ASA Reserve Crisis???

[777forever]

Seems like just the 70 with staffing problems. ATL and IAD 200 is decently staffed

 

[Max Q]

Like I said before, if they offer 200% for all opentime pickups and voluntary extensions, all this whining and fatigue talk will go away quickly like it did last summer.

That excuse is horse sh(beep)t. There are those who want to fly 5 and 6 days in a row and those that don't.

 

[gator_hater]

We probably have enough reserves but when it comes to their efficient use scheduling leaves a little to be desired. Last week I joined a trip that had been broken up for a lineholder to attend training. He left after the first leg home but could easily have done the next round trip that was back in Atl by 1400. This happens all the time and enough of it adds up to reserve shortages.

 

[COOPERVANE]

I just did a DH to an outstation that was almost 3 hours late. When we got there, there was a crew waiting to take the plane we DH'd on to IAD.

There was ANOTHER plane sitting there for 3 hours. The waiting crew called dispatch to try and take the one sitting there and they refused. No reason......just refused.

Soooo they called 2 RESERVE CREWS (or rerouted lineholders) to cover the now very late trips back in ATL and IAD.

This is the level of efficiency that will necessitate 30% reserve coverage. Congrats Pappagiorgio.

 

[johnpeace]

This is the level of efficiency that will necessitate 30% reserve coverage. Congrats Pappagiorgio.

It's true. The scheduling games we see, 4 day trips with a day of sitting somewhere and 20-30% reserve coverage is there for the simple reason that it gives scheduling the flexibility they need to cover crew planning's astounding ineptitude.

If it weren't for all of that, the incompetence of crew planning would be apparent to everyone in the GO.

I think we should make replacement of the crew planning management one of our top priorities in JCBA negotiations. Demand that they retire that guy and find someone half competent to replace him.

 

[centralpilot]

I just did a DH to an outstation that was almost 3 hours late. When we got there, there was a crew waiting to take the plane we DH'd on to IAD.

There was ANOTHER plane sitting there for 3 hours. The waiting crew called dispatch to try and take the one sitting there and they refused. No reason......just refused.

Soooo they called 2 RESERVE CREWS (or rerouted lineholders) to cover the now very late trips back in ATL and IAD.

This is the level of efficiency that will necessitate 30% reserve coverage. Congrats Pappagiorgio.

You don't see the big picture

 

[COOPERVANE]

It's true. The scheduling games we see, 4 day trips with a day of sitting somewhere and 20-30% reserve coverage is there for the simple reason that it gives scheduling the flexibility they need to cover crew planning's astounding ineptitude.

If it weren't for all of that, the incompetence of crew planning would be apparent to everyone in the GO.

I think we should make replacement of the crew planning management one of our top priorities in JCBA negotiations. Demand that they retire that guy and find someone half competent to replace him.

You hit the nail on the head.

 

[sunlitpath]

Adjust your own schedule, if it doesn't suit you. It will force their hand.

 

[sunlitpath]

Sick, fatigue, sick, fatigue, sick, fatigue, etc. Don't sacrifice your health while ALPA sacricifices your life at the altar of free lunch during recurrent ground. ALPA is a scam.

 

[Redan]

Right now the ATL 200 captain reserve list shows zero availability. As long as I've been here Crew Planning and Scheduling have fought for the flexibility to be, frankly, lazy. They were quite opposed to the concept of having the online reserve list, or any transparency for that matter during contract negotiations. When I speak to my captain's rep regarding the abysmal reserve conditions, he tells me our pilot group is too expensive, and asks what I would be willing to give up to achieve the reserve improvements I mention. Yet company can afford to deadhead me 10 times in 10 recent reserve days, as well as pay for umpteen hotel rooms in IAD, MEM, DTW, and have countless crew in hotels for 18+ hours as scheduled on their line trips. The arguments tendered by company justifying this (and regrettably now our elected representatives) are specious and now wearing quite thin. The unbelievable loss of control during the recent snowpocalypse demonstrated how truly antiquated and detached our Skeds and Crew Planning really are. While recognizing the challenges related to the type flying awarded to us by DL, it is now quite obvious to us all that we aren't working with the brightest bulbs on the tree management-wise, and that we will probably have to force their hand to increase efficiency (and thus our QOL). This means upgrading our trip/duty rigs for example, and personally, I won't vote for any contract which doesn't have pay protection in place for reserves. These items cause short term pain for company but produce long term gains in efficiency.