Are certain routes more desirable due to flight departure times or length? Do pilots get to choose what routes based on seniority?
Also if a pilot can’t fly their scheduled flight do they have an on call pilot that picks up that shift?
In: Engineering
It’s company specific in how the bidding process works, but generally yes, you can bid on some specific things, like where you might overnight during a trip.
Overnights are in the eye of the beholder. I personally like to stay in the United States, but my personal bidding strategy is to get the highest amount of credit (hours worked,hence pay) in the shortest time possible. A friend of mine likes Europe, so she bids that constantly. Another friend I have bids for overnights where he lives (he commutes)so he goes home during a trip.
Many pilots commute to work, meaning they live far away from their base (where their trips start from), so they usually bid on a commutable schedule, one that allows them to fly in (jumpseat) on the day they start work, and go home on the day they finish work. Commuting generally sucks FYI.
Yes, if a pilot calls in sick, there are pilots on reserve call ready to be assigned. They have to be at the airport within a certain amount of time. Generally there are always several/many pilots ready to go and must answer their phone when called.
[my layover life](https://youtube.com/@mylayoverlife?si=TeBIGkSJDVplRV4k) has videos on that
Details vary with every airline, they all have their own systems for this, but essentially yes.
There is a master schedule that complies with the rules agreed to between the pilots union and the airline plus the schedule of flights the airline wants to fly. Usually it’s 4-6 weeks out, and new blocks of time are released each week. Some flights are more desirable, though what’s desirable is in the mind of the pilot. Seniority plays a role, and those with low seniority can get stuck with being “on call” in case somebody gets sick. On call pilots are also important in resolving delays, as the pilot’s work day is also constrained by FAA regulations.
Where these systems have led to catastrophes is that they don’t solve the problem quickly when the schedule is disrupted. Many pilots fly from where they live to the starting point of their first flight of the day, and when their “get to work” flight is delayed it can mess up the whole system. When they time out and have to sleep it’s another problem to get them home, just like everybody else in a large scale delay situation.
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