Block building and PBS

[AirBoard]

I'd like to get some input on how other airlines with (200+ pilots per equip seat) are able to get their block built and issued in a timely manner. The reason....

Here at Air Canada we use PBS. Our largest equipment base is the YYZ 320 (270+ per seat). Our July blocks have yet to be released! Apparently the computer has been running since June 20th and no solution! They have some parameters they can tweak (open to 17days max, allow hourly blocking window -10 to +1 - that would be 72-83 hrs) but still nothing....

Bottomline they are having serious issues with very little communication from our sched committee. Do other airlines face this crap. Seniority will go our the window if they can't find a solution. Can't plan your life.

 

[Vingus]

Jetblue has PBS and the schedules take 3-4 days max to come out.

 

[Bringupthebird]

I suppose it depends on the PBS vendor, but one of the dilemmas that PBS faces is that in order to avoid making a junior pilot illegal, the senior pilot's choice may not be honored. If it is not permitted to do that it could build schedules and stop at the illegality.

 

[AirBoard]

AdOpt is the vendor. They are using their servers to run our bid because I guess we have reached the limitations of the program.

Priority bid system would be much easier.

 

[Dan Roman]

We (Hawaiian) get the next month's pairings on about the 7th. Bids open, we have a couple practice runs and the Captain bids close 8am on the 13th. Bids are out by 14th in the PM. The F/O bids close 8am on the 15th.
We've had PBS for over 20 years, I don't think anyone would want to go back to just bidding for hard lines. PBS allows you to get some, if not all the days off you want coupled with the type of trips you want.
Works great here. Not sure why some seem so resistant to it?

 

[AirBoard]

We finally got out blocks. Took 6 days of a continuous run. They had to open up our hard 16 day max to 17 and our designated block hrs to -9 to +1.

These are big hour swings. Now we have 270 blocks to run and our smaller bases have no problems. Just YYZ 320 FO.

PBS gives you a lot of flexibility but I've seen some weird things too. I've bid for some unproductive pairings to just see them go junior! The reasoning being it needs to spread things out - no one gives good answers. Too many moving parts.

Canned blocks suck but priority system is black and white. Although I think the jr pilots could really get screwed with a priority system.

 

[Bringupthebird]

Works great here. Not sure why some seem so resistant to it?

The satisfaction with PBS depends on your seniority and understanding of how it works. If you're junior you won't like it because it doesn't give you what you want and if you are senior you don't like it because you still try to change channels on the microwave! That's two blocks that resist it, but most folks see that it really is a convenient system that is only as good as your contract.

 

[Dan Roman]

I agree knowing how to bid is really important. My take is to keep it fairly simple. As you said, expecting too much tends to backfire. Just pick your days off and the trips you like and it's great. Even for junior people they can have more control over the days off they get and get better trips then if they were stuck bidding the bottom lines no one wants.

 

[jonjuan]

Whatever happened to that hot canidian skater chick, Jamie saley?

 

[AirBoard]

Whatever happened to that hot canidian skater chick, Jamie saley?

Hmm not familiar with and Canidian skater.