Reserve Pay

[Trogdor]

How does the pay for reserve pilots break down at your airline?

At Lakes, we get 3.75 hours of credit per day. If you were to fly over 3.75 hours, you would be credited for that time flown. For example, if you fly 6 hours on your first reserve day for the month, your credit would already be at 2.25 hours above guarantee. If you only fly those 6 hours that month, you would get paid for 2.25 over guarantee.

I know at some other places, you wouldn't get a per-day credit, and if you fly less than guarantee for the month, then you automatically get bumped up to the guarantee. So the only way to get paid over guarantee is to actually fly over the guarantee for the month.

So which way does it work where you are? Our company is trying to screw us once again so we need this information from other carriers. Thanks.

 

[Lear70]

You're in the wrong forum, your company will probably only compare you to other regionals (and that's how the arbitrator more than likely would also in a grievance hearing if it goes that far).

However, your work rules are definitely in the minority. Your company works exactly like airTran (except the daily credit min here is 3.5 hours with a 4 hour min day, meaning that if you fly 3 hours, you still get credit for 4).

Management didn't know it was going to work like this either; they lost a crucial grievance on it pretty soon after the contract was inked (several years ago) and they're pretty p*ssed off about it to this day.

But then we lost a grievance that killed the min day if you fly stand-ups (CDO's), and get only 4.0 minimum per DUTY period, meaning if you are scheduled to be on reserve for 4 days and get scheduled for 3 CDO's, you only get paid 12 hours instead of the 14 you'd have drawn if you had just sat reserve and done nothing.

Most airlines don't calculate reserve pay credits on a daily basis then add them cumulative for the whole month like your airline and ours. Most airlines would only pay above guarantee if you actually FLEW more than guarantee for the entire month.

 

[Whataburger]

SWA.
6 Trips For Pay a day times 15 work days/mo. = 90 TFP/mo.
Add up all the TFP you work on those 15 days and if it's less than 90, you get 90. More than 90, you get paid above 90.
All days of work picked up on days off gets paid at second year rates and gets paid above guarantee.
Yr 1 = $45/trip.
Yr 2 = $75/trip.
Average TFP for 15 reserve days probably around 100-105.

 

[Trogdor]

Thanks guys, I realize what Lear70 was saying, but I thought the more data we could gather, the better off we would be. I also have the question posted in the Regionals forum. If anyone else has their airline's info, I would appreciate it.

 

[Lear70]

I'm too lazy to go post this part over in the regionals section...

As far as regionals go, PCL was similar to the airlines that have a minimum reserve day credit, but they don't allow cumulative day additions.

In other words, you could fly 6 hours a day for 4 days, get credit for those 24 hours, but they aren't automatically on top of guarantee. You'd have to break guarantee in actual FLIGHT credit hours to actually get PAID for those extra hours. If you didn't fly anything except those 24 hours, and just sat reserve the rest of your month, you'd only make guarantee (75 hours).

Good luck,,,

 

[aa73]

Same at AA, we are guaranteed 73/month on reserve at 3:50 per day. Even if you break 3:50 in a day, it only counts towards guarantee. Once you break 73 for the month, then you get extra pay. I think at ACA if you broke whatever the min for the day, it actually went towards above guarantee right away.

73

 

[Fox-Tree]

Average line value for the month divided by 15 (days on reserve per 28 day bid month). Usually equals about 4.6 hours per day. Guarantee is number of days on reserve times reserve value per day. Reserve leveling list will usually ensure you wont go over guarantee unless they are really hurting on crews (or it's peak). Add all credit time for the month and if it's over guarantee you get it.

You can drop the whole month of reserve (or portions of your month) and pick up flying out of open time if they have enough reserves to let you drop. 4 days of reserve = 3 days actual flying, easy math/mo' days off.

 

[Murphy]

Reserve pay at AirTran is a sweet deal, but you do work for it. I typically blocked 50-60 hours and got credit for 80-90 hours but flew 90% of the time on reserve. It's a small price for the company to pay to have people on call, work 18-20 days a month, and be at beckon call of the schedulers. There is no comparison in quality of life between a line holder and a reserve holder. Those 4-5 AM wakeup calls with a two hour report are enough to give you a heart attack. "Good morning, this is so and so from crew scheduling, we have a trip for you."

 

[Lear70]

Reserve pay at AirTran is a sweet deal, but you do work for it. I typically blocked 50-60 hours and got credit for 80-90 hours but flew 90% of the time on reserve. It's a small price for the company to pay to have people on call, work 18-20 days a month, and be at beckon call of the schedulers. There is no comparison in quality of life between a line holder and a reserve holder. Those 4-5 AM wakeup calls with a two hour report are enough to give you a heart attack. "Good morning, this is so and so from crew scheduling, we have a trip for you."

THAT is why I bid RS1 (afternoon reserve).

Also, I regularly drop reserve days down to 14 days off or so and still credit 80-85 hours.

Very rare for me to sit a day of reserve and not fly, I do it MAYBE 2 or 3 days a month. I actually could have gotten away without having a crashpad and saved a little money, but I also have a single-room crashpad. I don't do roommates.

 

[aa73]

I don't do roommates.

You need to raise your standards, Cuz!

 

[Cardinal]

Thanks for the input guys.

 

[FlyBoeingJets]

SWA.
6 Trips For Pay a day times 15 work days/mo. = 90 TFP/mo.
Add up all the TFP you work on those 15 days and if it's less than 90, you get 90. More than 90, you get paid above 90.
All days of work picked up on days off gets paid at second year rates and gets paid above guarantee.
Yr 1 = $45/trip.
Yr 2 = $75/trip.
Average TFP for 15 reserve days probably around 100-105.

1.15 Trips = 1 hour (approximate)

Thats how www.airlinepilotcentral.com gets its pay numbers.

 

[Trogdor]

I appreciate the responses guys.