Comparing Reserve lines

[FlyBoeingJets]

AA bud of mine says he sits 19 days of reserve. At the guarantee he says it averages out to 3.75 hrs of pay per day if he doesn't fly.

How does this compare to reserves elsewhere.

SWA has 15 days of reserve at 6 trips (about 5 hrs) per day at guarantee. BUT, SWA reserves fly a bunch and is not a way to get tons of time off.


Since those interviewing for new jobs may be on reserve for awhile this topic is something to consider before you take a job offer.

 

[JetMonkey]

Here at HP it hasen't been too bad being on reserve, heck I'm actually starting to like it if it keeps up like this (probably wont) anyway don't know about anybody else here but for me this year I've been flying around 40hrs, paid for 77 and around 20 days off.

 

[FlyPig]

FX reserve

fedex does 15 days in a 4-wk month and 19 days in a 5-wk. that equates to an average of 16 days per regular month

 

[FlyBoeingJets]

fedex does 15 days in a 4-wk month and 19 days in a 5-wk. that equates to an average of 16 days per regular month

What is rig? 6 hrs?

 

[Falconjet]

the rig is about 95% of the average BLG for that seat divided by the number of R days that month. Usually works out to something around 4.5 hours per day.

FJ

 

[AFcitrus]

At AirTran, I've been flying an average of 18-19 days per month and making 90 hrs/month. Quite honestly I wouldn't mind working a little less and making a little less, but I'm definitely not complaining.

 

[pipejockey]

At AirTran, I've been flying an average of 18-19 days per month and making 90 hrs/month. Quite honestly I wouldn't mind working a little less and making a little less, but I'm definitely not complaining.

Is this while being on reserve?

 

[Airtran717]

Airtran reserve pilots average anywhere between 11-16 days off a month and anywhere from 70 (although rare cus they fly you a lot) to 100+ hours of pay credit. Trip Rigs and Duty Rigs keep the schedule fairly in check and you get paid 4 hours minimum for a reserve day whether you fly or sit at home naked on a bean bag eatin cheetos.

As an FO at Airtran you will probably only sit reserve about 1-2 months.

 

[aa73]

AA reserve

73hr guarantee with 11 days off, max amount of flight time is capped at 85 hrs/month. These days just about everyone is flying between 78-85 hrs on reserve, and sometimes you get lucky and time out early (by the 28th or so)= a few extra days off at the end of the month.

 

[FlyBoeingJets]

Thanks for the good replies.

This is good stuff. In a few years, as we figure out our time to upgrade to Captain, this will become important...again. Days off a month and pay per day is, arguably, more important than hourly pay after upgrade. At least to me they are.







disclaimer: Past performance is no garuantee of future results. The pay rates, time off, and years to upgrade may change drastically....Exception: FedEx and UPS.

 

[clickclickboom]

jetblue reserve

75 hour guarantee with 5 hours paid at 150% pay. Anything over 70 is 150% but barely any reserve wil;l go over the 75.

Flew approx 65 hrs in May had 17 hard days off. Company is great about releasing you opn your last day if not needed. Actually ended up with closer to 18-19 days off because I was realeased after coming off a red eye at 6am twice. ( home by 11 am next day released etc )

They will use reserve guys for mx and new aircraft delivery flights from France and Brazil.

We can swap and charge our reserve schedules around to fit our needs. PTO kicks in at 120 days by that time you have about 30 hrs built up. Reserve daily credit is 4.12 hrs

Callout is 2 hrs.. Only thing on my wishlist would be a longer callout 6-8 hrs which would allow me to sit at home and come in when the call comes in.. That would be perfect

 

[Maj]

Flew approx 65 hrs in May had 17 hard days off. Company is great about releasing you opn your last day if not needed. Actually ended up with closer to 18-19 days off because I was realeased after coming off a red eye at 6am twice. ( home by 11 am next day released etc )

They will use reserve guys for mx and new aircraft delivery flights from France and Brazil.

Callout is 2 hrs.. Only thing on my wishlist would be a longer callout 6-8 hrs which would allow me to sit at home and come in when the call comes in.. That would be perfect

While FO reserve is very short, CA reserve lengths are growing steadily (2 years?). I can attest from my 8-ish months exp (I know, it's relatively short) and from my buds who are over a year that the treatment is not nearly as friendly as Click portrays. Can you say red-headed stepchild?

We used to be able to bid on the Toulouse trips. That ended when guys like Billy W, Paul P, and other senior dudes 'retired'. BS if you ask me. I could be wrong, but I've NEVER heard of reserves being used for a/c deliveries (at least not on the -320).

 

[Gorilla]

Shameless whining to follow, scroll down and avoid if necessary...




At AA there is a clause in reserve proffering that absolutely chaps my butt beyond anything else... When I first started 737 international, I was pretty junior reserve. I picked international because I like the flying, and international guys tend to be senior to equivalent domestic guys.

