QOL and Schedual at ASA?

[freighthumper]

Can someone out there give me some info on the bid cycle/schedual(length and days off per cycle,length of trips etc.), and what kind of quality of life a junior guy at ASA might expect.
Thanks

 

[~~~^~~~]

Bid packages in mailboxes, or available online for a fee (www.flica.net) by the 11th. Bidding deadline is noon on the 16th and usually the prelims come out later the same day although the contract stipulates they can be out as late as the 19th. Line completion ( picking up more time ) happens around the 23rd and final schedules are posted by the 29th.

Integration runs the first couple of days of the month and you get assigned in reverse seniority order on any trips the airline can not get worked out in between the monthly cycles.

Pay:

ASA has a 75 hour guarantee. We get paid more if we fly more.

We also get "premium." Premium adds the amount of time you are early to your guarantee. For example, if a flight is blocked to 1:00 and you fly it in 0:57 you have 3 minutes of premium. This means you would be paid 75:03 for the month. This can add up if the weather is good and the operation is running well.

Reserve:

Every pilot gets 10 days off per month. You bid for Golden Days Off. Four of those ten days are bunched together and are inviolate ( Golden Days Off ) when the Company can not mess with you. On your other days off they can fly you, or move your off days around.

There is a two hour call out when you are on reserve. With ATL traffic, two hours is what it takes.

Reserve periods are 16 on. Rest requirements look back to the beginning of the reserve period. We also have reserve for continuous duty overnight times that begins in the evening. This works well for folks with kids so the Pilot can stay home during the day.

Crew scheduling has little flexibility, although there are moments when they can be very nice. It seems to depend on the person and the day.

Lines :

The lines are a little schizophrenic depending on the flying Delta gives us any particular month. Most lines are built to around 75 hours with the very senior lines having as many as 17 to 18 days off. The most junior lines only have 10 to 11 days off and some pilots chose reserve instead.

We also have Relief Lines that are a cobination of flying other pilots have dropped due to vacations and training, as well as reserve periods to fill in the gaps. Relief lines can be pretty good since they have some fairly senior tris thrown in the mix.

Trip Duration :

This varies. For a long while it seemed most trips were four day trips, but the ATR has many two day trips. The one day - "day lines" - usually have the most block, most time off and go very senior. The four day trips over weekends are least popular. On the RJ200 plan on 220 to as much as 330 time away from base on the four day trips.

The CRJ700 has many of the longer trips since it goes to the West Coast and spends time in the Dallas system before returning to ATL.

The ATR is a good airplane for junior pilots. Hardley anything can happen where you can not just get a car and drive home. For example, scheduled for a two leg, four day trip over Christmas blocked to 1:20... just drive home and go back to get the airplane on the fourth day.

Quality of Life :

ASA has a great group of professional pilots who also know how to enjoy their work. However, the work environment is far from what Delta, Skywest, or Comair pilots have with their operations people.

Life at ASA is good once you are out of the chocks, or off the crew bus.
~~~^~~~

 

[Ted Striker]

Guarantee

It's a 75 hour guarantee at ASA

 

[ILS8L]

Bids are monthly. Days off vary from 18 to a minimum of 10. As a new guy on reserve you'll have 10. 4 golden days that you bid for and the other 6 are assigned by scheduling. Mostly it is 5 on two off, 5 on four off etc. The longest trips we have are 4 days (there was a short period where the 70 did some 5 day but I think those days are over) they are blocked around 20 hours. Quality of life is very subjective. If you live in domicile reserve is not so bad. If you don't, it must be miserable. The time you spend on reserve right now is a product of what base you end up at and how many people are hired after you. There is not much attrition from the top.

 

[acaTerry]

Just make sure that the schedule leaves enough time for some spelling lessons....

 

[180ToTheMarker]

Integration runs the first couple of days of the month and you get assigned in reverse seniority order on any trips the airline can not get worked out in between the monthly cycles.

Thats a good one!!

 

[MetroSheriff]

Thats a good one!!

No doubt. I would like them try to prove compliance with that.

 

[storminpilot]

Can someone out there give me some info on the bid cycle/schedual(length and days off per cycle,length of trips etc.), and what kind of quality of life a junior guy at ASA might expect.
Thanks

Here is the contract site:

http://www.asacontract.com/pa/Current_Contract.asp

 

[HoursHore]

A four day two leg Trip? Brutal

 

[bailout]

>>The longest trips we have are 4 days<<

Tell that to scheduling because I have done two FIVE day trips this month. Basically its a four day trip with an extra day tacked on for Deadheading.

 

[freighthumper]

Thanks for all the info guys. I would also like like to thank acaTerry for pointing out my spelling error. It is reassuring to know that no matter how bad our spelling may be, acaTerry will always be there to correct us. Thank you acaTerry.