Originally Posted by
rockdoc
I was wondering how pilots impacted by the Iceland volcano might be paid if their flights were cancelled. Now that this has gone on for several days and may for many more, I imagine UA has a bunch of 777/767 pilots sitting around with nowhere to go since they typically fly European routes and other available 777/767 flights are already staffed. This is not your "typical" weather snafu that is over in a day or so.
In situations such as this do pilots get paid regardless of the interruption, or will they have to make those hours up later in the year somehow?
As poorly managed as United is, we made it a high priority to negotiate a line guarantee for the pilots so we didn't lose pay for poor planning and execution. So, once we have our monthly schedules, if there are schedule changes or cancellations, we don't lose our pay, we just adjust to the new trip. So, in the case of the ash cancellations, the pilots are not losing money, they just end up on a phone standby for a day or are reassigned to a different trip.
Originally Posted by
goalie
since i was hit with a schedule change today my question is......
how far in advance do you get informed about a schedule change. "for us"
it's roughly about 6 weeks before "no more changes"
also, where "we"
have been victims of a/c swaps and sometimes not knowing until we arrive at the airport, how far in advance do you find out and if from one a/c that you drive to one that you don't drive, what does that do/how does that affect your bidding and/or hours?
It varies, we sometimes get schedule changes a month out as we bid our schedules. Other times, we may find out just as we're showing up for our trip, so it just depends. I don't answer my phone from United or read their emails on my days off, so I don't find out anything until I arrive for my trip.
As for aircraft swaps, again, we are pay protected for our trip, so if they drop our plane and put in a different one, then they'll reassign us to go somewhere else, put us on a phone standby period, or deadhead us someplace where we pick up the remainder of our trip.
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