The Preferential Bidding System (PBS) is a custom software solution built to incorpoarate the requirements of the JCBA.  It allows flight attendants to build preferentially ranked layers, each filled with accumulated pairings that the program will use to build monthly schedules, in seniority order.

This system was designed to offer more flexibility when building your schedule, however contractual and FAR legalities are complex and must always be satisfied before seniority when building your schedule.  Learning how all of these rules interact can often feel overwhelming.

APFA's PBS information below focuses on common issues and pain points that have been identified by our Contract and Scheduling Reps as well as what we have gathered through feedback from flight attendants over the years.

There are also many resources on Jetnet to begin learning how to use PBS including the full PBS guide.