by Scottler » Fri Aug 29, 2003 7:01 am
Pilots bid every month on a series of flights, which are called "lines". Each line breaks down which flight you're taking, what plane its on, etc...
You bid based on your seniority. At Continental, and I'm sure most other airlines, flight crews bid the number of their seniority. For example, the #1 pilot or F/A only had to bid one line, since, as most senior, they were obviously going to get it. #2 bid 2 lines, #3 bid 3 lines, etc....You bid them in order of preference, and you get the highest line (preferred routes) you're the highest bidder for. (Make sense? Probably not.)
There's really no logistical reason for this. It's more of a benefit than anything else. It allows you to go to places YOU want to go to. Some people have no interest in going to Alaska, others have no interest in going to Paris. It's nice being able to choose your routes.
The worst part is when you're a newbie, and you're on "reserve". This means that you don't bid lines. You're basically sent wherever the airline wants you. (Not sure about pilots, but in CAL, the reserve F/As sit in the crew room on "Airport Alert" days...you sit there for four hours and if the phone rings for you, you go where they send you. It can be exciting and adventurous, or it can be boring and lame. It's never the same thing twice.)
That's bidding in a nutshell. lol Not an easy process, but one worth the effort, IMHO.