No more reserve!!!!

[bike21]

Well folks, after 10 months of 'good' times on reserve I finally made it. NO MORE FREAKING RESERVE!!!!

I have a line next month in DEN, it's not the best line but I will take that over "can you be at the airport in 45 minutes?"

Suuuweeet!!!

[Adam2006]

Congrats!

[skydog]

I don't understand why people don't like reserve. You get to stay at home, or go about your business, as you please. The only thing you have to do is be prepared to walk out the door, or turn the car around, as soon as you hang up the phone. Just have your bag packed, and your uniform ready to go, and everything is fine.

9 times out of 10 I I knew what I was doing the next day anyway, so it's not like I was actually sitting around waiting for the phone to ring. And if the phone didn't ring, I effectively got a day off with pay.

[GaTechKid]

That's great if you actually live in base...

[bike21]

Originally Posted by skydog

I don't understand why people don't like reserve. You get to stay at home, or go about your business, as you please. The only thing you have to do is be prepared to walk out the door, or turn the car around, as soon as you hang up the phone. Just have your bag packed, and your uniform ready to go, and everything is fine.

9 times out of 10 I I knew what I was doing the next day anyway, so it's not like I was actually sitting around waiting for the phone to ring. And if the phone didn't ring, I effectively got a day off with pay.

I live in base, but the problem was I have worked every single reserve day this summer expect for maybe 6 days. Constantly getting reflowed just when you think you are going home, getting no vacation b/c the company is 'min reserve', bugging me on my days off, etc etc this list goes on.

Now don't get me wrong the pay was great, since I was crediting 100+ hours each month, but it burns you out quick! If I was senior enough or we had adequate staffing and worked half my reserve days each month, that would be another story. That's how it was at the very beginning of the year, but it all changed quick.

[skydog]

Originally Posted by GaTechKid

That's great if you actually live in base...

Well, that's a different issue.

[skydog]

Originally Posted by bike21

I live in base, but the problem was I have worked every single reserve day this summer expect for maybe 6 days. Constantly getting reflowed just when you think you are going home, getting no vacation b/c the company is 'min reserve', bugging me on my days off, etc etc this list goes on.

Now don't get me wrong the pay was great, since I was crediting 100+ hours each month, but it burns you out quick! If I was senior enough or we had adequate staffing and worked half my reserve days each month, that would be another story. That's how it was at the very beginning of the year, but it all changed quick.

And you should expect to work every reserve day you ever have. That is why you are being paid: To be available to work. If you happen to not get called one day, then take it as it is: An unexpected day off with pay. The only time you should expect to go home is when your reserve period ends.

As far as being bugged on your day's off, well that happens to line holders too.

[bike21]

Originally Posted by skydog

And you should expect to work every reserve day you ever have. That is why you are being paid: To be available to work. If you happen to not get called one day, then take it as it is: An unexpected day off with pay. The only time you should expect to go home is when your reserve period ends.

As far as being bugged on your day's off, well that happens to line holders too.

Ummm yeah. Reserve basically sucks no matter how you look at it IMHO. I know what the expections are, but it still sucks. Especially ready reserve, don't get me started there. I love sitting 4 hours of ready reserve after a 6 day trip even when I'm not legal to do anything else. Crew support apparently doesn't see it this way and wishes to pay me for nothing. Fair enough I guess

[Maximillian_Jenius]

Originally Posted by bike21

bugging me on my days off, etc etc this list goes on.

Ummmm you answer the phone?

[kellwolf]

Skydog, how long have you sat reserve?

What it boils down to is you're scheduling's b*tch. Depending on the contract, you can have anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours or more to get to the airport. Personally, I've got an hour and a half. If I'm on the other side of MEM WITH my bag packed and my uniform pressed and in the car, I'd be hard pressed to make it to ops in that amount of time. So, I stay home and wait. Short in DTW or MSP? Guess what? I'm whisked away from my home and family to sit in a hotel room in those two cities in case they need me. Then the "day off with pay" suddenly turns into a DH on a flight to sit in a hotel room for a week, where I DON'T have leftovers in the fridge to eat and save money, my wife and kid are several states away and I have to deal with the hotel shuttle to get me there IF they need me.

