Introduction - Pilot Scheduling System

The most significant changes from the old scheduling system to the new one include how lines are constructed, the timetable for pilot bidding, and the Reserve system.

Gap and Pay-to-Block-Hour Ratio Reserve crew scheduling at the big four major airlines (AMR, NWA, DAL, UAL) is based on a first-in first-out (FIFO) system. During the 1996-1997 Contract negotiations, management’s initial negotiating position was to install a FIFO system at US Airways. From many pilots’ point of view, however, such a system is unsatisfactory because it eliminates both seniority rights and flexibility. Our negotiators achieved a pilot-designed system that is easy to manage and satisfies the Company’s needs by reducing the pay/block hour ratio, ensuring schedule reliability, reducing under-guarantee, and balancing time. As a result, the system reduces the productivity differential between US Airways and its competition by about 50 percent. At the same time, this system achieves primary goals of the pilot group, including the preservation of a seniority-based scheduling system, stability of days off, preservation of the A/I list, schedule flexibility, and increased schedule quality.

Highlights of new scheduling system

Continues pilot flexibility with A/I list.

Continues a seniority-based Reserve award system instead of FIFO.

Only non-FIFO Reserve system of the major airlines.

Creation of secondary lines reduces the exposure of paying out under-guarantee to the former Reserves who now become secondary Lineholders.

Placing open time in Reserve lines during Reserve line construction, and giving those Reserves a higher priority for Future awards, has the effect of balancing the Reserve’s time as determined by Reserve line construction.

Placing open time in Reserve lines ensures that at the beginning of the month, known open time will be covered if not picked up by a Lineholder using the A/I list.

Reserve lines will now be built around known open time, creating a match between staffing and the known requirements.

Creating Reserve categories for Future and Daily has the effect of more evenly distributing hours throughout the month thereby increasing pilot availability for the month-end.

Assigning Short Call by pay time balances the time across all Short Call Reserves.

Mandatory days off balances time and prevents stacking time in any part of the month, ensuring that more Reserves will break guarantee and simultaneously be available at end of month.

Secondary lines reduce the difference between peaks and valleys in available open time and will contain a greater proportion of weekend flying. Reducing gap between peaks and valleys increases scheduling efficiency.

A/I List for Lineholders closes two days in advance, allowing more flexibility to pilots for planning and commuting.

Reserves are awarded Future trips in seniority order within category one day in advance.

SAP now allows for a trip that is dropped by a junior Lineholder to be available/awarded to a senior primary Lineholder. A further enhancement to SAP is scheduled to be implemented for the August 1999 bid month, which will allow even greater flexibility for trip selection.

Creation of approximately 10 percent more lines (Secondary Lines).

Creation of Reserve Holding Open Time (RHOT) for Regular Reserves.

Reserves may bid monthly for either Regular or Short Call duty if not awarded a secondary line.

Higher Reserve guarantees.

Restrictions on passing, trip splitting, and flying on days off.

Time balancing system only when trips are awarded by Daily.

New priority of trip assignment language helps protect Reserve days off by using volunteer Lineholders and on-duty, out-of-base Regular Reserves to cover trips .

New scheduling process will better align open time with Reserve availability, helping to protect Reserve days off.

The new scheduling system has been in place on MetroJet for the past year and has gone through a thorough testing period. Some of the problems discovered during this initial implementation period are being addressed.