LeftCoaster,
Just to clarify your last post. You mention "cherry picking" I just want to make sure that wasn't in response to my last post....
There are several issues with rostering. I will try to elaborate a little.
1) One MAJOR problem is the "flexible" marketing that Cargo has. I'm not talking about the schedule changes to meet marketing needs, but the lack of ability to nail down the schedule 6 months in advance. If you look now, the winter marketing plan. isn't firm yet, in fact, it's not going to be firm on the Cargo side for several more weeks. Once the marketing plan is firm then the COPs are developed from that. The current COP collection was put together in a very short time with no "fine tuning" at all. And it shows. In fact, we have COPs that don't exist in the schedule, I just did one to MAA! I understand the "flexibility" but at some point in time, you have to lock in the schedule.
2) Once the COPs are "set in Jello" then the rosters are developed. The current pecking order is Training gets first cut at one's they need, then the OSB (over seas base) gets thiers, then SIA and SIA cargo gets what's left. In other words, the non-productive COPs. I think most Cargo pilots would argue we should have the schedules run for us and then Mainline gets what's left.
3) SSSF days. The days we spend on standby are non-productive from a pilot's point of view. However, the company takes a different position; they view them as productive and as such they are used in the staffing formula. This affects staffing by a factor of about 15%!
4) Positioning. When I arrived, I was told to expect to position around 10 hours/month. Up until about 2 months ago, that was pretty true. However, now it's a different story, 40+. We don't get paid for positioning and quite frankly, if you were to get paid, the way the variable component is the computed, it's not a great deal of money. However, it's not "free" as the company would like to think. It still burns "man days" which limits us as to just how much we can fly/month. Plus, if the schedules were efficient, then we'd have more time off..... a big no no!
Anyhow, enough of the ranting. As Milerscourt pointed out, if you 're qualified on the 400, there are, I think, much better positions out there. When I joined there were no others out there. So, my choices were limited to SQC or EK.
Cheers!!!