ASA Mgmt. wants pref bidding why?

[Smacktard]

Anytime mgmt wants something we have to ask why? Is it good for us or them?

Right now, as I understand it we will be changing to a pref-bid system in the future. Most pilots I have spoken to welcome it.

Many Skywest pilots seem to hate the pref system. It allows Mgmt more flexibility while limiting the pilots'. Right now if I have vacation, ALL conflicting trips are dropped. one week off becomes 3 if you bid right. Under the pref-bid system there are no pairings or conflicting trips. One week off is one week off.

Besides, Skywest pilots have to SELF-POSITION to pick up the remainder of their trips, or to get home for their vacation to start. (as I understand it)

THAT SUCKS

If this is true, don't be so quick to embrace pref-bidding. BEWARE!!

The airline is running a business, a PBS allows them to more efficiently utililize employees. I can't remember the numbers but something like a 5-10% increase. It's not about screwing the pilots, it is about being more efficient/profitable, good for everyone.

As for the pilots liking it. I thought it worked to my advantage at my old job, and I experienced it from the bottom end and the top end. Need a certain weekend off? Son has a hockey tounament another? You may lose out on the vacation spree but you'll make up for it month after month with schedules you design.

And anyway, according to all of you the schedules suck goat nutz, so why complain about something that gives you a little more control?

 

[Skyjet]

I personally did not like it in the beginning, but now I never want to go back to the paper bids. I have found I can be more flexible with my time off, meaning I do not have to fly the same trip, the same day, every week of that month. This last month I gave my self a week off and still had good pay.

 

[Sinca3]

Pbs

And anyway, according to all of you the schedules suck goat nutz, so why complain about something that gives you a little more control?

I think what we are all worried about is the fact that how much control it is suppose to give us and how much control the assholes in planning/scheduling allow us to have are two totally different things!!
If ASA managment allowed it to work to the pilots advantage I would be surprised.....they will find a way to f$$k us!! Always have, always will.

 

[Seahawker01]

From what I hear it can be great if our union gets decent work rules but under our current contract no way. The guys I have asked the question to at Delta and JetBlue all seem to love it but everyone has made the caution that all systems are not the same and before you agree to it make sure you hammer out the ground rules first.
I would love it but i don't think mgmt would ever give us enough protection to make it worth while. My 1/2 cent.
Cheers

 

[AuburnRedneck9]

Where do they get these fools. I think the only good chief is out with heart problems. I would hate being in SLC, your situation is looking pretty bad with who you got running the show. If they only knew how to fly something other than a desk.

Yeah they would be lucky if they could survive one week of line flying. Especially that tool from San Antonio. Who are you kidding? We have no show just a bunch of clowns that can't figure out the 8 hour rule. Heard about that one yet?

 

[~~~^~~~]

How well does Pref Bidding work for pilots who like to bid Continuous Duty Overnights? Will the systems let you bid a month of ATL-BQK naps with weekends off and about 28 hours of flying with a 75 hour guarantee? Do you bid for the trip, or leg by leg? Can someone post an overview for those of us who know nothing about the Pref. Bid system?

Also, is this a way to get rid of some of the reduculous overnights we have, like the short Canada CDO? Will pref Bid allow a pilot to turn that into a normal staged overnight?

Before we vote on any such system, it would be nice to have a computer sim up and running that we could play with.

Also, rumors from a friend in the crew lounge was that a member of the ASA MEC was in the crew lounge talking about "blended rates" and bidding on 905 flying? What is the latest?

 

[D'Angelo]

Anytime mgmt wants something we have to ask why? Is it good for us or them?

Right now, as I understand it we will be changing to a pref-bid system in the future. Most pilots I have spoken to welcome it.

Many Skywest pilots seem to hate the pref system. It allows Mgmt more flexibility while limiting the pilots'. Right now if I have vacation, ALL conflicting trips are dropped. one week off becomes 3 if you bid right. Under the pref-bid system there are no pairings or conflicting trips. One week off is one week off.

