Virgin America QOL...this time lets keep it about QOL

[spudskier]

Lots of great info on here, might have missed it, but how long to hold LAX and JFK out of training?

 

[Flyer1015]

LAX pretty quickly, JFK would be a long time. Most junior guy there is a Jan 2012 DOH. I wouldn't count on JFK anytime soon, so plan on SFO or LAX.

 

[spudskier]

LAX pretty quickly, JFK would be a long time. Most junior guy there is a Jan 2012 DOH. I wouldn't count on JFK anytime soon, so plan on SFO or LAX.

Thank you! LAX would certainly be an easier commute for me but as long as there's hope for JFK eventually, it's all good. *fingers crossed!* any rumors of any other bases?

 

[Flyer1015]

Thank you! LAX would certainly be an easier commute for me but as long as there's hope for JFK eventually, it's all good. *fingers crossed!* any rumors of any other bases?

Most likely not.

SFO and LAX are official bases.

JFK is an ALF (alternate line of flying). So in PBS all your pairings start/end at JFK so you are JFK based in that regards. But for recurrent, sims, refresh, getting to SFO and the hotel is on your own.

 

[spudskier]

Most likely not.

SFO and LAX are official bases.

JFK is an ALF (alternate line of flying). So in PBS all your pairings start/end at JFK so you are JFK based in that regards. But for recurrent, sims, refresh, getting to SFO and the hotel is on your own.

Thank you for the info. What is short call reserve schedule like? Min days off per month? Is there a min amount of days off between blocks of reserve days? Will they let you off early enough to commute home or to your base?

 

[Flyer1015]

Thank you for the info. What is short call reserve schedule like? Min days off per month? Is there a min amount of days off between blocks of reserve days? Will they let you off early enough to commute home or to your base?

Short call is 2 hrs. I was only on reserve for one month, but in that month I usually got more than 2 hrs heads up. Min days off per month = 12. In between reserve day blocks min off is 3 days, however, NOT for the month-to-month transition. Theoretically you could get a 5 day stretch of reserve, 1 day off, then another 5 days from May 27-June 6. That's just an example.

Although the system is changing (I think), once you are awarded a reserve line in PBS, all it says is "RSV." Then the reserve bidding opens up and those are hard lines that are published, and you pick the order of the ones you want (like regular line bidding). In this case, you could bid to ensure you don't get a month-to-month transition conflict.

As for letting go early, if you don't have a flight assignment, you could be released. Again, I was only on reserve one month but I got released every time by 12noon-1pm which let me take the 1pm flight home to an east coast city. These days, I hear we are short on pilots and with attrition so they might not be as willing to release you.

 

[duc driver]

If you pick up in days off as a reserve does that time get added to your guarantee i.e 75 plus what ever the trip is worth.

 

[bri5150]

If there is no assignment, they are good about letting you go home early on your last day. That is a big if though. I would say it is 50/50 or worse that you get a trip that ends late on your last day these days. At least in LAX that is.

 

[spudskier]

Thank you for all the info. Very much appreciate you taking the time

 

[Flyer1015]

Reserves can't pick up open time trips on a day off.