Preferential Bidding system.

[Ponchus pilot]

I have worked for companies that did it both ways and I prefer the regular line bids with ability to trip trade( we have a decent system) What your thaughts on it. I do know that management saves tons of money by using the preferential bids. It gets rid of soft time. I know that Comair has a decent one but they had to work on it for years to close most of the holes open to managemnt abuse.

 

[English]

This is my first time working at a company with the PBS, and I love it so far. I've only bid two months, but each time I've gotten everything I requested. With PBS, it's alot easier to get the days off you want. I bid two blocks of five days off, and a block of four days off, along with some scattered single days. With a pre-designed bid packet, I would not have been able to get this. Most line bids seem to be made up of four day trips with three days off, three days on with three of four off, day trips, etc., but I never remember seeing the option for two on, five off

I like the ability to personalize my schedule. PBS gives me that.

 

[StarChecker]

I like the ability to personalize my schedule. PBS gives me that.

How senior are you? We're supposed to start a PBS this year and it seems like junior people are gonna get shafted worse than they already do. Just wondering what to look forward to....

 

[English]

I was hired in January 2004. I'd call that very junior.

It was extremely surprising to me that in the first month of bidding, I got the days off I asked for. So I'm biased towards PBS for that reason. But keep in mind this is not at a regional airline. I don't know how that would be implemented in an environment such as that.

 

[Ponchus pilot]

The place I worked at was a non union regional and they made up the rules as they went along. They had some odd rules that made it hard even for the senior guys. Yes you might get your days off, but then you also had to get a string of stand ups and reserve to make things work. Also your bid had to be between 61.7668 to 64.8965 hours or something like that or they would not accept it. I'm sure there are better systems out there though, just not at the regional level.

 

[surplus1]

Some caveats about PBS.

1. The companies that develop PB systems do not sell the software to pilots, they sell it to management.

2. The "off the shelf" PBS is very advantageous to management, that is why they buy it.

3. PBS can and does work well for pilots. However, that requires in depth knowledge of the particular system and contractual agreements that control its parameters. Every pilot doesn't have to be an expert, but your scheduling commitee does. The system must be tailored for your company and your contract. There are several "brands" available and they are NOT all the same. Some are far superior to others. Choose carefully.

4. Without pilot knowledge and without contractual control of the system, seniority can easily be trashed by a PBS program. It will be easy for the company to exlain this with "you didn't bid right" if your pilot scheduling committee has no knowledge or contractual rights.

5. PBS programs do not normally include a pairing generator, which is a separate computer program that builds trips. The PB system can't solve the problems created by "bad" or unproductive trips. A PBS can only build a line of time with the trips it is given. Put garbage in and you will get garbage out. Therefore, the pilot group must also have contractual agreement covering the pairing generator as well as the PBS itself. One without the other can easily become a bad deal.

6. Given 1 - 5, a good PBS can become the best thing since apple pie for pilots.

a. There is much more flexibility in what you can bid, i.e., many more choices and options.

b. You never get stuck with the same partner for an entire month. This is not only good for the psyche it also promotes standardization.

c. Being able to build your own line is a lot better than having to bid a line built by someone else.

7. IMO, if you have the right contractual controls, take the time to understand your system, learn and follow the rules and have basic computer familiarity, PBS is hands down better that bidding "hard lines".

8. Finally remember the Company also has needs. They have to cover all the required flying and they need to be able to do that with the smallest number of pilots reasonably practical. Like everything else, some compromise is necessary. You can't have it all your way.

Yes, I've used both.