Reserve at JetBlue

[Kezwick]

Could anyone give me the 411 on what reserve is like...how many days off?? Is it a 2 hr call out??? Is there some long call//short call etc....what are the junior bases?

 

[BeachBummer]

Junior= BOS, or JFK. What plane you get is a crap shoot right now.

Long call is 14 hrs, you will be lucky to get 1 a month.

Short is 2 hr. If you live in base it's not a bad gig.

18 days on, nothing less than a 3 day stretch.

If you are in class or going to class, you will probably be sitting good in 6-12mo. with all the hiring.

I'd say if you live within 1.5-2hrs of your base, QOL is good. Commuting to RSV where ever you work sucks donkey.

 

[JBPA]

12 days off per month. Once all of the PTO/Trade/Drop/Swap/Pick-up windows are completed, crew services determines if they can award all of the available reserves extra days off based on reserve coverage. If so, they will decide which day to give you off based on your schedule (I believe it has to be either first or last of block) and, more importantly, the company's. It's called a Pre-Release day (PRL) and, in my experience, usually results in me having less flexibility with my schedule. Don't get me wrong, I'm all about extra days off (usually only 1 or 2 PRL), but in the months I have received one it has screwed up my schedule because I lose flexibility to move/swap (4 day block reduced to 3, no long call, no release on last day, can't drop down to 2 days, etc.).

Short Call Reserve (SCR) is 2 hours.
Long call (LCR) is 14 hours (reducible to 9 only with pilot agreement).

The reserve system has changed dramatically since I upgraded over 7 years ago. While there have been quantum improvements, there are still many shortcomings. In the 14-ish months I have bid reserve, I have only had 3 callouts with the plea "How soon can you be here?". Two were for pilots who banged out sick at the last minute (thankfully not commonplace, at least in my base) and one for a ferry flight to rescue a broken airplane.

I am in a small base and mostly bid reserve due to other revenue streams. There used to be a fair amount of LCR during non-holiday months. Thanks to JB's poor manning management and the new Flight Scheduling Manual that was foisted on us the LCR opportunities seem few and far between. Because of poor planning, it seems that every month is now a holiday month, when in the past the real crunch times were only JUL, NOV, and DEC.

On the bus, the junior bases are JFK and BOS. Unless MCO doubles in size, it'd likely be several years before a new hire would hold it. Probably the same for FLL and LGB.

-190 is currently only based in JFK, BOS, and MCO. I bud of mine who recently was in class chose JFKE90 because it was the quickest route to get to MCO and essentially live in base.

As the other post mentioned, commuting to reserve, esp BOS or JFK, would be very unpleasant.

 

[BeachBummer]

It was changed from 12 days off to 18 on. You get 13 off in a 31 month.

 

[TDK90]

Is it possible to get a block of days off on reserve of at least 6 days, assuming the rest of the month is spent with min days off between reserve blocks.

Also, assuming a new hire could hold a line in 6 months, what is max days off in a row you might get assuming you didn't care about the rest of the month?

Finally, how does vacation accrual work?

Thanks guys, long distance commuter!

 

[BrokenWing]

As a reserve, it is very possible to get a 5-day block off if that block is M-F. Having your weekends off on reserve is unlkely unless you're a senior reserve. In the non-commuter bases (LGB, FLL, MCO), there are a lot of senior guys who bid reserve and they're able to work M-TH or Tu-F.

As far as a block of days of as a line holder, since we're PBS it depends on how well you bid. If you know what you're doing, I imagine you could reasonably expect to get 6-9 days off in a row but I'm one of the guys who bids reserve so I don't know for sure. Depending on reserve coverage, you're able to drop or swap trips which could possibly give you more days off.

Vacation (PTO) accrual is 108 hours a year for year 1-5. This is ALL your time off which includes vacation, sick and personal time.

 

[tzflyer]

If you can hold a weekend off, you should easily be able to get 11-12 days off in a row. M-F pretty easy, the weekend and following weekdays, but the rest of your month would really blow.

