7.09.22 – PBS Reserve Bidding Tips: Legal Golden Day/Flex Day Patterns

Saturday, July 9, 2022

PBS Reserve Bidding Tips:
Legal Golden Day/Flex Day Patterns

As we have done over the last couple of months, we want to continue providing PBS Reserve bidding tips that address common bidding errors.   

Legal Golden Day/Flex Day (GD/FD) Patterns 
 
One of the primary drivers of dissatisfaction with Reserve PBS awards is many Flight Attendants do not take into account the legal placement of GD/FD when bidding. While PBS does not award GDs and FDs, it is programmed to recognize and award according to contractual Reserve days off and GD/FD pattern rules (JCBA Section 10.D.18). What that means is if you bid reserve days off that create an illegal pattern, even if your seniority can hold them off, PBS may not award them if they don’t conform to the contractual rules.

The basics of Flex Day rules:

• A Flex Day cannot be the first contractual day of the month.
• A Flex Day cannot follow a Golden Day.
• A Flex Day cannot follow six days of availability.

Below is an example of a Reserve bid with an illegal GD/FD pattern. While the bid does allow for the legal 3-6 reserve days on/ 2-8 days off, it does not provide for a legal placement of 4 Flex Days and 8 Golden Days.

The below bid allows for the legal placement of 4 Flex Days and 8 Golden Days:

We recommend plotting your bid on a calendar, perhaps in Layer 7. Count out your days off bid with the contractual pattern rules in mind. Once you have ensured the pattern complies with those rules, you may go back and fill in your layers with those days off.

It’s a good idea to put no more than a couple of days off in each layer. Use each layer to prioritize your days off in order of importance. Start with your most important day(s) off in Layer 1. 

PBS is cumulative and will award as many days off as possible from each layer, starting with Layer 1 and continuing layer by layer until a legal award is made.

See the Reserve Bidding Strategy in the PBS Guide and this recent APFA Hotline.

The Golden Day/Flex Day Application FAQs is found on Crew Change. Within that document is the complete list of pattern rules:

Note: VEX days are considered Golden Days (#34 on the chart in JCBA 10.D.15.d). Exercise caution when using VEX days in conjunction with vacation during a Reserve month. VEX days will be locked in, and finding a legal pattern for your remaining days off may be difficult. We often find only one or two combinations of legal days off patterns available to Reserves when they use VEX days.

Please review the  APFA PBS Bidding Checklist and the full PBS Guide found on Crew Change for more detailed information on PBS bidding.

APFA Contract & Scheduling Desk
Call 817-540-0108
Monday – Friday, 0700 – 1900 (CT)

APFA Live Messaging
Monday – Friday: 1500 – 2300 (CT)
Weekends and Holidays: 0900 – 1700 (CT)
(Link may be found on homepage of APFA.org)

In Solidarity,

Jeff Petersen
APFA National Contract Chair
[email protected]

Marti McMillan
APFA National Scheduling Chair
[email protected]