim. Schedules are bid between the 6th and 11th in the previous month. Base bids stay in a permanent bid that closes every month around the end of the month. Like the 28th or 29th. There are only like 50-70 current pilots living in LAS, so I expect it to be very junior. All the flights in and out of there are full and it will be a tough commute.

 

[Irishav8r]

Also, is there any word on how many crews they plan on opening LAS with? I have heard or read somewhere that the plan is 600 total when they are done staffing...

We have been told 200 crews on day 1 then growing from there.

 

[RyansDad]

I guess on the positive side a new guy would be able to hold a line pretty quick in LAS...Are you able to drop a portion of a trip...for example if the last day of a trip and last leg is BNA-LAS...just drop the last leg and commute home from there? or is an all or none deal?

 

[Irishav8r]

I guess on the positive side a new guy would be able to hold a line pretty quick in LAS...Are you able to drop a portion of a trip...for example if the last day of a trip and last leg is BNA-LAS...just drop the last leg and commute home from there? or is an all or none deal?

Once assigned a trip you can put it up for giveaway. There is no "Drops" ie. scheduling drops trip with reserve availability. Someone has to pick it up

 

[luvfan]

more reserve info

here are a few other things you can do as a first year f.o. to make more money and have more flexibility.

1) you can give away an assigned trip on reserve (already noted above)...just go to trip trade give away and highlight the trip if you don't want to fly the trip someone may pick it up

2) you can give away all or a portion of your reseve block. you start your reserve period and let's say it is a four-day block; if you are unassigned after day one, after you are released you can give away days 2-4. After day two if you are unassigned, once you are released you can give away days 3-4. After day three, if you are released you can give away day 4. This is mostly a player on the last day or maybe the last two days but it is a sweet deal for the first year fo. Instead of getting 6 trips for sitting on reserve for the last day at first year pay...you can now either go home a day early or go snag a turn or a two-day at second year pay (by taking something in daily open time or extra fly). You can make a lot of money doing this. By the way, it's not that hard to give away the last day of reserve...many senior f.o.s are happy to snatch up a 6.0 one day block of reserve at 4th-5th-6th year pay and maybe just sit at home all day. it is possible to post the last day of your reserve block in give away...call skeds if you are unassigned on the last day.

3) VJA added on to your last day of reserve. If you do this you will get VJA pay on the day you added flying. This is less than second year pay. However, if you ask scheduling during the same phone call that they assign you the trip to "please drop a day of reserve later in the month" they will do it...if they say no ask for a supervisor...in other words as a bonus for picking up the extra day of flying and accepting the VJA, they will let you off the hook for a day of reserve (and free you up to fly a second year pay trip or go home a day early). The way to sign up to do this is on your reserve preference, you add the letter V to the other preference. You have the choice F or P (fly or pass) A or B (am or pm) V or no V (VJA or not). You can also sign up for VJA on your bid preference for specific days. This second way to sign up for VJA is more complicated and they will explain this to you during training. The point is that although second year pay is better than VJA, VJA can be sweet if it gets you out of a day of reserve later...I don't know if they will cover this in class.

 

[Daddy]

Always put your unassigned days of reserve in giveaway...you may need to do this daily, but it is better than sitting in the crashpad waiting for a call. I can't believe how many newhires don't do this. There is always stuff to pickup from the folks on reserve that counts as extra fly. Any one day of reserve in giveaway during the week is almost guaranteed to get taken, 2 days maybe, one day on the weekend...possibly.

 

["#9"]

I am OAK Based and finished training last year. I did a hard line in OAK out of training, did 2 months on Reserve, got a Blank line, then slid back one more time on a Reserve line and have been holding a hard line every month since that. While I have always put my reserve lines up for give away, I never had anyone pick it up. I have, however, picked up a lot of extra fly and open time since I live here. I have been used almost every single day while on Reserve except in the Spring where I went twenty calendar days without a phone call (I always opt to pass v. fly on Reserve since I live here). Hope this recent experience helps you out, Ryan's Dad.

 

[luvfan]

give away

it is unlikely but possible to give away a three or four day reserve block...but chopping it up and giving away two days is doable and one-day blocks will be gone quick...try breaking it up

 

[Vegas Flyer]

Actual Info on flight info! Thanks for the tips!

VF
$$$

 

[Flyarcticcat]

Actual Info on flight info! Thanks for the tips!

VF
$$$

How about picking up reserve time in another base. Say you live in Dal but are currently Based at OAK can you pick up open time or reserve time in Dal?

 

[RedDogC130]

How about picking up reserve time in another base. Say you live in Dal but are currently Based at OAK can you pick up open time or reserve time in Dal?

You can pick up reserve in another base as long as it is in Daily open time or from another person which you would only get straight pay. For the daily open reserve block time you would get second year. You can also wait unti the day of and if a person on reserve gets a trip you can call in and take it from them for 2nd year rates. As long as it is not past the 1hour prior checkin on the start of the trip.

 

[RedDogC130]

Another loop in the system is if you lets say give up your last day of reserve and joe-blow that took it from you gets assigned a turn. So you are off the hook. You can now call and take the trip from him and get second year pay for it. It is a problem in the system that will probably be fixed in the contract stuff.

 

[GuppyWN]

It's not a "problem." How does flying on a day off differ from flying on a day off? If you pick up you get 2nd year pay. If I picked it up from him they'd pay me 8th year pay so it's still cheaper to pay 2nd year rates.

The system is working. Don't try to outthink it.

You can pick up anything just about anytime in any base. You have priority in "your" base and fall in overall seniority in all other bases.

Gup

 

[RyansDad]

Thanks for all the great replies and info...sounds much more flexible than what I am currently use to. I'm sure it will take some practice..and luck.. but it sounds like once you "get it" it can work out quite nice...Thanks again for all the replies....