Trip Trade Anyone?

rgphib · 10-17-2005, 05:10 PM

Does anyone else get stuck doing the trip trade for their husbands? I don't know how other airlines do it, but at Continental Express a week after phase 1 bid closes the Line Inprovement Window opens. At 9pm the pilots can go and try to change for other trips. Of course, tonight is the night and DH is in Montreal so who gets stuck with this...me! It is the most frustrating and scary thing I have ever had to do. If you do not submit your request at exactly 9pm you loose. Luckily there is really only 1 pairing I need to trade (not commutable) but of course DH will be so upset if I don't get what he wants! Usually you can only trade for days you already are working because they say there is no coverage on the other days. It really only works for changing trips on the days you already have. Forget trying to get a weekend off! Agghh! Just wanted to vent because come 9pm, I will want to scream. DH taught me how to check the clock to the second....he is nuts! He makes me submit before and watch the clock on windows. And then see how many seconds the difference is (it tells you the time when it gets submitted), then you subtract (or add) that time so you can submit at exactly 9pm...a second early or late, your screwed...not too much pressure right!

Wish me luck!

rgphib · 10-17-2005, 05:55 PM

I did it last month and a few months ago. Last month, I got literally nothing...it was awful. Luckily his schedule was already commutable. The other month I did it I did pretty good. I just hope I get the one that he needs

Funny story, two months ago he was flying and the FO window was open and his FO didn't have anyone to do it for him (wife was in Maine and had no computer access). I asked DH if he wanted me to do it for his FO (it would have sucked but I would have done it). I heard him ask his FO and he said "my wife will do it for you if you want. she is all checked out in it!" I was laughing! Luckily they were delayed due to change in aircraft so the FO was able to run down to the crew room and do it.

Wow, you do all the bidding! I haven't had to do that yet. DH goes through the lines usually when he gets to work or waits for the commute home. All he really cares about is the commutability at both ends, so I could do it.

I remember the reserve...bid all the lines and then reserve....as much as I love DH having a line, I wish he was on reserve because that would mean he moved on. Sometimes I think he would really like to go to a new airline, but honestly I think he is really scared...plus, with so many other senoir pilots furloughed he is not very marketable with flight time compared to them....but we'll see. He was actually filling out his log book the past 2 weeks. I think he is up to Feb. of 04! I don't want to ask him if this means he is looking to apply at some majors, it might scare him off

rgphib · 10-17-2005, 08:06 PM

I did it! I got the two trips he wanted (and was able to get rid of a 1 day). And then I was able to trade and get him a sunday start after Turkey Day

Yeah for me.

Thanks for the support.

lucky81698 · 10-17-2005, 08:37 PM

Yeah! That's great!

MQAAord · 10-17-2005, 08:51 PM

I so do NOT do trip trades or bidding for him.

I refuse to have that stress & responsibility on my back. He is a nit-picky perfectionist to the WORST degree and there's no way I would EVER do it right (or should I say, right enough for him).

When he screws things up (and he does) he has no one but himself to blame.

rgphib · 10-17-2005, 09:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MQAAord

I refuse to have that stress & responsibility on my back. He is a nit-picky perfectionist to the WORST degree and there's no way I would EVER do it right (or should I say, right enough for him).

When he screws things up (and he does) he has no one but himself to blame.

My DH is the biggest perfectionist as well. So bad, the passed that trait on to me! I was never like that until I met him. Now when I plan my lessons for teaching, I have my lessons planned for the next 3 months, photocopying done for the next 2 months...and I have my year basically planned (just not on a day by day basis yet...by the end of Dec. I will!).

If I wanted to have him home for certain days, I had to learn how to deal with the stress. It has been over 1 hour since I did it tonight...and I am still shaking! Luckily he was able to get on a computer in Montreal and we talked on AIM and I got to tell him I did good.

Last month, I swore to him I would never do it again. I was 1 second late and didn't get the trips he wanted. He was so mad, he didn't talk to me for a couple of hours. Then he got over it. I was so upset I wanted to cry! But I had no choice this month if I wanted him home for Thanksgiving, my birthday and my high school reunion (I am a dork and I really wanted to go....).

