1.14.19 – PBS Bidding Tips

Monday, January 14, 2019

PBS Bidding Tips

Facts about Target Credit Range (TCR)

• TCR is cumulative, not layer specific. PBS takes the pairings you bid and tries to accomplish the credit requested with pairings from the earliest layer possible.
• It is recommended to bid a minimum of five (5) hour increments to accommodate the variation in credit amounts for the pairing bid. (Ex. Layer 1 50-55 hours. Layer 2 55-60 hours)
• Like everything else in PBS, TCR is seniority driven.
• Do not bid zero (0) hours. PBS only recognizes specific ranges. Bidding 0 will assume the default range (70-90).
• PBS reads 3 ranges:
  o  Low range: 40-69 hours
  o  Default Range 70-90 hours
  o  High Range 91-110 hours

As a reminder, until all bases transition to PBS the TTS max will be 115 hrs, regardless of your awarded PBS hours.

Prefer Position Order

This property allows you to bid for specific positions in priority order. Additionally, PBS will award positions in the priority requested in each layer.  You can also exclude positions by only entering your preferred positions. If this property is not used, all eligible positions will be considered and awarded in numerical order.

To bid for a specific order, enter the position number (single digits must include a leading zero) followed by a comma (e.g. 01,02,05,04,03). PBS only recognizes numerical positions; it will not allow any alphabet character to be entered. You will receive an error message stating the entry is (not valid).

Persistent Line Properties

If you use a persistent line property in a layer, it will apply to the subsequent layers throughout your bid.
Example(s) of how persistent line properties work:”

The FA bids to waive their 30/7 in Layer 3 only or Layers 3,4,5,6 & 7. The system will NOT apply the waiver to Layers 1 &2, but WILL apply the waiver in Layers 3,4,5,6 & 7 if the layer is or is not selected. This is because the property persists in the subsequent layers.

Lineholder

Waive 30 hours in 7 Days 

This waiver allows you to exceed the contractual maximum of thirty (30:00) scheduled block hours in a rolling seven-day period. In many instances, failure to include this waiver may limit the total credit and/or desired pairings the system is able to award to you. Once used in a layer, it applies to every layer thereafter.
If PBS utilizes the 30/7 waiver to complete your award, that waiver will carry forward into your actual month’s operations, and will apply to your entire month. This waiver is the only one which does, all others must be waived again in other applications.

*Change from 35/7 from previous PBS

Waive Carry-Over Credit 

This property must be selected in Layer 1, in order for the system to waive the carry-over credit. It will then apply to all layers. If used in Layer 2-7, it simply will not apply. Waiving your carry-over credit is a guaranteed option; there are no limiting factors during the award process. This waiver will allow you to designate carry-over pairings as pay no credit, for PBS bidding only.  When PBS is awarding your Targeted Credit Range (TCR), if this waiver is selected, your carry over credit will not be considered in your TCR.

The credit will then be added back in when your award is placed into FOS, and will be used in the calculation for determining your TTS Max.

For example, if you are a high time flyer and you have 10 hours of carry-over credit from the current month, you may select this waiver and the system will not include the 10 hours of credit in your award. This means PBS could award you up to 110 hours on top of your carry-over credit for a total line value of 120 hours.

The Clear Bids property will not remove this property.
*New Waiver in PBS

Reserve

Waive to Allow Carry Over to be Day(s) Off 

This waiver allows you to designate carry-over pairings as reserve days off in the following bid month. If you use this waiver, any carry-over credit will be paid above your reserve guarantee (pay no credit).

If this waiver is not selected any days that touch your carry-over pairing will be awarded as reserve days and count towards your reserve guarantee (pay and credit).

This option applies to previous month transitions from reserve to reserve or lineholder to reserve. Selecting this option guarantees days off under your carry-over trip, it is not based on seniority. This option must be selected in layer 1, and applies to every layer thereafter.

*New waiver in PBS

As a final reminder, PBS Bidding closes tomorrow, January 15th at Noon (DFW Time).