Fleet: Short Haul Domestic 737
Seniority: 35 of 129

Launch Scenario »
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SmartPref allows for training assignments to be included in the crew member's line, either by allowing him to bid for it or by pre-assigning it. When the live bidding election is allowed, as in our case, if the bidder does not elect to bid for it, he will be arbitrarily assigned his required training.

To include a specific training assignment (attribute T for simulator training, attribute G for ground school) do a trip search (criteria 1) on attribute T and the available training periods are displayed. Then go to criteria 2 and select trip dates to bid the attribute T on the day(s) you wish to be on training. Browse those Training trip and Add to Bid. Then bid other trips per normal around your training choices. The present bid has not followed our 'what if it is not available rule' of giving alternate choices.

Please note the inclusion of your other activities: C/I, carry in and VA, vacation. The associated credits are automatically accounted for and included in the line credit.

In the lower seniorities it may be useful to know the availability of days off and of required duties to gauge the probabilities of you having to work or having the day off. By moving the cursor over the DAYS/TRIPS line just below the calendar, a number will appear reflecting either the approximate number of days off available or the approximate number of crews that are needed to cover the trips spanning that day,

You may wish to know why a certain trip was not awarded. To determine this, click on that trip (the 2nd in our example) and on the pull down menu click show trip audit. The reason will appear in a box message.

Additionally you may want more explanation and understanding on how the bid was arrived at, so click on bid analysis and the series of trip assignments in the order they were made will appear. Only certain trip rejections that may not be obvious at first glance are noted, trips overlapping are not listed.

Trips appear in the order they are assigned, the choice number on the left corresponds to the sequence number in your bid. When combinatorial improvements are made, trips previously awarded may deleted and/or exchanged with other trips in your bid to arrive at a better and more satisfactory line. Certain preferences (commute, back to back) cannot follow the sequential line award order due to their combinatorial requirement (e.g. trip A is a good choice only if trip B is also awarded).

On the right side of the explanation window you will find the 'bid sufficiency scale' which measures how well your choices are supported by alternate choices should some of the choices you have made are no longer available. It is important that the green gauge representing desired trips extends well beyond the requirements of the awarded line. As you see in the above example there is virtually no alternate choices should one of the trips in the line become no longer available. The red back up line scale confirms this.

While in the example below there are plenty of alternate choices available should all or one of the bidder's trips are taken. This is also confirmed by the red back up line scale remaining well within the green band. A good rule of thumb would be to bid so your back up scale (red box) always 'stays in the green.'