For those that want to "vote and get it over with" at SKYW

[Gr82Aviate]

!!

You should probably take some time and learn PBS.

Longevity raises occur every year.

Hey smart guy... Apparently you're not senior enough to have capped out on pay(hint: that means no more longevity increases)! As far as PBS goes I have gotten advice from 3 different PBS trainers and KH himself, along with reading the Skyw PBS manual. The problem is our pairings are getting worse and worse because crews from other domiciles are doing our flying, so that we end up having to deadhead a lot...and the fact that they keep putting forced pairings on our schedules leaves us with very little control over our final bid reward!

 

[HelloNewman]

Overall if you asked the majority of the pilot group I think you can safely say we wouldn't change a thing about PBS. You get a much greater variety of trips you can do. You aren't stuck with all 4 day, 3 day, 2 day, 1 day or standup trips all month. You can do a high paying 2-day and a high paying local. You can do just one high paying 4 day and the rest locals.

The possibilities are endless and the control over your schedule is much greater. You almost always get the days off you ask for. You don't have to bid certain lines to get the one set of days off you need. You can ask for the days you need and not have to sacrifice the month. Overall you can choose if you want a high or low credit month. You can work your tail off or hardly work at all. It is a bummer the pairing quality has gone down in certain domiciles but there is just no way to make everyone happy.

Some of the drawbacks include more expensive to take vacation, CN pairings if your junior, etc. If we were under the old system there would be more people on reserve and the CN pairings would just goto the reserves anyway. Its better to be a junior lineholder than a senior person on reserve. Overall there are few drawbacks and the pros outweigh the cons. If the pairings suck it doesn't matter if you are in a hardline or a PBS system. With PBS you at least have a bit more control over your life.

 

[Gr82Aviate]

Overall if you asked the majority of the pilot group I think you can safely say we wouldn't change a thing about PBS. You get a much greater variety of trips you can do. You aren't stuck with all 4 day, 3 day, 2 day, 1 day or standup trips all month. You can do a high paying 2-day and a high paying local. You can do just one high paying 4 day and the rest locals.

The possibilities are endless and the control over your schedule is much greater. You almost always get the days off you ask for. You don't have to bid certain lines to get the one set of days off you need. You can ask for the days you need and not have to sacrifice the month. Overall you can choose if you want a high or low credit month. You can work your tail off or hardly work at all. It is a bummer the pairing quality has gone down in certain domiciles but there is just no way to make everyone happy.

Some of the drawbacks include more expensive to take vacation, CN pairings if your junior, etc. If we were under the old system there would be more people on reserve and the CN pairings would just goto the reserves anyway. Its better to be a junior lineholder than a senior person on reserve. Overall there are few drawbacks and the pros outweigh the cons. If the pairings suck it doesn't matter if you are in a hardline or a PBS system. With PBS you at least have a bit more control over your life.

I guess you didn't read what I just wrote? I've been getting forced pairings and I'm not close to being junior...When our bid results came out last month I was with the number one flight attendant and even she had a forced pairing, she's not "junior" either!

 

[HelloNewman]

I guess you didn't read what I just wrote? I've been getting forced pairings and I'm not close to being junior...When our bid results came out last month I was with the number one flight attendant and even she had a forced pairing, she's not "junior" either!

I am assuming you are based in PSP or maybe SMF. I do not know the situation there however I see no reason to give someone senior a CN pairing especially if there is someone on reserve. If they are giving CN pairings to everyone then they should add another pilot to the base. There are plenty that want to be based there.

 

[ArcticFlier]

Me and my fellow skywest pilots do not want to be the bar raisers.

Once again...............You don't speak for me!

Trying to go out and raise the bar is simply too risky.

Really? Explain how? Risky to whom?

 

[Gobi Gred]

Me either. Why shouldn't we be the bar raisers? We work for the most profitable regional in the nation and one of the the most profitable airlines in the world. At some point the pilots at SkyWest will have to pull their collective heads out of the sand and make a contribution to this profession.

 

[Gr82Aviate]

I am assuming you are based in PSP or maybe SMF. I do not know the situation there however I see no reason to give someone senior a CN pairing especially if there is someone on reserve. If they are giving CN pairings to everyone then they should add another pilot to the base. There are plenty that want to be based there.

And that's the point exactly...apparently they should add more crewmembers to the base(there is a long list of people who would love to get in), however with PBS they don't have to because all they do is shove the forced pairings down our throats!!

 

[Exskydiverdrivr]

HelloNewman must be looking at pbs through rose colored glasses. I'm sure it's great if you're in the top 20% or so. I held better trips on the old style of bidding.

All this does is allow the Co. to get away with fewer reserves (again denied timeoff because ther's no one to cover it.) 4 day trips with a pretty litle local tacked on the end.

And BTW how do you know you're getting the flying you deserve? Some really junior guy could be going to your corporate HQ everyother week and boinking some grossly overweight scheduler to score 3 day trips. The only way I'd know is if he was bragging about it. Or if the moped theory was applied.

I hope if we do get ALPA, The first order of business is the abolishment of P B S!

 

[Gr82Aviate]

HelloNewman must be looking at pbs through rose colored glasses. I'm sure it's great if you're in the top 20% or so. I held better trips on the old style of bidding.

All this does is allow the Co. to get away with fewer reserves (again denied timeoff because ther's no one to cover it.) 4 day trips with a pretty litle local tacked on the end.

And BTW how do you know you're getting the flying you deserve? Some really junior guy could be going to your corporate HQ everyother week and boinking some grossly overweight scheduler to score 3 day trips. The only way I'd know is if he was bragging about it. Or if the moped theory was applied.

I hope if we do get ALPA, The first order of business is the abolishment of P B S!

Amen!

 

[skyhogg]

Hey if it goes through I will be as happy as anyone else. Yes I would have to say what you said is true. Me and my fellow skywest pilots do not want to be the bar raisers. There is nothing wrong with that, some are followers and some are leaders. I think it is best for job security that we follow the industry leading contracts to help shape our own pay structure. Trying to go out and raise the bar is simply too risky.

Oh lord please stop speaking for the SKW pilots as if you are our representative. I read most of your posts with mild amusement but don't put words into other pilot's mouths...it's really boring and makes you look naive and uninformed.

To the non SKW guys, whether we're pro or con the union, MOST of us do not think like he does.