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10.18.19 – PBS: How to Understand Your Award

Friday, October 18, 2019

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PBS: How to Understand Your Award

How to Read Your Award

To view your PBS award, log in to PBS and click the Award tab, your awarded schedule will display. View the headers at the top of your award and the top of the pairing details for the following information:

  1. Layer – This displays the layer from which your award is completed: L1 = Layer 1, L2 = Layer 2, etc. LN = layer none which indicates your awarded line was completed outside of your seven (7) layers.
  2. OFF – Total number of calendar days off in the bid month.
  3. Credit – Total amount of credit for the bid month: awarded pairings plus any existing credit (unless waived).
  4. PRM – Total international premium pay for the bid month. It does not include any senior, aft, galley, speaker or purser premium pay.
  5. Priority – This indicates which pairing pool the awarded pairing came from. P1 = layer 1 pairing pool, P2 = layer 2 pairing pool.  PN = pairing pool none (see below) CN = coverage needed (see below),
  6. Seat – This is your awarded position on the pairings in your schedule.

Where Did PBS Select Your Pairings From?

P1-P7: PBS was able to award your pairings from any of your seven pairing pools.

PN: Your pairing pools did not provide PBS enough pairings that could be held at your seniority to create a legal line. PBS had to go outside of your pairing pools to find additional pairings to complete your line. In the future make sure to adjust your bids to include more pairings.

CN: Your seniority required you to be awarded a pairing over certain days even though you requested those days off. If your day off request were bid in all seven layers, or you did not bid for pairings you could hold touching those days, PBS will find any pairing touching the required coverage days to create a legal line. Like PN pairings, CN pairings do not come from any of your pairing pools. A CN pairing will be accompanied by a list of required coverage dates in your reason report.

Award RecapIf PBS cannot award a complete line in Layer 1, it will move to Layer 2, and so on. When you receive your award, review the layer(s) each of your awarded pairings and line come from.


Where Did PBS Finish My Award?

L1-L7: PBS was able to award enough pairings that you bid for, while also satisfying your line properties. Your bidding strategy effectively provided parameters, while allowing a legal line to be built.

LN: PBS was unable to satisfy your line properties by layer 7 and forced to go outside your seven layers.

PBS was unable to find a combination of your pairings to satisfy your line properties. There may have been enough pairings for PBS to award at your seniority in your pairing pools, but your line properties were too restrictive.

Anytime you are awarded a CN or PN pairing, your line will automatically be labeled as LN. Either way, you should refine your bidding strategy to prevent this in the future.


For more information on understanding your PBS award, you can consult your PBS Guide on the APFA website, FOI specialists, the FABRC or the APFA JSIC.

If you believe that you have a mis-award please call the FABRC prior to the 24th at noon (DFW time) to have your award reviewed and if there is an issue evaluated by the PBS Admin team.

Calling the FABRC is required in the mis-award process.

You can also reach out to us by completing the PBS Mis-Award form on the APFA website for review.

In Unity,

APFA JSIC
[email protected]

Alin Boswell
Julie Hedrick
Linda Haertling

APFA Headquarters
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APFA Headquarters
1004 West Euless Boulevard
Euless, Texas 76040

M-F: 9:00AM - 5:00PM (CT)
Phone: (817) 540-0108

Call APFA

Contract & Scheduling Desk
M-F: 9:00AM - 5:00PM (CT)
Phone: (817) 540-0108

Chat APFA

After-Hours Live Chat
Weekends / Holidays: 9:00AM - 5:00PM (CT)

APFA Events

Currently, no scheduled events...

APFA Headquarters
1004 West Euless Boulevard
Euless, Texas 76040

M-F: 9:00AM - 5:00PM (CT)
Phone: (817) 540-0108

Call APFA

Contract & Scheduling Desk
M-F: 9:00AM - 5:00PM (CT)
Phone: (817) 540-0108

Chat APFA

After-Hours Live Chat
Weekends / Holidays: 9:00AM - 5:00PM (CT)

APFA Events

Currently, no scheduled events...

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