Reserve Conspiracy Theory

[Groundskprwilly]

I was busy for my fist 13 day's of reserve...about 65 hours. Now the last 3 days have been completely dead. But scheduling says they need extra people for reserve in my base.

So, does scheduling watch the times and if you get in a situation where you might get some overtime pay do they shut you down...unless they're really scr@#$wed?

Slowly losing my mind...

 

[TinGoose1]

Yes.

-TG

 

[SplitBar]

As far as you not making over 75, scheduling can "shut you down" and disregard preferences and it's called "Reserve Leveling". It's clearly spelled out in the contract.

Out of base reserve is offered when there is an inbalance of reserve pilots. Lets say on May 25 there are 15 in DTW, 13 in MSP and 3 in MEM. They will offer DTW and MSP pilots to sit reserve in MEM in this example. It doesn't mean they are sending them to MEM so you don't fly, rather, there is just an inbalance. It might turn out they send 3 from DTW and 3 from MSP and they now have 9 in MEM. IF there are no sick calls, 30/7, stuck crews ect. ect then none of the 9 MEM reserve pilots on May 25th may end up flying. There is no conspiracy against you as you suggest. It's just scheduling balancing out their reserve grid.

 

[Groundskprwilly]

Thanks Spit,

Too much time on my hands. I should read the contract on my down time. I'm pretty ignorant when it coms to the specifics of the contract.

 

[Smarta$$]

I was busy for my fist 13 day's of reserve...about 65 hours. Now the last 3 days have been completely dead. But scheduling says they need extra people for reserve in my base.

So, does scheduling watch the times and if you get in a situation where you might get some overtime pay do they shut you down...unless they're really scr@#$wed?

Slowly losing my mind...

I noticed this same thing for months in a row. I think they try not to use you past 75 hours. I did reserve for 5-6 months and never broke guarantee. They would fly my arse off up to 70 hours and then with a week and a half left in the month, I would not hear a word from them.

 

[ricecake]

I sat reserve for 7 months and never once broke guarantee, same thing happened once I got close.

 

[Tarzan]

There is a trick to getting the good at home time. After moving to my second airline, I learned how to spend too much time at home. However, that gets to be a problem.... To much time with the wife!

 

[ImbracableCrunk]

Thanks Spit,

Spit? What's a Spitbar? Sounds like a messy place.

They'll use whomever they want, and they play favourites. Reserve bidding preferences are for display purpose only, not for actual use. Well, they use them to the extent possible (which means whenever it benefits Sked).

My suggestion is be nice to the schedulers. Even Flan.

 

[Northern Lights]

I was busy for my fist 13 day's of reserve...about 65 hours. Now the last 3 days have been completely dead. But scheduling says they need extra people for reserve in my base.

So, does scheduling watch the times and if you get in a situation where you might get some overtime pay do they shut you down...unless they're really scr@#$wed?

Slowly losing my mind...

I'm in the exact same situation. Sitting at about 65 hours as of the 17th, and now I'm bored out of my mind. I wouldn't mind it if I was at home, but sitting at the hotel is getting really old.

 

[CFIse]

I was busy for my fist 13 day's of reserve...about 65 hours. Now the last 3 days have been completely dead. But scheduling says they need extra people for reserve in my base.

So, does scheduling watch the times and if you get in a situation where you might get some overtime pay do they shut you down...unless they're really scr@#$wed?

Think for a moment like the company.

We have a bunch of pilots we're going to pay guarantee to anyway, if we work an individual over guarantee we have to pay them more. It makes no sense to work an individual over guarantee if you have other pilots sitting around under guarantee, because you're increasing your labor costs for the same amount of flying.

So yes - they watch the times and will only fly you over guarantee if they are scr@#$wed.

It's an unpopular postion to take, but when you're trying to understand why the company is doing something put yourself in their shoes - if it was YOUR money what would you do? Airlines aren't run for the benefit of the pilots, or any employee group come to that.