I get asked alot by folks who are looking at Southwest about our bidding process. I've copied this directly from the union website to hopefully give those who are considering Southwest an idea of the timetable & process for bidding. The times during the month have been recently changed & are moved up by 2 days now for each bidding process. The company & union recently implemented a test program of Enhanced Line Improvement Trip Trade that allows for much more trading of one's own trips with the trips held back by the company or that come avaiable after monthly bids are awarded. This is a continuous process throughout the month allowing for pilots to have more flexibility (some bases/positions have better trading capability due to other variables) at improving their QOL (quality of life).
Here it is:
How does the bidding process work? The process of covering the flying schedule is a continuous cycle. The bid/award process changes as the flying event comes nearer, and thus, more urgent. The following is a very basic description (this is not an official document) of the bid/award process of scheduling pilots to cover flying events. All times are at 1200 CT unless otherwise noted.
Bid 7th-12th
Awarded 13th
Bid 21st-23rd
Awarded 23rd:
Bid 22nd-26th
Awarded 27th:
0600, 5 days prior (105 hours prior to DOT Closing) - 0900 CT of day prior
Awarded 1200 CT of day prior - HAS TO BE ACKNOWLEDGED BY 1800 CT!
Here it is:
How does the bidding process work? The process of covering the flying schedule is a continuous cycle. The bid/award process changes as the flying event comes nearer, and thus, more urgent. The following is a very basic description (this is not an official document) of the bid/award process of scheduling pilots to cover flying events. All times are at 1200 CT unless otherwise noted.
Month Prior Bidding
Monthly Bidding
Bid 7th-12th
Awarded 13th
This is the primary means of covering flying events. Bids are submitted by logging on to the Crew Portal either from your home computer or the pilot lounge. For more information go to the helpdesk page.
You may bid as many times as you like. Only your last bid is saved by each of these methods. A bid receipt is generated, displayed, and in some cases printed automatically. The bid receipt is the only way to prove that you bid.
The monthly lines consist of hard lines - lines that have a set schedule, and blank lines - lines that have not yet been defined. If you are awarded a blank line you will want to participate in the next cycle of bidding - Blank Line Bidding (below).
Blank Line BiddingYou may bid as many times as you like. Only your last bid is saved by each of these methods. A bid receipt is generated, displayed, and in some cases printed automatically. The bid receipt is the only way to prove that you bid.
The monthly lines consist of hard lines - lines that have a set schedule, and blank lines - lines that have not yet been defined. If you are awarded a blank line you will want to participate in the next cycle of bidding - Blank Line Bidding (below).
Bid 21st-23rd
Awarded 23rd:
After the monthly bid/award process has ended, crew planning takes all the uncovered flying ("leftovers") and makes more lines out of them. These leftovers include:
The rest of the blank lines become reserve lines.
Monthly Open Time- Uncovered flying not included in the monthly schedules
- Trips pulled because of conflicts such as prior months schedule, vacation, or training.
The rest of the blank lines become reserve lines.
Bid 22nd-26th
Awarded 27th:
After the monthly & blank line processes are complete, flying events that are not covered ("leftovers again") are put in MOT - Monthly Open Time. MOT is used to supplement a pilots monthly schedule. MOT is awarded by domicile seniority until that pilot exceeds the "cap" (118% of the domicile bid line average - calculated monthly by domicile) . When the pilot exceeds the cap, they subordinate their seniority to pilots that have not exceeded the cap. The cap is available by "Viewing" the cover of the bid package.
During the Month Bidding
Daily Open Time
0600, 5 days prior (105 hours prior to DOT Closing) - 0900 CT of day prior
Awarded 1200 CT of day prior - HAS TO BE ACKNOWLEDGED BY 1800 CT!
After monthly, blank line, and monthly open time processes are complete, DOT - Daily Open Time is used to cover flying events. Each day of DOT is awarded at 0900 CT of the day prior to the flying event with the exception of charters that report between 0100-0600 CT (additional day prior). Please keep in mind: THIS FLYING ASSIGNMENT HAS TO BE ACKNOWLEDGED by 1800 CT. If a DOT award is given to you and it is not acknowledged either manually in maestro or by calling scheduling, you will be asked to see the chief pilot for counseling (aka: carpet dance).
Short Notice Lists
Uncovered Flying Events
All uncovered flying events are covered by scheduling using the following lists:
Anytime the letters "JA" are used, pay is at "time and one half" (5 [Regular + JA] trips minimum). When you get your paycheck, the regular TFP (trips for pay) will be listed under "REGULAR" and the premium (1/2) pay will be listed under "JA".
A pilot is not obligated to report less than 2 hours from notification unless that pilot agrees to scheduling's request.
(see Section 4.F. of the Agreement)
A "standard trip" is any trip for which the nonstop mileage is two hundred forty-three (243) miles or less.
A non-standard trip is any trip for which the nonstop mileage exceeds two hundred forty-three (243) miles.
1. A takeoff;
2. A diversion from the destination to which released at takeoff to any other airport; or
3. A return to the airport of after takeoff when the block to block time flown exceeds the block to block time scheduled to the destination on the release at takeoff.
Conversion factor from "trip pay" to "hourly pay" is 1.1395. Multiply the trip rate times this number to get an hourly rate.
Hourly pay rates
1st year $48.02; 2nd yr pay is $81.02.
For any pilots who are in their 1st year any flying picked up from "open time" or "extra fly" is paid at 2nd yr rates.
- Extra Fly (top down) - you can turn down
- VJA (top down) - you can NOT turn down
- JA (bottom up) - you can NOT turn down (unless you are returning a call from scheduling)
Anytime the letters "JA" are used, pay is at "time and one half" (5 [Regular + JA] trips minimum). When you get your paycheck, the regular TFP (trips for pay) will be listed under "REGULAR" and the premium (1/2) pay will be listed under "JA".
A pilot is not obligated to report less than 2 hours from notification unless that pilot agrees to scheduling's request.
What is a Trip?
(see Section 4.F. of the Agreement)
A "standard trip" is any trip for which the nonstop mileage is two hundred forty-three (243) miles or less.
A non-standard trip is any trip for which the nonstop mileage exceeds two hundred forty-three (243) miles.
(see Section 4.E. of the Agreement)
A trip, for pay purposes, consists of one of the following:
1. A takeoff;
2. A diversion from the destination to which released at takeoff to any other airport; or
3. A return to the airport of after takeoff when the block to block time flown exceeds the block to block time scheduled to the destination on the release at takeoff.
Conversion factor from "trip pay" to "hourly pay" is 1.1395. Multiply the trip rate times this number to get an hourly rate.
Hourly pay rates
1st year $48.02; 2nd yr pay is $81.02.
For any pilots who are in their 1st year any flying picked up from "open time" or "extra fly" is paid at 2nd yr rates.
