While our planners have predictable work times, weekends, days off etc etc to plan their lives, we are left guessing whether in the next month, we are able to attend:
a social engagement or family gathering or Eid or Christmas or a childs/friends/wifes/husbands birthday or an anniversary or beers with friends or a bbq or a fishing trip or a night out or.....etc etc etc etc.
Half of what you wrote and think big guy is HARAM hehe!!!!! beer?birthday? bbq?gathering?
AIMS can do a great job if they let it alone!
AIMS is capable to give night flights during RAMADAN to our friends that fasting and give days off during Christmas for our friends that do not fast! it is all programming!!
they have to overcome favorism and let AIMS to create blocks and distribute equal rosters for everyboby!! if that happened bidding is possible straight away! they bought the bidding system with the initially package but it is still disabled!All it is required to enable it and provide training and guidelines to all concerned!! it might cost some $$$ but?????????
Istead there is an idiot that plans crew to a max FDP and also plans differently FD and CC which resullts that you starting any block and you have to brief ,meet 2 different CC in a day 4 sector trip, or 4 different CC on a 3 days trip!
As an example:
You are rostered to do a DOH BAH 2 sector block and your FO comes from a previous AUH BAH and has to meet u in a 50 min turnaround and the CC come from a LCA BAH and had to do the same!! all planned without normal and usuall delays to a max FDP!!
Same time we spend money and effort for CRM-joint exercises emphasizing briefings ,teamwork ,fatigue,commercial appearance,safety......etc
we work together but we do not rest together!!