Crews,

As things are progressing on the pre-dispatched release front, now would be a good time to open discussions on what to do with them once they are complete... i.e. how do I get my flight assignments?

Option 1
We build and assign you a line of flight each month.

Option 2
We build lines of flight and you bid on them based on seniority.

Mike,
I voted for Dispatched. I'm also curios about assignments in the real world. Do you ATP Pilots fly the same Flight for a few weeks or month and then rotate to another Flight? Surely you don't bounce around to different Flights as we do. Just wondered if it might be more realistic to fly the same Flight for a certain time-period. Sounds boring..... but I don't necessarly think that would be the case. Seems light you would get more effecient with each flight. Just curious about real world and what you guys think.
Dick

Dick,

Well, since I'm a Dispatcher I work the same line all the time. I rotate between two desks. One week I work mornings on the Hawaii/Mexico desk and the following week I work afternoons on a North Atlantic/Europe desk.

As far as pilots go, it all depends on what they bid each month. If you have enough seniority you can fly a shuttle line and only fly back and forth between LaGuardia, Boston, and DCA all day long with weekends off. But, if you're a new guy with low seniority then you get stuck with being on reserve and subject to being called out at all hours of the day/night to fly whatever needs flown.

As Dispatchers at US Airways we only bid once per year. Pilots will bid every month, and what they bid depends entirely on what "works" for them that month based on outside interests and responsibilities. If seniority allows, maybe one month picking up a line with weekends off works out ok. Next month due to some family obligations maybe bidding a line with Tuesdays/Wednesdays off works better for the personal life. Some senior guys will bid to fly European trips in the summer when the weather is nice there, and then bid to fly Caribbean trips all winter. But, you have to be mighty senior to be able to do that!

Simulated Airlines will never be able to fully capture the scope, nuances, and complexities of bidding for schedules, but we can get "close enough" for our purposes. As you mentioned, it would be more realistic to fly the same set of trips for the month vs just flying random trips. Years ago when we were America West Virtual Airlines we did in fact try this concept, and it was pretty much met with open rebellion. Even though it was more realistic a lot of guys did not like flying the same 6-8 trips all month.

You also made a very valid point when you said you would get more proficient with each flight. By flying the same set of trips for the month you would get very familiar with the company route, the published departures/arrivals from the airports, the terrain and any special approach procedures involved, etc. Every trip would still be unique because the weather would be different, traffic flow may be different, the aircraft condition may change (MEL's), etc.

Personally speaking I would like to eventually see a bid procedure in place to where crews are in fact flying the same set of trips for the month.
Or, if we can work out the logistics maybe we'd do a bi-monthly bid to where you'd fly the same trips for two weeks, then bid for the last half of the month again. Quite a bit to think about and work out.

Mike C

Mike,
Thanks for a very good explanation. I'm personally, in favor of realistic as possible. Whatever you guy's come up with will be ok with me. I kinda think if it's different Flights, as now; then Dispatch might be good. If it's a Flight for a time period, then possibly a Bid situation. But who am I.........

Thanks again,

Dick

I'm open to what ever management decides, with that said, I do like to know my flights in advance....
(if that makes sense)

I'd prefer the real world procedure. But whatever management chooses I'm fine with.

Mike,
You referred to years ago with America West...............maybe we have a different group. What didn't go
over then, might go over now.

Dick

While I must admit I readily jumped through hoops to get a 'crossing the pond' ride, I was reasonably happy flying the LAS-BWI-PHX-LAS turn. At certain times of the year, it was possible to get in two turns a week while holding down a r/w job and minding the FARs on duty hours.

It had advantages, in that the normal FPs and most (if not all) of the necessary commo and nav freqs were pretty much memorized, so setting up to fly a leg was quite fast. On the other hand, it was sometimes boring, but that too is realistic, and by no means confined to FS.

If we do go back to a bid system, I want PacOps/Mike Route...

Mike,

I'll vote for option 2.

Don

Crews,

I just want to clarify a point here so that everyone understands what I mean when I say "assigned flights"

If we use the bid procedures then you will have some control over what flights you end up with.
i.e. You will select your line of flight from what is available at your seniority slot, so if you get screwed you've done it to yourself!

If we use the assigned flight option then management/crew scheduling will dole out the flights based on what needs covered.
i.e. You won't have any choice in selecting your trips.

Personally, I'd opt to bid.

The lines will be constructed so that all the flying is covered. Crews won't have any options to cherry pick the flights to construct their own line, but (if using bid procedures) will have some control over selecting which line of flight works best for them for the effective bid period.

MC/Dx