Here's what happened, month after month. Let's say there are ZERO international trips in open time, but 8 domestics. If there are 7 domestic pilots, they are allowed to use an international guy to cover domestic. The problem was that they had to proffer all of the domestics to only domestic guys. What was left went to the international guy. Of the 8 trips, one was a guaranteed stinker, usually a 4-day with staggered all-nighters, something like that. As the junior international guy, I'd get the crap trip, while the domestic guys WHO WERE JUNIOR TO ME got to cherry pick the open time.

Once or twice, O.K. but this went on for months. I did about 90% bad domestic flying for half a year until they got the manning fixed. It got to where I dreaded "the call." If I wanted to fly domestic narrowbody, I'd have bid MD-80 and flown a great line.

There, I feel better now. :0

 

[clickclickboom]

revserve jetblue

While FO reserve is very short, CA reserve lengths are growing steadily (2 years?). I can attest from my 8-ish months exp (I know, it's relatively short) and from my buds who are over a year that the treatment is not nearly as friendly as Click portrays. Can you say red-headed stepchild?

We used to be able to bid on the Toulouse trips. That ended when guys like Billy W, Paul P, and other senior dudes 'retired'. BS if you ask me. I could be wrong, but I've NEVER heard of reserves being used for a/c deliveries (at least not on the -320).

I can only attest to my experiences so far.. If maj has had a different experience that is too bad. Maybe he needs to contact a chief to discuss it. The 190 guys were alittle upset last month and had a sitdown and improvements happened overnight.

Given my current position I am more than happy to take a Capt reserve slot if others are unhappy with theirs..

 

[Sailpilot]

Adding to what Click said,

3 groups of 6 days on RSV last month. Released on the 1st and last day of each group of RSV except 1 first day.

18 minus 5 releases = 13 days on

Paid 70 hours plus 5hrs @ 150% = 75ish pay

Actual flown = 12.3 hrs. (FLL-LGA and back, FLL-EWR and DH back)

Reserve sucks compared to a hard line anywhere, but it's been rather nice for me. Now next month I have to fly 92 hours in 14 days! I don't know how I'll adjust to that?

Disclaimer: I believe that there is many things that need to change in our RSV system. It's good when you only have to deal with the system for 3 months, but when we talk 2 years there are major QOL issues.

I present these numbers only to help the future JB pilots waiting for training or might just be finishing IOE. These numbers and times are for FLL, NYC would be dramatically different.

To all those pilots hanging in crashpads on RSV and waiting till the call-out window is up... UMMMM this ice-cold beer is GOOD. Only a few more HOURS for you guys.

 

[FlyingSig]

Delta we get 11 or 12 days off depending on the days in the month. Since February I've flown at least 75 hours per month and have had maybe 5 total reserve days since Feb that I didn't fly (today being one of them but I'm also 2 hours shy of 30/7 and that's been the reason for most of those non-used days).

Here's the fun stat for the month.

On the MD88 in ATL, 161 trips were given to pilots on reserve while 162 trips were given out to pilots greenslipping (picking up for premium pay when there's no reserves available) or junior manning. But we're supposedly not short of pilots....

 

[Maj]

I can only attest to my experiences so far.. If maj has had a different experience that is too bad. Maybe he needs to contact a chief to discuss it. The 190 guys were alittle upset last month and had a sitdown and improvements happened overnight.

Given my current position I am more than happy to take a Capt reserve slot if others are unhappy with theirs..

My reserve 'experience' ended over 2 years ago. I'm not going to waste my time talking with the CP's (not much has changed in my time despite MUCH input). There's a couple of dudes in the crashpad that relate the current picture and it doesn't seem too rosy.

If you live in FLL or LGB and bid reserve you could almost work another full-time job (some do). You're right SP, it is a MUCH different picture at JFK.

On a positive note CS seems to be using the early release more frequently now than in the past. They instituted that policy during the last month or so while I was on reserve and they were very reluctant to use it 'back then'.

 

[oldxfr8dog]

75 hour guarantee with 5 hours paid at 150% pay. Anything over 70 is 150% but barely any reserve wil;l go over the 75.

Flew approx 65 hrs in May had 17 hard days off. Company is great about releasing you opn your last day if not needed. Actually ended up with closer to 18-19 days off because I was realeased after coming off a red eye at 6am twice. ( home by 11 am next day released etc )

They will use reserve guys for mx and new aircraft delivery flights from France and Brazil.

We can swap and charge our reserve schedules around to fit our needs. PTO kicks in at 120 days by that time you have about 30 hrs built up. Reserve daily credit is 4.12 hrs

Callout is 2 hrs.. Only thing on my wishlist would be a longer callout 6-8 hrs which would allow me to sit at home and come in when the call comes in.. That would be perfect

How long have you been at JB?
I was on rsv as an f/0 for 2 weeks. I have been on rsv as a Ca for over 2.5 years.
It sucks.
My last day on, a few days ago, ended at 2400. My first day on tomorrow starts at 0640. There's 2 extra nights in the crashpad, right there.
Crew sched is a crap shoot. I've even had management pilots tell me to call back to try to get a different scheduler, if I got a bad deal.
If you lived in your base, rsv would be cool. For commuters, there is very poor QOL.
The company is NOT great about releasing you on your last day. I know!
I have never heard of a rsv getting a delivery flight.

