Reserve at Delta?

[regionalcap]

Just wanted to see if someone can explain the reserve system at Delta. How much of it is long call versus short call? How many days off do you typically get with a reserve line? Thanks for the info.

 

[FlyingSig]

Minimum days off is 11 for a 30 day month and 12 for a 31 day month.

Every day on reserve is a long call day. You get 12 hours to report.

You can be converted to short call up to 8 times per month. You must be given 10 hours notice to be converted to short call (like getting assigned a trip). Domestic short call is a 12 hour block of time.

As for what is typical, it depends on the airplane, base, and time of year. Right now I haven't done a single short call the last 3 months and I have filled up to the average line value each of the last 3 months prior to the 20th (meaning I got the rest of the month off). If the airline gets staffed properly in the winter when the block hours go down I would expect that to change...but I really don't expect us to get staffed properly so I'm not that worried about it.

FWIW, I commute from IAH-JFK and have only spent 1 night in my crashpad since May. Last year when I commuted to ATL and was on reserve, I didn't even have a crashpad and never bought more then 2 hotels a month.

 

[SkiFishFly]

What is the pay like?
Say MD and/or 737...

 

[EMBpilot]

Sig,
How much is the next raise?

 

[cocknbull]

Minimum days off is 11 for a 30 day month and 12 for a 31 day month.

Every day on reserve is a long call day. You get 12 hours to report.

You can be converted to short call up to 8 times per month. You must be given 10 hours notice to be converted to short call (like getting assigned a trip). Domestic short call is a 12 hour block of time.

As for what is typical, it depends on the airplane, base, and time of year. Right now I haven't done a single short call the last 3 months and I have filled up to the average line value each of the last 3 months prior to the 20th (meaning I got the rest of the month off). If the airline gets staffed properly in the winter when the block hours go down I would expect that to change...but I really don't expect us to get staffed properly so I'm not that worried about it.

FWIW, I commute from IAH-JFK and have only spent 1 night in my crashpad since May. Last year when I commuted to ATL and was on reserve, I didn't even have a crashpad and never bought more then 2 hotels a month.

Thanks for the great info.

Why did you transfer from ATL to JFk? Just curious.

 

[C-17 Driver]

Minimum days off is 11 for a 30 day month and 12 for a 31 day month.

Every day on reserve is a long call day. You get 12 hours to report.

You can be converted to short call up to 8 times per month. You must be given 10 hours notice to be converted to short call (like getting assigned a trip). Domestic short call is a 12 hour block of time.

As for what is typical, it depends on the airplane, base, and time of year. Right now I haven't done a single short call the last 3 months and I have filled up to the average line value each of the last 3 months prior to the 20th (meaning I got the rest of the month off). If the airline gets staffed properly in the winter when the block hours go down I would expect that to change...but I really don't expect us to get staffed properly so I'm not that worried about it.

FWIW, I commute from IAH-JFK and have only spent 1 night in my crashpad since May. Last year when I commuted to ATL and was on reserve, I didn't even have a crashpad and never bought more then 2 hotels a month.

FlyinSig,

Question for you regarding taxes. Since you live in Texas and your DAL domicile is in NYC, does the state of NY or New York City take any taxes out of your paycheck? Being that the area is in the democratic taxation stronghold of the northeast, I am curious if you have to pay state and/or city taxes because that is where your place of work is.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Truckdriver]

FlyinSig,

Question for you regarding taxes. Since you live in Texas and your DAL domicile is in NYC, does the state of NY or New York City take any taxes out of your paycheck? Being that the area is in the democratic taxation stronghold of the northeast, I am curious if you have to pay state and/or city taxes because that is where your place of work is.

Thanks in advance.

They will tax out state of NY disability taxes which is just over a buck per check. No state or city taxes.

 

[Gunfighter]

FlyinSig,

Question for you regarding taxes. Since you live in Texas and your DAL domicile is in NYC, does the state of NY or New York City take any taxes out of your paycheck? Being that the area is in the democratic taxation stronghold of the northeast, I am curious if you have to pay state and/or city taxes because that is where your place of work is.

Thanks in advance.

USC 49 Sec 14503 deals with interstate transportation employees.

"The pay of an air carrier employee who
has regularly assigned duties on an
aircraft in at least two states (e.g. a pilot
or flight attendant) is subject to income
taxation by his or her state of residence
and any state in which the employee
earns more than 50% of the pay received."

This begs the question "How does the state of NY determine if 50% of you pay was earned in NY?"

Don't know the exact NY answer, but pretty sure if you are flying for Delta you will not earn 50% of your income in the state of NY.

Good luck and be sure to consult a tax professional. Many accountants and tax preparers specialize in travel industry employees and are be well worth the money.​

 

[~~~^~~~]

Don't know the exact NY answer, but pretty sure if you are flying for Delta you will not earn 50% of your income in the state of NY.

What if you are based in New York?

 

[FDJ2]

What if you are based in New York?

It doesn't matter, because you are not only flying inside of NY, but are crossing state lines when you fly. If you live in NY, that's a different story, but if you commute, don't worry about it.

