May '12 Bid's Nuts and Bolts

Good day reader, I trust you are bidding right now or finishing up. So am I. Hopefully you find yourself at a domicile you like with the seniority you want. But, if you are at the domicile you want and have the seniority you want, you probably wouldn't be stopping by my blog. Then again, you may be policing content. I don't think I'm going to go all... Blue... any time soon, so no reason to worry.

For COS, April was a slow month. I just looked at the reserve list today and there's a whole lot of reserves not flying right now. I think that will drastically change come May. Especially towards the end of May into June. There will be flying. Lots of flying.

April '12 Bid's Award and Reason Report

Interesting. While I am thrilled to have been awarded a line straight from my first layer, I don't understand how they arrived at 85 hours. I didn't imagine that my FMLA would make that big a difference. I suppose I can add a trip or two come the 24th.

April '12 Bid's Nuts and Bolts

I should begin by saying that this blog still contains my own views. You guys in St. George are about the only ones who read my blog anyway and even then I'm sure you just skim over it by now.

Okay, with that said, April in COS is the ugliest month I have seen in a year (May to be exact). There, I said it. 49 Guaranteed lines and it is an A month. I'll be surprised to see anyone in COS exceed 85 hours. The good news? There are no 48 hour layovers in the armpit of Canada.

Here is some more good news. My wife will give birth to our second child on the end of April. So I have FMLA for the end of April and beginning of May. That should help a few people, if only for the end of the April and beginning of May. Between FMLA and Recurrent... or CQ... which I also have in April, my approach to bidding is extremely simplistic. This is an A month, so not as much flying to go around.

March '12 Bid's Award & Reason Report

It could have been worse, it could have been better, but it is what it is and I am content.
I highlighted the layer 7 that I was awarded. It seems strange that I was awarded a layer 7 and then I realized why. I had selected "try and finish at this layer" all the way to layer 7. That was the reason and I'm hoping I can drop that.

March '12 Bid's Nuts and Bolts

Greetings,

I haven't blogged in a while. Apologies.

Here a couple months ago there was a switch in the way we flight attendants bid for multi-position pairings. I think I understand it well, but frankly, I haven't given it much attention as I do not have a preference. I just want hours on the selected days.

Anyway, COS is a B month with 62 Targeted lines out of the 75 FAs. I'm sitting at 33. A few lines less than February, usually reductions of any sort make for a worse line. February was terrible for me, mostly because the days off I bid for threw my bid for a loop. I had to Skedplus my schedule back to decency. Skedplus is an appropriate tool for anyone not in the top 10% and it sure did me good.