How did you get 17 "hard days" off? PTO is not a day off, you're using vacation or sick pay to get it and I don't count flying all night and released in the a.m. as a "day off". You are guaranteed 12 days off a month.
I recommend a little more perspective before advising prospective applicants how sweet things are here.

 

[c9skytrain]

My only month on reserve at AAI netted me 101 hrs for credit. I am guessing our reserve rules is one thing management will definately want to change next contract.

 

[clickclickboom]

res

Adding to what Click said,

3 groups of 6 days on RSV last month. Released on the 1st and last day of each group of RSV except 1 first day.

18 minus 5 releases = 13 days on

Paid 70 hours plus 5hrs @ 150% = 75ish pay

Actual flown = 12.3 hrs. (FLL-LGA and back, FLL-EWR and DH back)

Reserve sucks compared to a hard line anywhere, but it's been rather nice for me. Now next month I have to fly 92 hours in 14 days! I don't know how I'll adjust to that?

Disclaimer: I believe that there is many things that need to change in our RSV system. It's good when you only have to deal with the system for 3 months, but when we talk 2 years there are major QOL issues.

I present these numbers only to help the future JB pilots waiting for training or might just be finishing IOE. These numbers and times are for FLL, NYC would be dramatically different.

To all those pilots hanging in crashpads on RSV and waiting till the call-out window is up... UMMMM this ice-cold beer is GOOD. Only a few more HOURS for you guys.

I flew 65 hrs JFK base.. Reserve is shortest in JFK but unfortunately Howard Beach is no where as nice as south beach... Plus all the chicks in South Ozone have extra facial hair and who knows where else!!

Total Reserve should be about 3 months.. I know some new guys should expect 6 months

 

[av8trix]

UPS Reserve

Can't speak for all the airframes and their workload...for the 757 domestic, on a 28 day schedule, it's 16 on, 12 off total, pretty close to 8-9 on, 6 off. You'll get another 2 days off somewhere in there for your 24/7 break, unless you are unlucky enough to have your break on a layover away from home. I usually get called once or twice in 7 days to go out for a day or two. One of those calls is usually to sit hot standby at the hub. Two months ago, I worked two days out of 28...ten hours total, and didn't fly. Sat hot both times; once for 8 hours, once for 2. This past month, I flew three times. It's a 75 hour line guarantee. I honestly don't know what the pay is if you end up working over the 75 hours; I haven't come close yet. I live in domicile and so far, love reserve.

 

[clickclickboom]

reserve

How long have you been at JB?
I was on rsv as an f/0 for 2 weeks. I have been on rsv as a Ca for over 2.5 years.
It sucks.
My last day on, a few days ago, ended at 2400. My first day on tomorrow starts at 0640. There's 2 extra nights in the crashpad, right there.
Crew sched is a crap shoot. I've even had management pilots tell me to call back to try to get a different scheduler, if I got a bad deal.
If you lived in your base, rsv would be cool. For commuters, there is very poor QOL.
The company is NOT great about releasing you on your last day. I know!
I have never heard of a rsv getting a delivery flight.

How did you get 17 "hard days" off? PTO is not a day off, you're using vacation or sick pay to get it and I don't count flying all night and released in the a.m. as a "day off". You are guaranteed 12 days off a month.
I recommend a little more perspective before advising prospective applicants how sweet things are here.

Disagree I have offered what my experiences are to this board.. I cant speak for you or anyone else for that matter. What i can say is that Scheduling has consistently released me on my last day of reserve 3 times this month. In addition I began a 6 day and was released on day 1. Two redeyes arriving before 8 am also got me home after commuting a half day early.. I was home 17 days this past month no pto no uto. Maybe they are better staffed with fo's?

Remember i am on your team

 

[PositiveRate]

America West is 12 or 13 days off a month. Reserves typically fly 40-60 credit hours per month...the actual block can be much less in some cases. We can agressive assign ourselves to trips within certain parameters, which can be nice if something good comes up. Reserve guarantee is 77hrs/mo. I've broken it just once in 1.5 yrs and that was only due to 2 weeks of back to back vacation bumping the credit higher than usual.

A typical month is 8-10 days of flying and 5-7 nights in a hotel - reserves fly a lot of 2 and 3 day trips...not as many 4 days. If you live in base like I do it's a great lifestyle. My personal record is 18 days between callouts...I've seen other guys go up into the 20's. 5 or 6 days is more common between callouts, though.

2hr or 12 hr callout, no ready/hot reserve.