Another roster disaster
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Earth
Posts: 683
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Top bid, got all the flights I bid for, 5 days off over Christmas including the 24th etc and I even got two flights to shopping destinations. I've said it before and I'll say it again I get 70-80% of what I bid for month in month out, because quite frankly I bid conservatively for destinations that aren't as popular. The way I construct my bid is inline with the CRS guidance but only to a point. Not trying to be clever or gloat, but am just stating facts.
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: uk
Posts: 416
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Top bid .
Bid for 3 days off before leave as no1
plus 2 euro flights no specific dates, easy.
Well got DEL day before my leave starts, one of the flights i bid for plus more turn arounds than an Indian ballerina.
Hmmm...............
Bid for 3 days off before leave as no1
plus 2 euro flights no specific dates, easy.
Well got DEL day before my leave starts, one of the flights i bid for plus more turn arounds than an Indian ballerina.
Hmmm...............
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Earth
Posts: 683
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Alwayz…. don't bid for days off before leave, rostering are trying to maximize our hours, why not bid for a trip that requires a few days off afterwards? Just saying as a tactic.
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Dubai
Posts: 768
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
falconeasydriver, CRS does not care how you get your days off, bidding for them or for a trip that gives you them is the a same to it.
Bidding for a trip, means that if anyone else gets assigned the specific trip, you lose. Bidding for days off means you allow CRS a way to find you a trip of the many possible ones available.
Rostering is not actually trying to maximise our hours, senior management is trying to get a pint out of a half pint pot, all other systems then try and solve that problem
Bidding for a trip, means that if anyone else gets assigned the specific trip, you lose. Bidding for days off means you allow CRS a way to find you a trip of the many possible ones available.
Rostering is not actually trying to maximise our hours, senior management is trying to get a pint out of a half pint pot, all other systems then try and solve that problem
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Earth
Posts: 683
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My point entirely Ruserious, everyone seems to be getting shafted with manual insertions, which do think is easier to manipulate? A trip that ends with a required rest period? Or maybe a nice fat string of days off. Human nature is human nature, you can bet (and I do every month) that the easiest option is taken.
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: uk
Posts: 102
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I'm very happy with what I got....Even though I didn't get anything I bid for.
I did get Xmas and New Year off, 16 days off plus rest and ULR standbys with 91.5 hrs.
I just bid the opposite of what I really wanted and hey presto. Doesn't excuse the fact that the system isn't working, but you have to play the cards you're dealt.
I did get Xmas and New Year off, 16 days off plus rest and ULR standbys with 91.5 hrs.
I just bid the opposite of what I really wanted and hey presto. Doesn't excuse the fact that the system isn't working, but you have to play the cards you're dealt.
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: terra softa
Posts: 111
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
falconeasydriver, so to summarise - you mainly bid for destinations that by your own admission, most people would not consider to be the best, and succeed three-quarters of the time in getting them.
That sounds awfully like heading straight for the fat chick at the bar and patting yourself on the back when you get to second base.
That sounds awfully like heading straight for the fat chick at the bar and patting yourself on the back when you get to second base.
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Earth
Posts: 683
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
falconeasydriver, so to summarise - you mainly bid for destinations that by your own admission, most people would not consider to be the best, and succeed three-quarters of the time in getting them.
That sounds awfully like heading straight for the fat chick at the bar and patting yourself on the back when you get to second base.
That sounds awfully like heading straight for the fat chick at the bar and patting yourself on the back when you get to second base.
better IMHO than being at home dateless trolling for "specialist" websites and engaging in self-abuse 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Dubai
Posts: 768
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The number of flights that need manually inserted MOST months does not have any effect on MOST peoples rosters.
Choosing the Chubby Chick (CC) has predictable results if you get her, butt is still not guaranteed due to the way CRS builds the roster, anyone senior to you who wants those days off will often be allocated the CC ahead of you.
Worse case scenario, you will be overlooked by the CC as well
With the 91 hour averages at the moment, if you get 3-5 days off before leave, CRS is likely to put in a ULR flight before to achieve the desired Blocking Window
LW20, yes bunk is counted, anything that gives you credit hours counts to your 92
Choosing the Chubby Chick (CC) has predictable results if you get her, butt is still not guaranteed due to the way CRS builds the roster, anyone senior to you who wants those days off will often be allocated the CC ahead of you.