He told me on AIM I can do it again next month...I said "you wish".

rgphib · 10-17-2005, 09:55 PM

The worst part was, I traded a trip for him to start on sunday and then he found what he thought was a better sunday trip and picked it up. Come to find out even though the one he picked up got done earlier on Wed (make the 3:30 flight home vs. the 5:30) he has to go on the first flight Sunday (6:20 vs. 10:00). Oh well, I figure we can still got to my reunion, even if for only an hour or hour and a half

He was upset after that he traded it! LOL

And said I did better then him.

We feel the same way, even if the pairings suck, as long as he is home the days we want, that is what matters. I guess I am lucky he is crazy about the trip trading and monthly bidding. We won't talk about the month he forgot to bid.....luckily for some odd reason his whole month was commutable, but it made for a scary/pissed off hour waiting for the bid to come out that morning!

How is Continental's bidding compared to Express? Do you find it similar?

Kristie · 10-17-2005, 11:02 PM

glad to hear everything worked out!! there's no way i'd do trip trade for my hubby.. he has way too many requirements for me to ever get it right! much less get it right without a sweat!!

So we've gotten it down to where i email him the days i'd like for him to try and get off (knowing there are never any guarantees) and go from there....he always works his bids this way:

1) commutable trip (little to no commuting nights/need for hotel)
2) days off
3) good, longer layovers
4) location of trips/layovers
5) duration of flights
6) anything else...

ASACRJwife · 10-25-2005, 07:23 PM

I do some bidding and trip trading for hubby. Unfortunately, open time for submitting trades is at the mercy of crew scheduling WHEN they get around to it, and only on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. We've tried the TradeBoard this month to drop/trade/pickup trips directly with other pilots (with CS approval, of course) so it will be interesting to see how it turns out. We need to change his November schedule so that I work when he's home and he works when I'm home so that one of us is home with the toddler at all times. Either way, it's still a mess at ASA.

10-17-2005, 05:10 PM	#1 (permalink)
rgphib Jetgirls Ol' School Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: NH Posts: 848 Recipes: Thanks: 0 Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts	Trip Trade Anyone? Does anyone else get stuck doing the trip trade for their husbands? I don't know how other airlines do it, but at Continental Express a week after phase 1 bid closes the Line Inprovement Window opens. At 9pm the pilots can go and try to change for other trips. Of course, tonight is the night and DH is in Montreal so who gets stuck with this...me! It is the most frustrating and scary thing I have ever had to do. If you do not submit your request at exactly 9pm you loose. Luckily there is really only 1 pairing I need to trade (not commutable) but of course DH will be so upset if I don't get what he wants! Usually you can only trade for days you already are working because they say there is no coverage on the other days. It really only works for changing trips on the days you already have. Forget trying to get a weekend off! Agghh! Just wanted to vent because come 9pm, I will want to scream. DH taught me how to check the clock to the second....he is nuts! He makes me submit before and watch the clock on windows. And then see how many seconds the difference is (it tells you the time when it gets submitted), then you subtract (or add) that time so you can submit at exactly 9pm...a second early or late, your screwed...not too much pressure right! Wish me luck! __________________ ~Robyn~ Wife to a new Southwest FO....and Mommy to Jack!

10-17-2005, 05:55 PM	#2 (permalink)
rgphib Jetgirls Ol' School Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: NH Posts: 848 Recipes: Thanks: 0 Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts	Re: Trip Trade Anyone? I did it last month and a few months ago. Last month, I got literally nothing...it was awful. Luckily his schedule was already commutable. The other month I did it I did pretty good. I just hope I get the one that he needs Funny story, two months ago he was flying and the FO window was open and his FO didn't have anyone to do it for him (wife was in Maine and had no computer access). I asked DH if he wanted me to do it for his FO (it would have sucked but I would have done it). I heard him ask his FO and he said "my wife will do it for you if you want. she is all checked out in it!" I was laughing! Luckily they were delayed due to change in aircraft so the FO was able to run down to the crew room and do it. Wow, you do all the bidding! I haven't had to do that yet. DH goes through the lines usually when he gets to work or waits for the commute home. All he really cares about is the commutability at both ends, so I could do it. I remember the reserve...bid all the lines and then reserve....as much as I love DH having a line, I wish he was on reserve because that would mean he moved on. Sometimes I think he would really like to go to a new airline, but honestly I think he is really scared...plus, with so many other senoir pilots furloughed he is not very marketable with flight time compared to them....but we'll see. He was actually filling out his log book the past 2 weeks. I think he is up to Feb. of 04! I don't want to ask him if this means he is looking to apply at some majors, it might scare him off __________________ ~Robyn~ Wife to a new Southwest FO....and Mommy to Jack!

