AWA, what's it like over there?

[captain]

Just wanted to know more about AWA. How are the trips? long overnights? 1,2,3 or 4 day trips or a mixture. I know that you have preferential bidding but not sure how it works for lower seniority folks. Do the skedules get better with seniority? Max days off for senior folks is how many per month? How about min days for junior folks? What is the percentage of red eyes to day flying? Are there many commutable trips?

How about reserve skeds, how many days off a month, do they use you much, can you choose your reserve skedule. Can you look up open trips during reserve and pick those up on your reserve day?

what about open time? easy to get? Is it easy to drop trips, or get time off?

have they talked using the "virtual base" clause yet, if so where would that be?

How long right now to get off of reserve? How long to CA?

Crew meals? on all planes or trips or just the long ones?

just wondering these things as I fill out the app...

thanks in advance!

 

[xanderman]

probably not much good to you...

Just wanted to know more about AWA. How are the trips? long overnights? 1,2,3 or 4 day trips or a mixture. I know that you have preferential bidding but not sure how it works for lower seniority folks. Do the skedules get better with seniority? Max days off for senior folks is how many per month? How about min days for junior folks? What is the percentage of red eyes to day flying? Are there many commutable trips?

How about reserve skeds, how many days off a month, do they use you much, can you choose your reserve skedule. Can you look up open trips during reserve and pick those up on your reserve day?

what about open time? easy to get? Is it easy to drop trips, or get time off?

have they talked using the "virtual base" clause yet, if so where would that be?

How long right now to get off of reserve? How long to CA?

Crew meals? on all planes or trips or just the long ones?

just wondering these things as I fill out the app...

thanks in advance!

I haven't started class yet but I thought that I could share what I've heard/know.

Most trips are 4 day trips.

Mixture of long and short overnights.

I know nothing about their preferential bidding system.

Like anyplace with a seniority system I would imagine that your schedule will get better with time.

Sorry Can't answer the max days off for senior people.

Min days off are: Lineholder 12(30 day month) 13(31 day month), Reserve 12.

Only thing I have heard about red-eye flying is that you'll most likely be the one doing it as a junior guy/gal.

I have not heard whether or not lines are commutable( I live in PHX).

Reserve schedules(see above), have heard Airbus guys get used a lot, 757 guys not very much, 737 guys I don't really know.

Yes you can self-assign trips on your reserve days, it's called Aggressive Reserve(there are some minor limitations though).

As far as open time is concerned... I really don't know either. But I have heard it is pretty easy to trip trade etc. .

Never heard of the "virtual base" thing.

How long to get off reserve...depends on a/c. I have heard 757 long, Airbus short, 737 don't know.

Capt. is running 5-7 years.

Some flights do provide crew meals. However I have heard that if there are leftovers from the cabin service you may grab them from the F/A's.

I hope this helps! I know it's not complete but there will be others that see this and will be able to fill in the gaps...
Andy

 

[Resume Writer]

.

Some flights do provide crew meals. However I have heard that if there are leftovers from the cabin service you may grab them from the F/A's.

AWA has a "buy onboard" program now. Everything, from what I understand, is very strictly regulated. I talked to a couple of my current FA friends and when the carts get back to the kitchen, they are inventoried. So, the company would rather let things go to waste then feed any members of the crew.

As far as crew meals go, when you get your contract, everything is detailed in there. I do know that the crew meals are the same type of food as First Class on an aircraft with ovens and others are boxes of food. Each one is supposed to be different in case one of the pilots gets food poisoning. (Reminds me of Airplane! when they all had the fish! )

As far as meals go, I would plan on bringing your own. Many flight attendants and pilots over the years have figured out what they can cook in the ovens and have become very creative.

Kathy

 

[Guppiedriver]

Just wanted to know more about AWA. How are the trips? long overnights? 1,2,3 or 4 day trips or a mixture. I know that you have preferential bidding but not sure how it works for lower seniority folks. Do the skedules get better with seniority? Max days off for senior folks is how many per month? How about min days for junior folks? What is the percentage of red eyes to day flying? Are there many commutable trips?

How about reserve skeds, how many days off a month, do they use you much, can you choose your reserve skedule. Can you look up open trips during reserve and pick those up on your reserve day?

what about open time? easy to get? Is it easy to drop trips, or get time off?

have they talked using the "virtual base" clause yet, if so where would that be?

How long right now to get off of reserve? How long to CA?

Crew meals? on all planes or trips or just the long ones?

just wondering these things as I fill out the app...

thanks in advance!

Most trips on the 737 are four days. The Airbus and 757 have a higher percentage of one, two, and three day trips, but still four day trips are the most abundant.

PBS (Preferential Bidding System) is supposed to honor seniority, but it has to be able to build junior lines also. For the most part it works pretty well, but it does stick you with stuff you shouldn't get, good and bad, occasionally.

Schedules always get better with seniority. At least until you upgrade.

14 to 16 days off per month on the 737, 14 to 17 days off per month on the Airbus, and I'm not sure about the 757.

Minimum days off are 12 in a 30 day month and 13 in 31 for both lineholders and reserves.

Not much red-eye flying on the Boeings. I believe the Airbus is 30 to 40% red-eye flying.

I am not a commuter, but we must have a lot of commutable trips as about 50% of our pilots commute.

Our reserves fly about 50 to 85 hours per month. You bid your reserve schedule and are assigned a shift based on seniority and days of availability. You can pick up trips in open time whether you are a reserve pilot or a lineholder.

Dropping trips is difficult right now, due to being understaffed and because the pilot to pilot trade board has not been activated. Once the pilot to pilot board is up, you can theoreticaly drop down to forty hours, provided that your trips get covered.

No news yet on new domiciles.

I don't know how long until you can hold a line.

Upgrades are just short of seven years.

A crew meal is provided for every five hours on duty, if you don't have a break of at least 90 minutes.

 

[Guppiedriver]

Each one is supposed to be different in case one of the pilots gets food poisoning. (Reminds me of Airplane! when they all had the fish! )

Not true anymore.

As far as meals go, I would plan on bringing your own. Many flight attendants and pilots over the years have figured out what they can cook in the ovens and have become very creative.

This is mostly a flight attendant thing. I have flown with only one or two pilots that brought their own meals from home.

 

[Resume Writer]

Not true anymore.

This is mostly a flight attendant thing. I have flown with only one or two pilots that brought their own meals from home.

Guppie,

I just read the Flight Attendant boards and you are right that meals do not have to be the same anymore. It was said, however, that the FA union is supposedly going to be talking to ALPA about it. I wonder why they changed it.

I would venture to guess that most of the FA's bring their own food as they cannot get off the plane between flights due to boarding times and no crew meals for the FA's. I worked almost exclusively F/C, and can tell you that all the passengers got served before I could get to the pilots on hot meal planes. Sometimes having something in your bag to tide you over is a good idea. Just a suggestion.

Kathy

 

[asacap]

Are there rumors of another base? If so, where?

 

[Wiskey Driver]

What is she doing in the picnic basket???

That's true what they said above!!!

WD.

 

[TWA Dude]

Are there rumors of another base? If so, where?

LAS or L.A.

 

[Resume Writer]

What is she doing in the picnic basket???
WD.

She is getting the dishes ready!

I know there have been some changes since I left and from what I understand, not everything for the better. But, overall, I loved the crews I flew with and pretty much had a great time there. The cool thing I found was that the crews seemed to get along pretty well.

Kathy