Worse case scenario, you will be overlooked by the CC as well
With the 91 hour averages at the moment, if you get 3-5 days off before leave, CRS is likely to put in a ULR flight before to achieve the desired Blocking Window
LW20, yes bunk is counted, anything that gives you credit hours counts to your 92
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: terra softa
Posts: 111
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Fair enough - I'll concede to calling her slightly Gravitationally Challenged.
The point being that all of us, after diligently saving up for three or four months, should be able to go out and hire that Ferrari 458, valet park behind the velvet rope at da club, and pull Miss World (or at least 2nd runner-up, if the guy in the Aventador got there before you).
But from what I can see, there aren't too many Ferraris for hire, and the Big Night is spent drinking at the bar alone.
The point being that all of us, after diligently saving up for three or four months, should be able to go out and hire that Ferrari 458, valet park behind the velvet rope at da club, and pull Miss World (or at least 2nd runner-up, if the guy in the Aventador got there before you).
But from what I can see, there aren't too many Ferraris for hire, and the Big Night is spent drinking at the bar alone.
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Big Country
Age: 59
Posts: 132
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Anyone else sick of the whining from guys with minimal time in the position about how they never get what they want and deserve each month? Some guys have been here 20 years and get screwed in their rosters. You don't hear them, at least not on the swap groups, bitching about it.
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Dubai
Posts: 768
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
journeyman, you are totally correct about how things should be, unfortunately if you use the word Should in the context of the airline, you don't understand the depth of the problem
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Everywhere
Age: 17
Posts: 69
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Have figured it out. They have reprogrammed the CRS bidding software with "insert unswoppable turnaround between 4 days off and leave"
So now it's not manual insertion it's "äu natural"
So now it's not manual insertion it's "äu natural"
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Scotland
Posts: 203
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Just to add to the ground duty debate...
This month middle bid with the sim and ground school. Horrible roster.
Next month second top and a great roster with everything I asked for. One horrible turn manually inserted.
I am usually happy with my roster, and usually get exactly what I want in the top two. but whenever I have ground duties my roster is TERRIBLE.
This month middle bid with the sim and ground school. Horrible roster.
Next month second top and a great roster with everything I asked for. One horrible turn manually inserted.
I am usually happy with my roster, and usually get exactly what I want in the top two. but whenever I have ground duties my roster is TERRIBLE.
That's why I said 'if' they are using the same system...
Basically I was told that if you have leave then the system will try to assign max hours so unlikely to get blocks of days off UNLESS you also bid ULRs that require said days off.
Of course rosters are much tighter for the CC but I'd guess the principle is the same. If you have two weeks leave then of course they will try squeeze as many hours as they can out of you. That generally doesn't provide for 5 days off before/after your leave...
What they told me (make of it what you will) that is when you have months with ground duty AND get what you bid for it is probably because the person manually assigning the roster has checked in the system to see what was bid. Majority of them don't bother which is why the roster almost always nowhere resembles the bids. All CC rosters with ground duty are manually assigned.
Again this was in relation to the CC rosters however I don't see why they would divert too much from this formula if it's working for *them*
It would also explain the issue of rosters being ****e whenever there's ground duty. Again as I said only speculation based on what they are doing with the CC but it makes sense to me
Basically I was told that if you have leave then the system will try to assign max hours so unlikely to get blocks of days off UNLESS you also bid ULRs that require said days off.
Of course rosters are much tighter for the CC but I'd guess the principle is the same. If you have two weeks leave then of course they will try squeeze as many hours as they can out of you. That generally doesn't provide for 5 days off before/after your leave...
What they told me (make of it what you will) that is when you have months with ground duty AND get what you bid for it is probably because the person manually assigning the roster has checked in the system to see what was bid. Majority of them don't bother which is why the roster almost always nowhere resembles the bids. All CC rosters with ground duty are manually assigned.
Again this was in relation to the CC rosters however I don't see why they would divert too much from this formula if it's working for *them*
It would also explain the issue of rosters being ****e whenever there's ground duty. Again as I said only speculation based on what they are doing with the CC but it makes sense to me
Join Date: May 2014
Location: timbuktu
Posts: 84
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
This is the second month in a row with 7 days of continuous duty with a combo of layovers and turns starting at various times of the night and day. They cant even keep the start times consistent so you can create a rest pattern that works.
SKF is heading my direction very quickly. These bobble heads in roster planning need to be fired.
SKF is heading my direction very quickly. These bobble heads in roster planning need to be fired.