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Guppiedriver said:Everybody is afraid of PBS, because of the unknown.
Wait until we get EFB......If I hear one more time (using a gruff voice), "In the -200 we never had that crap and I don't need it now....)canyonblue said:I agree with you there. It seems that many of the Captains I have flown with that are Anti-PBS, are the very same ones that cannot figure out the OPC or the FMC.
canyonblue said:I have heard that the NWA system is one of the best, maybe an NWA pilot could chime in. The bottom line for me is I don't think that our Union leadership has the skills to effectively negotiate a top notch system. Unfortunately for us, and obviously the company, it would not go far in a vote (possibly the first 100% turnout )
radarlove said:"You know, Vnav really works pretty well on those 'descend via' arrivals' and his head will explode, because lord knows you have to glue a cover over the Vnav button as soon as a new airplane shows up at LUV.
Guppiedriver said:If I understand what your saying.....you have been getting extra days off because your current bidding system doesn't recognize that you have vacation, training, or carry in trips? Then the trips that are in conflict with those events are dropped? I see why SWA wants PBS.
NuGuy said:We have a standing "computer bidding committee" who's job it is to oversee the process, monitor the results, and follow up on questions.
Nu
NuGuy said:Heyas Canyon,
As I mentioned before, we have PBS at NWA, and everyone loves it.
We use to have a system of hard lines. Every month, a bid list would come out, and next to your name was a time. This time was a 5 minute window where you could call and place your bid with a "bid anaylst". He/she would tell you want lines were still available or you could construct a line out of open flying. Or if you wern't going to be available during your window, you left a computer bid with just a list of choices.
Guys in MSP could bid in person. The room looked somewhat like a commodity trading pen, with big matrixes of lines, and phones for guys to call in and see whats left.
As you can imagine, this whole process was ridiculously complicated, time and personel intensive.
The PBS system works so much better, there isn't even a comparason. Our system leaves pages and pages of open time, which we are free to swap with. There are always guys who have whole months of unavailabilty (mil leave, instructors, union leave, etc), and all that flying remains. So much in fact, that we have contract language that blocks the company from withholding MORE than 5% of the trips from the bidding pool.
But the nice thing about PBS is you get to pick your trips (or type of trips) right out of the chute. Want high value trips? Use the AWARD AVDAILY CREDIT command with a high daily value. Don't like short overnights? Use the AVOID LAYOVER < XXXX command. You get good trips at the start, and you just don't have to fuss with your schedule afterword. I think I've used a trip swap all of about 4 times since we started using PBS 6 years ago.
I've also turned 7 days of vacation in 18-20 days off. Heck, I turned 3 days of vacation into 21 days off (my personal best).
Oh, yea, another good part. We get our schedules earlier to boot. Bidding deadline is 0400 on the 12th, and you usually have your schedule by the 14th.
This doesn't come without effort on the union side, however. We have a standing "computer bidding committee" who's job it is to oversee the process, monitor the results, and follow up on questions. Lots of volunteers help smooth the process at first. For obvious computer foul ups, there is a bidding error process, and the company has always been more than fair about (and this is NWA we're talking about).
Nu
FlyBoeingJets said:We also have EF (Extra Fly list) and the company will call us and offer a trip. We can turn it down or take it.