Comair - training, time off...

[CFINY]

Hi all,

I was wondering if you guys get any time off while on training, and also, when on reserve or holding a line, do you get days off between trips, or all days off at once?

Can someone please post example of one month schedule being on reserve, and holding a line.

Thank you!

 

[captainv]

time off

CFINY,

Training is an 87-day program, i think, including built-in days off. I would think you'd have class during the week and weekends off. I was in training during Thanksgiving, Xmas and New Year's and we got three days off for each. plus lots of other breaks. I went home every time we had days off. No big deal.

On reserve, you get 11/12 days off a month. (12 in a 31 day month, if memory serves) you will get at least a block of four days in a row off and three days in a row off. the other days will be assigned as necessary. They do look at the days you've requested off, but that's weighted based on senority. Don't expect weekends, although you may get one now and then. You can't be on duty more than 6 days in a row. so you will have at least one days off in any 7-day period.

As a line holder, you'll probably get 14-16 days off a month, depending on how you bid. I usually bid four 4-day trips (i'm a commuter).

wouldn't really help to look at other bids, it all depends on what kinds of trips/days off you want.

Captainv

 

[CFINY]

Captainv,

Thank you for the info.
How hard is to commute while on reserve/holding a line, let's say from NYC?
Can you bit a trips ending in JFK or LGA before my scheduled days off?, and the other way around, is possible to bit trips starting in NYC right after my days off? or all trips start and end in CVG?

Thanks very much.
cfiny.

 

[F-eagle]

can you swap RSV days. In other words, trade reserve days with yourself so you can block a lot of days of at once.

 

[captainv]

Comair

F-eagle: >>can you swap RSV days. In other words, trade reserve days with yourself so you can block a lot of days of at once.

once you've been given a schedule, it's pretty hard to change it. i suppose you could swap days off with a classmate of something, but i've never tried it.

look at it this way, if you're getting 11/12 days off on reserve, that means you're working 18/19 days. you have to have at least one day off every 7 days.

now here's something you can do: bid your 4-day block and your 3-day block to run back-to-back. if you get it, you'd basically be working your a$$ off for half the month. again, this depends on senority, so you may not get it when you're new to the line.

also, you could bid, say, the last week of a month off, and the first week of the following month off. if you get it, there's two weeks vacation, without using vacation days.

so yes, in that sense you can bid your days off so you work like a dog and then get a bunch of time off. again, it works better as you gain senority.

 

[captainv]

CFINY,

>>How hard is to commute while on reserve/holding a line, let's say from NYC?
Can you bit a trips ending in JFK or LGA before my scheduled days off?, and the other way around, is possible to bit trips starting in NYC right after my days off? or all trips start and end in CVG?

All trips begin/end in CVG. That's our only base at this time. A while ago, we heard rumors of a possible base in LGA, ATL, or SLC, but it's all wild speculation at this point. Most of us would hate to see a base in LGA because of the commute and the cost of a crashpad. No offense.

So no, you can't bid anything that begins/ends in NYC. Of course, you can bid a preference for layovers in JFK, LGA, EWR, HPN, or anything a train ride of NYC, depending on where you live. I bid for ATL overnights and i usually get one or two a month.

Good news/bad news about the commute. On reserve, it just doesn't matter because of our commuter policy. Let's say you have a reserve window in CVG that starts at 2 p.m. There has to be two flights that arrive in CVG at least 30 minutes before your report time. Out of NYC, no prob. (If you have an early report, you'd have to commute in the night before) You have to list on that second to last flight, and be at the airport when it departs. Let's say the flight is full, cancels, or is late for weather. Let's say the next flight is oversold, too. As long as you have met these conditions, you can call Crew Scheduling and say that you won't make your assignment, but you're invoking the commuter clause. (Also, you'll have to pick one airport to list as your home airport, and the policy ONLY covers you if you're flying out of that airport - it doesn't work if you're coming back from the Caymans)

Basically, they'll tell you just to call in when you do arrive. You are responsible for getting to CVG as soon as possible. You may have to go through somewhere else to get to CVG if direct flights are full. As for me, commuting from ATL-CVG, i often go through LEX, DAY, CMH, even BNA to get to CVG.

As a lineholder, all the same conditions apply. I'm still protected if I meet the conditions BUT I lose the pay for my trip, since I'm not on it. Also, I'm displaced from my trip, and essentially I go on reserve once I get to CVG. They will try to give you another trip, but it could be an out-and-back, a highspeed, or just something wildly unproductive. Not fun for us commuters. If you don't have a crashpad, you might have to shell out for a hotel, if they don't have a trip for you until the next day....

About the pay, you are guaranteed to get paid for 76 flight hours a month, regardless of how many you actually fly. I only exceeded guarantee once while on reserve. As a lineholder, my line should have a minimum of 83 hours, often a few more. If i miss a 4-day trip, that's at least 20 hours of credit that i lose. Now i'm down to 63 hours for the month. Scheduling will try to give me something else, but i'm not going to make as much that month regardless, unless someone just called in sick for another 4-day....

confusing, i'm sure, but it will make sense to you later on. i wouldn't really worry too much about this stuff until you're almost done in the sim, but ask away.....

Captainv