 

[oldxfr8dog]

In the non-commuter bases (LGB, FLL, MCO), there are a lot of senior guys who bid reserve and they're able to work M-TH or Tu-F.

As far as a block of days of as a line holder, since we're PBS it depends on how well you bid.

TWO things:
1)LGB is as much a "commuter base" as any of the others, ie, it's NOT! Why do you guys think that all the pilots at the smaller bases live there?
I have a 2-leg commute and I do it because my 2-leg commute to LGB takes 4-6 hours and a JFK commute is 2-legs and 8-12 hours (I did JFK for 2 years)!
2)Bidding skills are moot if the pairings are excrement. Pairing builders do not care about commutability, especially if you're looking for productivity.

 

[Obvada1]

A new hire from the first class in Sept 2010 just got a line for January. He is based in JFK on the 190. For real, 3 months from class date to line holder. And he even got 2 saturdays off. This is not an IOE line or anything like that, he got a real line from the bidding process. And another one will most likely get a move up or hybrid line.

For all the haters that claim everyone will be on reserve for a LOOOOOONG time, sorry!

 

[atr42flyer]

did any of the new hires get orlando?

 

[donvag]

did any of the new hires get orlando?

Nope and I am 99% sure a new hire will not get MCO. We have alot of senior guys living in MCO commuting to BOS and JFK. I have heard of new hires who could hold the A320 in initial but instead bid the E190 in JFK or BOS because they figured that was the quicker way to get to MCO. MCO is becoming as senior as LGB.

 

[FlyboyPhil]

I have been on the bus for three years, holding a line for the first time this month, back on reserve for January.. I expect to hold a line regularly after the new-hires begin to come on board.. 190 lines come quick.. 320 lines not so much.

 

[n757st]

I have been on the bus for three years, holding a line for the first time this month, back on reserve for January.. I expect to hold a line regularly after the new-hires begin to come on board.. 190 lines come quick.. 320 lines not so much.

No offense, but I think that is a little bit of a generalization. The guys on the 320 that started in September will be line holders by April. The guys starting in January... who knows. I would dare say that a pilot in a Jan class might hold a line quicker on the bus then the '190. Just my opinion though, not trying to ruffle any feathers.

 

[JetFumes]

Any west coasters out there who can give some guidance on the quality of life on reserve as a 320 ca in jfk or bos. Which on is better or easier, or do they both suck?

 

[Smarta$$]

Still debating an application, have a few questions.

Does JetBlue have a 5 hour min day for pay purposes? For instance, if a pilot is awarded a 16 day on line, would the pay credit be at least 80 hours?

If so, does the min day apply to reserves as well?

How does the 108 hours PTO work? I understand it includes sick, vacation, PTO and the like. Can you use it all on vacation? Or all for sick? Or does it have to be broken down a certain way? Are you expected to keep some each year, or do most pilots use it all up each year?

Thanks for your time guys/gals.

 

[Beechnut]

5 hour average per DUTY PERIOD. So you can do (and will do on the 320) an evening flight JFK-DEN, 24 hour rest, and a redeye the next night, back in JFK on day 3 and be paid only 10 hours for a 3 day trip.

PTO is spent anyway you like. All for sick or bid it away for vacation. Senior guys can (and again, do) use their PTO to take all the summer vacation and Thanksgiving/Christmas spots in one bid before anyone else has a shot. No vacation bidding rounds. All or nothing except whats left over in the open pot.

 

[Smarta$$]

5 hour average per DUTY PERIOD. So you can do (and will do on the 320) an evening flight JFK-DEN, 24 hour rest, and a redeye the next night, back in JFK on day 3 and be paid only 10 hours for a 3 day trip.

PTO is spent anyway you like. All for sick or bid it away for vacation. Senior guys can (and again, do) use their PTO to take all the summer vacation and Thanksgiving/Christmas spots in one bid before anyone else has a shot. No vacation bidding rounds. All or nothing except whats left over in the open pot.

Thanks Beechnut.