10.13.19 – PBS: Holiday Bidding Tips

With the holidays rapidly approaching, bidding for the holiday season may require a different bidding strategy then what is necessary during other times of the year. Below are some tips when bidding during this time of year. As with any bidding strategy, it is important to keep in mind your relative seniority at your base.

If having certain days off is important to you, the fewer number of properties you bid is often better. The more properties you add to your bid, the more it could decrease the number of trips in your pairing pools. You may want to bid all the days off you prefer in layer 1, remember all pairings that touch those days off will not be included in your pairing pools. Then bid fewer days off in each layer after that. If you were to bid the same days off in every layer, you are still keeping the pairings that touch those days off out of your pairing pools. By bidding fewer days off in later layers, you are increasing the pairings that PBS can award you.

If you do not bid enough pairings, you will be awarded pairings from outside of your pairing pools (PN). This may include any type of pairing on your requested days off. As a reminder, any bid for a specific pairing will override a request for an off day.

It’s important to realize there is a chance your seniority will have required coverage dates (CN) over the holidays. Relaxing your day off bids will help you by allowing PBS to award a trip from your pairing pool, versus a trip you did not bid for.

The age-old question is “should I bid trips over the holiday just in case?” In a holiday month, it is crucial to understand your seniority and bid accordingly. If you are relatively junior, you are very likely to work over the holiday. If you have not had to work over the holidays in the past, remember PBS awarding of time off is very different than line bidding in the past.

Do not try to avoid it. It is best practice to bid for something in your final layers that you would like to fly close to the holiday or touching the actual holiday. If there is no way to avoid flying, at least you have given the system a list of trips you would prefer to work if you have to.

For further information on holiday bidding, please consult the link to the PBS Guide on the APFA website by clicking here.