New Hire Bases & Commuting

[TrailerParkBoy]

As somone who's commute has always been on four wheels (well, sometimes two, but you get the idea)..

How would commuting for a new hire work from YVR to probably YYC (or wherever I could be based?) Is it feasible?

Jazz has a great commuting policy and of all the pilots who I know commute to work, i've never heard of anyone having trouble getting to base!

[Batman]

Please excuse me if I'm totally out to lunch but even though you're technically not "common employer" Air Canada employees with an earlier hire date have priority over a Jazz employee on their own airline?

[AllClutch]

It's a little complicated but basically Air Canada employees have priority on seats for anything with Air Canada painted on the side regardless of hire date.
The operators employees have first dibs on the jumpseat.

[Canoehead]

Please excuse me if I'm totally out to lunch but even though you're technically not "common employer" Air Canada employees with an earlier hire date have priority over a Jazz employee on their own airline?

It's a little complicated but basically Air Canada employees have priority on seats for anything with Air Canada painted on the side regardless of hire date.
The operators employees have first dibs on the jumpseat.

Kinda, no not really.

Regardless of the flight (AC or QK operated), contingent travel is based on the boarding priority that one holds, and then your service date. Yes an AC employee may have a higher priority than a QK employee, but the same is true in reverse. A QK employee might have higher than an AC employee, on an AC flight. Depending on the QK hire date (early 2006 onward), yes the priority is lower than AC. Add to that the little gem the AC pilots got in their contract- can't recall... 4 C1's per year?

But as mentioned, the Jumpseat is company specific first (then a lengthy list of who can sit there in priority).

To the OP, commuting while on reserve is not a good time.

[AllClutch]

I didn't to bring the whole "C2 C4" debacle into this as it really doesn't effect his situation that employees hired before 2006 might get priority over a new hire AC employee.
The fact is it is a tough commute and he will be bottom of the priority list.
Better off using Westjet on the commute.

[Apollo]

So what type of schedule is a new hire looking at? I've heard rumors of maximum 7 days reserve - is that a 7on/7off type of deal?

What should I be expecting?

[tdp19]

So what type of schedule is a new hire looking at? I've heard rumors of maximum 7 days reserve - is that a 7on/7off type of deal?

What should I be expecting?

As a new hire you can expect a reserve block, Nope won't be 7 on 7 off, the number's don't add up, your guaranteed 12 day's off. You can expect between 4-5 day RSV blocks followed by 2 day's off. You won't be able to hold weekend's off unless you are the #1/2 of the RSV pilots. Their will most likely be some continuous duties (CD) in there as well to act as filler's. A CD is a flight where you depart around 10-11 p.m, fly to your destination, go to a hotel, sleep for 2-6 hour's depending on the destination, and arrive back at your base at 7am. Goodluck

[Mône]

That's painting a rather dark portrait of how it really is. First, there aren't necessary CDs on all bases and equipements; and sometimes they actualy go fairly senior as some people really like that flying. Secondly, I can comment on the life on reserve, as I have been bidding for it for the last 5 years or so even though I could hold a block. Even as a very junior reserve holder you can get a few week-end days every once in a while; I'm not saying it happens all the time, but saying you will never see a week-end off in the first 2 years is utterly false. I find life on reserve quite enjoyable, I have been at jazz for 7 years and I can recall only a month where I actualy flew all 18 days. My average on reserve is probably around 14-15 days, which is comparable to a regular blockholder, or better, with much more diversity. As for 7 on 7 off, like you said numbers don't add up, but a pilot can waive the max 5 days res in a row and fairly consistantly put 6 days in a row 3 times a month slipt by a few days off to make commuting possible. Obviously commuting on reserve is not desirable but you can manage it for a while until holding a full block, which can happen fairly fast depending on the timing. When I got hired I was on reserve only a month before holding a block on the RJ. Then the base reduced and was forced into reserve; but then again I could have bid off the RJ to maintain a better seniority on the dash.

I beleive dealing in the absolute when talking about bidding,reserve,seniority and commuting is paiting a worse portrait than it actualy is at Jazz, even nowadays.

[teacher]

If I'm not mistaken Jazz has the best reserve rules in the country. It's pretty civilized and our contract prevents you from being jerked around while on reserve. I too bid it for years to get the days off I wanted. You get good variety of flying as well as you can get called out to operate out of any base or any airport that Jazz flies. This sometimes includes test flights, ferry flights or sim.