Besides, Skywest pilots have to SELF-POSITION to pick up the remainder of their trips, or to get home for their vacation to start. (as I understand it)

THAT SUCKS

If this is true, don't be so quick to embrace pref-bidding. BEWARE!!

That is absolutely ridiculous!!!! Why should you get 3 weeks off when your entitled to one week of vacation. Airlines wonder why they are in so much trouble! It is absolutely insane to drop entire trips just because vacation may or may not conflict. If PBS saves money and paper bids id be all for it! Again the old days are gone. The airlines are insane for allowing this to go on for so long. Time to abandon the past and look toward an efficent tomorrow.

 

[Gr82Aviate]

How well does Pref Bidding work for pilots who like to bid Continuous Duty Overnights? Will the systems let you bid a month of ATL-BQK naps with weekends off and about 28 hours of flying with a 75 hour guarantee? Do you bid for the trip, or leg by leg? Can someone post an overview for those of us who know nothing about the Pref. Bid system?

Also, is this a way to get rid of some of the reduculous overnights we have, like the short Canada CDO? Will pref Bid allow a pilot to turn that into a normal staged overnight?

Before we vote on any such system, it would be nice to have a computer sim up and running that we could play with.

Also, rumors from a friend in the crew lounge was that a member of the ASA MEC was in the crew lounge talking about "blended rates" and bidding on 905 flying? What is the latest?

The problem with our PBS system is, it's only going to allow you to bid from the pairings that are loaded into each domicile by crew scheduling. This has meant lower pay and or less days off in every bid period since we switched to PBS for our domicile. It doesn't have to be that way if the pairings were better, but certain domiciles pairings seem to be a lot better than others.

 

[CRJ puppy]

How well does Pref Bidding work for pilots who like to bid Continuous Duty Overnights? Will the systems let you bid a month of ATL-BQK naps with weekends off and about 28 hours of flying with a 75 hour guarantee? Do you bid for the trip, or leg by leg? Can someone post an overview for those of us who know nothing about the Pref. Bid system?

Also, is this a way to get rid of some of the reduculous overnights we have, like the short Canada CDO? Will pref Bid allow a pilot to turn that into a normal staged overnight?

I can only speak for the PBS system that we use here at Comair, but the CDO's for us are still built into "normal lines" and you bid for the CDO lines separately. You enter a bid that says you want to be considered for CDO lines a-z (in your order of preference) and if your seniority that month allows you to hold a CDO line, you will. If not, it goes back to your preferrential bid.

Bidding otherwise is for TRIPS. All flying is arranged in "trips" which are a mixture of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 day trips. Trips are awarded based on your bid in seniority. The award will then become your "line" for the month. This means that each trip each month will be most likely with a different crew, you won't be flying with the same crew all month as with a traditional "line" bidding system. There are a multitude of ways that you can bid...by days off desired, by days desired to work, by trip, by layovers, by productivity, etc, etc. You are not able to change the flying within a trip to alter an overnight as you inquired. After the awards come out, there is a "schedule adjustment window" ("SAW") where you can try to trade trips or drop a trip, etc. Of course at anytime you can ask to drop say your last two legs of a 5 day so you can commute home (depending on staffing, but good luck with that)!

Having used both systems (line bidding vs. PBS bidding) at two different airlines, I prefer the preferrential system. It gives me more control over my schedule for the month. But that is just me...as we all know, pilots are NOT lacking in personal opinions!


Hope that answers some of your questions. Ha!

Have a great day!

 

[John Pennekamp]

That is absolutely ridiculous!!!! Why should you get 3 weeks off when your entitled to one week of vacation. Airlines wonder why they are in so much trouble! It is absolutely insane to drop entire trips just because vacation may or may not conflict. If PBS saves money and paper bids id be all for it! Again the old days are gone. The airlines are insane for allowing this to go on for so long. Time to abandon the past and look toward an efficent tomorrow.

THAT is absolutely ridiculous!

You used to have the highest 70 seat payrate in the industry. You had pilots flying 80 hours with 120 hours of credit! And you criticize us for raping the airline for excercizing a loophole in our contract to extend our vacations?

So I guess that y'all should abandon your past and take another pay cut to "save your airline"?