Oh, and "be prepared to fly everyday you're on reserve?" Well, with pref bid I'd be sitting reserve 6 days in a row EVERY time. Do you work 6 days a week every week? Right now it's 5 12 hour blocks of reserve for me, and I'm counting down until I'm done with it.

Oh, and generally you get more hours (therefore more $$$) if you hold a line than if you sit reserve getting only the min guarantee.

[bike21]

Originally Posted by Maximillian_Jenius

Ummmm you answer the phone?

Hells no Max!!

Originally Posted by kellwolf

Skydog, how long have you sat reserve?

What it boils down to is you're scheduling's b*tch. Depending on the contract, you can have anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours or more to get to the airport. Personally, I've got an hour and a half. If I'm on the other side of MEM WITH my bag packed and my uniform pressed and in the car, I'd be hard pressed to make it to ops in that amount of time. So, I stay home and wait. Short in DTW or MSP? Guess what? I'm whisked away from my home and family to sit in a hotel room in those two cities in case they need me. Then the "day off with pay" suddenly turns into a DH on a flight to sit in a hotel room for a week, where I DON'T have leftovers in the fridge to eat and save money, my wife and kid are several states away and I have to deal with the hotel shuttle to get me there IF they need me.

Oh, and "be prepared to fly everyday you're on reserve?" Well, with pref bid I'd be sitting reserve 6 days in a row EVERY time. Do you work 6 days a week every week? Right now it's 5 12 hour blocks of reserve for me, and I'm counting down until I'm done with it.

Oh, and generally you get more hours (therefore more $$$) if you hold a line than if you sit reserve getting only the min guarantee.

Thanks Kell, for a minute I thought I was taking crazy pills for not liking reserve!

[kellwolf]

If you're taking crazy pills, they're slipping them to both of us at two different airlines.

One more that I forgot. A friend asked me if I wanted to do something on Sat Oct 28th. That's about a month away. I told him "Can't. I'm on reserve that day. I MAY have to overnight somewhere....." Now, if I had a line, I'd be able to say "Yes" or "No." As it is, reserve not only kills the time I'm scheduled, but also the nights after that, just in case I need to stay somewhere....

[bike21]

Originally Posted by kellwolf

If you're taking crazy pills, they're slipping them to both of us at two different airlines.

One more that I forgot. A friend asked me if I wanted to do something on Sat Oct 28th. That's about a month away. I told him "Can't. I'm on reserve that day. I MAY have to overnight somewhere....." Now, if I had a line, I'd be able to say "Yes" or "No." As it is, reserve not only kills the time I'm scheduled, but also the nights after that, just in case I need to stay somewhere....

Word up! I hated not knowing a definite answer to questions like that! Now I can plan on being at an important event (also on the 28th!) for my side business.

I am sending some good karma your way so you can get off reserve sometime soon too!!

[bike21]

Originally Posted by skydog

And you should expect to work every reserve day you ever have. That is why you are being paid: To be available to work. If you happen to not get called one day, then take it as it is: An unexpected day off with pay. The only time you should expect to go home is when your reserve period ends.

As far as being bugged on your day's off, well that happens to line holders too.

Do you work for management? Are you 'da man' or related to him in any way?

[mrivc211]

Originally Posted by bike21

Well folks, after 10 months of 'good' times on reserve I finally made it. NO MORE FREAKING RESERVE!!!!

I have a line next month in DEN, it's not the best line but I will take that over "can you be at the airport in 45 minutes?"

Suuuweeet!!!

Any grey hairs? Or any hair left? Hehe. I've got about 25 grey hairs per side now, since Feb.

[bike21]

Originally Posted by mrivc211

Any grey hairs? Or any hair left? Hehe. I've got about 25 grey hairs per side now, since Feb.

My wife has been picking them out a little more often it seems...