10-17-2005, 08:06 PM	#3 (permalink)
rgphib Jetgirls Ol' School Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: NH Posts: 848 Recipes: Thanks: 0 Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts	Re: Trip Trade Anyone? I did it! I got the two trips he wanted (and was able to get rid of a 1 day). And then I was able to trade and get him a sunday start after Turkey Day Yeah for me. Thanks for the support. __________________ ~Robyn~ Wife to a new Southwest FO....and Mommy to Jack!

10-17-2005, 08:37 PM	#4 (permalink)
lucky81698 Jetgirls Ol' School Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: 1 Posts: 867 Recipes: Thanks: 1 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts	Re: Trip Trade Anyone? Yeah! That's great!

10-17-2005, 08:51 PM	#5 (permalink)
MQAAord Jetgirls Ol' School Member Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: A Happy Place Posts: 668 Recipes: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Trip Trade Anyone? I so do NOT do trip trades or bidding for him. I refuse to have that stress & responsibility on my back. He is a nit-picky perfectionist to the WORST degree and there's no way I would EVER do it right (or should I say, right enough for him). When he screws things up (and he does) he has no one but himself to blame.

10-17-2005, 09:55 PM	#7 (permalink)
rgphib Jetgirls Ol' School Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: NH Posts: 848 Recipes: Thanks: 0 Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts	Re: Trip Trade Anyone? The worst part was, I traded a trip for him to start on sunday and then he found what he thought was a better sunday trip and picked it up. Come to find out even though the one he picked up got done earlier on Wed (make the 3:30 flight home vs. the 5:30) he has to go on the first flight Sunday (6:20 vs. 10:00). Oh well, I figure we can still got to my reunion, even if for only an hour or hour and a half He was upset after that he traded it! LOL And said I did better then him. We feel the same way, even if the pairings suck, as long as he is home the days we want, that is what matters. I guess I am lucky he is crazy about the trip trading and monthly bidding. We won't talk about the month he forgot to bid.....luckily for some odd reason his whole month was commutable, but it made for a scary/pissed off hour waiting for the bid to come out that morning! How is Continental's bidding compared to Express? Do you find it similar? __________________ ~Robyn~ Wife to a new Southwest FO....and Mommy to Jack!

10-17-2005, 11:02 PM	#8 (permalink)
Kristie Admin/Owner Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Scottsdale, Arizona Posts: 6,630 Recipes: Thanks: 7 Thanked 17 Times in 17 Posts	Re: Trip Trade Anyone? glad to hear everything worked out!! there's no way i'd do trip trade for my hubby.. he has way too many requirements for me to ever get it right! much less get it right without a sweat!! So we've gotten it down to where i email him the days i'd like for him to try and get off (knowing there are never any guarantees) and go from there....he always works his bids this way: 1) commutable trip (little to no commuting nights/need for hotel) 2) days off 3) good, longer layovers 4) location of trips/layovers 5) duration of flights 6) anything else... __________________ www.jetcareers.com

10-25-2005, 07:23 PM	#9 (permalink)
ASACRJwife Jetgirls Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Douglasville, GA USA Posts: 87 Recipes: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Trip Trade Anyone? I do some bidding and trip trading for hubby. Unfortunately, open time for submitting trades is at the mercy of crew scheduling WHEN they get around to it, and only on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. We've tried the TradeBoard this month to drop/trade/pickup trips directly with other pilots (with CS approval, of course) so it will be interesting to see how it turns out. We need to change his November schedule so that I work when he's home and he works when I'm home so that one of us is home with the toddler at all times. Either way, it's still a mess at ASA.

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