SkedPlus+: The Magical, Monthly, Extravaganza

Imagine that your bid went sour or you forgot to bid (been there). Pretend that your line is really bad. Suppose that PBS gives you 11 days off with 70 hours and 38 hour overnights in the most obscure locations. Yeah, okay, don't imagine that. I want to submit a two-week notice just thinking about that nasty of a schedule. No, I do not have a bad line and I hope that neither do you, but in case you are so unlucky the title of our post says it all. This post is about the magical, monthly, 8:00pm extravaganza: Skedplus. Also, in June we received added incentives for flying. While I doubt that August will be as desperate as July was it is fitting to do a post about Skedplus. Skedplus will be live in a few hours, now.

I know several people that depend on Skedplus. Whether it is to pick up or drop trips, these people live and die (as the saying goes) by a luck-of-the-draw schedule "enhancement" computer program. Maybe you are one or maybe you know one, these folks all have one thing in common, they all know that the 24th is very important.



Okay... Let's back up (way up) for the newbies, we love newbies right? Right!

What is Skedplus+, anyway? 

Skedplus is a user-friendly (sort of) computer program that allows a SkyWest crewmember the ability to make changes to their schedule (sometimes) after flying has been awarded by PBS (preferential bidding systems). While PBS uses seniority to award trips, skedplus is like a free-for-all. Skedplus allows open time and posted trip transactions upon a first come, first serve basis.

Of course, Skedplus is a computer program (that has human over-site [this ain't Sky-net y'all]) that allows one to pick up, drop, trade, exchange, and post trips (strings attached). There are situations, however, that you would be unable to drop a trip (insufficient reserves) or unable to pick up a trip (legalities). There are even times that you can't drop or pick up sections of a trip... I'll stop there. You will understand if you try something and it doesn't work. I'm not trying to explain in detail why it works or doesn't works... Okay, I was trying to explain it... but it is obvious that I am done trying to do that. There is just too many little qualms to describe in detail while keeping your attention in the process. Heck, if you are reading this, still, I am totally impressed and I'll buy you some chocolate if you mention it to me. Void where prohibited, subject to local laws and the discretion of Ron Carter. Do not pass go, do not collect $200.

Okay, getting back on track here. You know what PBS is, you know what Skedplus is, so what makes the 24th so special? Each month at 8:00pm MDT on the 24th the next month goes live in Skedplus. In this case, tonight 7-24-12, Skedplus goes live for August. The trips that will be available to pick up or drop into open time will be free game at 8:00pm.

Not only that, but 8:00pm is the most likely time for you to be able to drop a trip. If there is any chance that you'll successfully drop a trip, it will be within the first few minutes after 8:00pm. SkyWest doesn't staff flight attendants or pilots so that they can drop whatever they want. SkyWest staffs to cover flying. Keep that in mind and you'll see that 8:00pm on the 24th is the time that allows one the best possibly to drop a trip... especially since dropping a trip is dependent on the amount of reserves. Right now, there aren't many, if any, reserves that have been given a trip in August. There is no one who has dropped a trip. Tonight at 8:00PM MDT is your best shot at trying to drop a trip. Got it? Good.

You may remember a time when it kept going "in the dirt". The commodore 386 that was running Skedplus kept biting the dust when someone wanted to look at there schedule. That was when we had etrip too. How many of you remember etrip or the old SEP? There are too few of us any more. Now-a-days they got some fancy "mirroring" going on in SGU. I think that that same commodore 386 is still chugging away for Skedplus, but it has some help and it has become more reliable than it used to be. Either way, on the 24th at 8:00pm, there is a massive surge in traffic. The only people not checking out Skedplus are the ones at FL390. Expect to be frustrated by the slow speeds of Skedplus around that time and plan accordingly. I like to get some popcorn and turn down the lights. Sometimes I light candles. Other times I keep my stolen AED nearby in case my rising blood pressure induces a life threatening heart attack. I'm kidding, I don't have a stolen AED, I paid for it. Okay, no, really. I'm just being silly.

I hope you all have a perfect line and have no use for Skedplus or my blog. I wish you all the best of luck, otherwise. I trust that regardless of any situation your head is held high and you know that you are respected and valued and loved. Loved by God, if by no one else. If you have a question or need some help, I would be happy to oblige. Really, I would.

*Updated: inserted entertaining links, enjoy and request chocolate.

*Update 1/30/2013
SAPA and SIA are testing out SkedPlus Staggering. The deal is that there are a whole lot of people logging onto SkedPlus at 8:00pm on the 24th. The system gets overloaded, basically, so SAPA and SIA are staggering when SkedPlus goes live for different domiciles. We'll see how it goes!

*Update 8/13/2014 I think SkedPlus Staggering is over and done with. Disregard any staggering situations.