7.13.21 – APFA PHL Base Brief – Tips for August 2021 PBS Bidding

Tuesday, July 13, 2021

Tips for August 2021 PBS Bidding

Just a few tips for August bidding. PHL has never had a six-day trip, and its calendar day length, RON durations, and flight hours combine to create some bidding issues in PBS. First and foremost, if you are bidding for this six-day trip, the following waivers may be required:

• WAIVE 24 HOUR REST IN DOMICILE, 
• WAIVE 30 HOURS IN 7 DAYS,
• WAIVE MINIMUM DAYS OFF. 

The first two waivers are found under the ‘line’ tab, and the third waiver is found under the ‘days off’ tab. All three are persistent properties. Once entered into a layer, they persist for all remaining layers. In other words, if you enter these properties in layer 1, they will apply to all remaining layers without the need to enter them into layers 2-7.While it’s best practice to select ‘Waive 30 Hours in 7 days’ when bidding a combination of trips that exceed 30 block hours in any consecutive seven days (JCBA 11.B.2 & 3), there is an exception to this waiver for trips like the six-day LHR. The system will automatically apply the 30/7 waiver to award any IPD pairing/sequence that has a scheduled block time of 30 or more hours. It’s important to note that when the automatic waiver is applied, it will affect the rolling seven day period before and after the awarded trip. It does not apply to your entire bid unless you select the waiver.

The FAA requires 24-hours free from duty within seven days of flying. There is NO waiver for this.  However, our contract requires this FAA-required rest to be in domicile. The WAIVE 24 HOUR REST IN DOMICILE allows the required 24-hours free from duty to be satisfied on a layover or in base. The six-day LHR trip fulfills this required rest on the second overnight only if you use the 24-hour rest in domicile waiver.

The waiver for MINIMUM DAYS OFF may also be necessary when bidding this trip. August is a 30-day month, and PBS requires all awards to have at least 11 calendar days free from duty. Using this waiver allows PBS to reduce the required 11 days off to complete a legal line award. Please consider using this waiver if you desire to be a high-time flyer, if you have VAC days, or are combining this six-day trip with other trips during the month. PBS will not go below 11 calendar days free of duty without using this waiver.

ATH, fortunately, returns for AUG bidding. It, too, has some unique issues that require these three waivers. Unlike most other IPD trips flown back-to-back, ATH back-to-back does not provide 24 hours free of duty in domicile between release from the first trip to report for the next trip.  It does, however, provide 24-hours free of duty on the overnight. You must use the waiver for 24 hours rest in domicile if you want to fly three back-to-back. You may need to use the waiver for 30/7 if you want to fly ATH back-to-back or any other trip that would take you over 30 hours in 7 days. ATH pays 20+35, and without this waiver, PBS will only award a sequence with less than 9+25 hours in the following four days. Also, please read the COVID-19 destination information found in COMPLY 365 for ATH. There is a requirement for COVID-19 testing, or your card proving vaccination, or maybe both. Kim has asked for further clarification and will provide more information as it becomes available.

The bottom line for AUG, if you are bidding for the six-day LHR trip, ATH, or quite frankly, any IPD trip, please consider these three waivers.

Please contact me if you have any further questions concerning bidding for AUG.

In Solidarity,

John Pratt
PHL Base Council Representative, PBS
(302) 396-9434
[email protected]