 

[FlyingSig]

Pay is listed on airlinepilotcentral.com

My next raise is in October (longevity) but the next contractual raise is Jan 1. It's a minimum of 1.5% up to a maximum of 6% depending on how much or little the company makes. Right now people are saying it's going to be 6% but until I see it in my check I'm only banking on 1.5%.

I went to JFK for the ER flying and have better senority on the ER (supposed to be a lineholder by fall) vs ATL but with this big bid that just came out if I can hold a line in ATL I'll go back there... that's the "good" part of commuting - flexibility.

As for taxes, no NY anything tax comes out of my check. The only tax deductions on my paycheck are Federal Inc. , Medicare, and SS (which actually I already maxed out for the year so that isn't coming out anymore).

 

[cocknbull]

Thanks Sig, I will probably be the most junior in my class because of my SS# so I am planning on JFK.

Does anyone know what the most junior bid was in the last class?

 

[737 Pylt]

I'd like to tag on a little to what Sig said.....

While our reserve system sucks, its not as bad as other airlines. This is why you'll find the wide body eqp going so junior. People filling up in category, and overtime flying is abundant. Not many people want to sit short call res. in NYC. Also if you get assigned M88 or 73N as a newbie, you are required to cover all 3 NY airports.
This may change as the airline gets staffed, but as Sig said, I don't see that happening anytime in the near future.

737

 

[psysicx]

Do you fly a lot on reserve or very little?

 

[FlyingSig]

There are ways to game the reserve system but basically you are either going to fly a lot, or fly really really a lot.

Like I mentioned above, I tend to fill up early which ends up giving me more time off (so in that sense, I'm not really flying a lot of days, just a lot of hours). Thanks to a few long taxi times in JFK that gave some nice over scheduled block time I ended up working only 9 days last month. If everything had gone on schedule I probably would have had to work 12 days (an extra 3 day trip). My paycheck was 79.5 hours.


Also... in regards to the NYC and the 3 airports... yes that sucks and personally I wouldn't commute to NYC on a narrow body ... BUT if you're on the 88, then 85% of your flying is shuttle flying out of LGA with a splash of JFK and I think MAYBE 1 or 2 EWR trips that tend to go real senior anyway to the locals. The biggest problem with the NYC narrowbody flying is that there isn't a lot that's commutable on both ends. Either early shows or too late release times, otherwise the quality of the trips up there tend to be better then ATL.

 

[GogglesPisano]

What are the 800 trips like out of NYC? I imagine the majority are out of JFK since LGA is mostly 88 now. What percentage are int'l?

Also, I thought reserve in NYC is a 3-hr call-out to one of the 3 airports.

 

[nat]

How does Delta deal with seniority in a new hire class? I saw where it is by SS#, but which side, high or low? Thanks

 

[FlyingSig]

Also, I thought reserve in NYC is a 3-hr call-out to one of the 3 airports.

Long call is a 12 hour report to show time. Doesn't matter which airport.

Short call is "reasonale time" to "a" airport, which in NY is generally 3 hours and yes, you can be 3 hours from EWR and not be 3 hours from JFK and still be good.... however we're so short of pilots it's doubtful they'll pass on you for the trip so you'll still be flying it.

 

[General Lee]

How does Delta deal with seniority in a new hire class? I saw where it is by SS#, but which side, high or low? Thanks

Last 4 digits, highest is the most senior. 9999 is more senior than 0011.

Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[formerdal]

Minimum days off is 11 for a 30 day month and 12 for a 31 day month.

Actually I believe it is 12 days off in a 30 day bid period and 13 days off in a 31 day bid period....18 days on call per month

 

[michael707767]

Minimum days off is 11 for a 30 day month and 12 for a 31 day month.

Actually I believe it is 12 days off in a 30 day bid period and 13 days off in a 31 day bid period....18 days on call per month

depends on how you look at it. The reserve lines are built with 11 off in a 30 day month...12 off in a 31 day month. An FX day is added at the discretion of scheduling to get you to 12/13 off.

 

[tbkane]

FLyin Sig,

That is pretty good if your timing out in 10 days. This month I don't or won't hit ALV until after 16 days. What aircraft are you on that your filling up so fast? They must be some really long flight days.

 

[regionalcap]

Does anyone know how long reserve is on the 73N in ATL? Sorry for the questions...just looking for an idea before the first day.

 

[FlyingSig]

TK,

I'm on the ER, but it's all about watching the open time an gaming when and when not to lower your raw score to get the good trips. Same technique worked for me on the 88 (though like you said, you have to work a few extra days on the 88...but I was always full by the third week of the month)

Regional cap,

There is no way to game "how long" reserve is. We're taking deliveries of airplanes so I'd say it could be measured more in months then years but if you're on the bottom of the list, you're on the bottom of the list.

 

[FDJ2]

Does anyone know how long reserve is on the 73N in ATL?

The latest advanced entitlement lists 60 737-800 F/O positions for new hires, with only 295 F/Os in the category.

The August Bid Monitor report lists 41 ATL 800 reserve F/Os. With 60 new hires going to the category with this bid at least 1/3 will be regular line holders in very short order. I wouldn't expect the rest to be on reserve after the next AE.

I hope that helps.

 

[regionalcap]

That does help. Look forward to coming there.