Reserve Availability Periods (RAPS)

The Reserve section in our Tentative Agreement Two (TA2) includes Reserve Availability Periods (RAPs) to improve scheduling and rest management for Ready Reserves. 

• RAPs reduce the current ready reserve availability window from 24 hours to 14 hours, giving Reserves greater control over their availability

• 24-hour availability will remain an option for those who want to be on call longer, but must be preferenced for by the Reserve. Unless the Reserve specifies they want 24-hour RSV availability, they will be assigned a RAP

• RAPs are not considered a duty period, and do not require rest after the RAP

• All RSV assignments will be available at 1930 HDT

• A Ready Reserve assigned to a RAP may have their RAP extended up to an additional five hours (5:00), no more than three (3) times per bid month.

  • Extensions will first go to Ready Reserves who have volunteered by preferencing in advance, and those voluntary extensions do not count toward the three (3) time monthly maximum.

  • Notification of the extension will be provided no later than two hours (2:00) before the end of the RAP.

  • In all cases, a Ready Reserve who extends their RAP will receive 3 hours (3:00) of add pay in addition to their RSV GUAR.
    

How RAPs Work

The company will establish the number of available RAPs for each day. Every base will have a minimum of one RAP available daily, with many bases offering multiple RAP start times.

Each base will have RAPs built to cover the unique flying of each location. Below are examples of how they may cover the day. RAPs will begin on the hour or half hour, and start times will be categorized as follows:

• Early 0000-0559

• Mid 0600-1159

• Afternoon 1200-1759

• Late 1800-2359

• Full 24 Availability

Ready Reserve Assignments on RAP

At the start of a RAP

• The Reserve must check CCS or its future equivalent to see if an assignment has been made

  • For any RAPs starting before 0800, the company must reach out via notiflyer or future equivalent to notify the Reserve of any assignment unless already acknowledged through CCS.

• If an assignment has been made, the Reserve must acknowledge

• Once acknowledged, the Reserve is released to report for assignment
  

During your assigned RAP

• The company will contact you to assign you. The three-hour Call-out period applies even at the start of the RAP 

  • Example: You are assigned a RAP that begins at 1200. Your earliest check-in would be for 1500.

• A Reserve shall only be assigned open pairings with check-in times no more than 3 hours after the end of the RAP. 

• At the end of the RAP, if unassigned, you are automatically released from contact until your next period of availability or assignment.
  

The Daily RAP Assignment Process

The process runs in a specific order each day. Every Reserve works through the steps below until they have an assignment.

Step 1: Pick-Up Window (Coming Off a Day Off)

This is voluntary, and you have to initiate it yourself. 

Between 1300 and 1400 PM on your last day off, you can pick up a trip from Open Time as long as it checks in by 1000 and fits your available days. 

It is first-come, first-served. If the trip does not perfectly match your days of availability, scheduling may waive that restriction if you call and ask. Once you pick something up, you are released to rest for that trip. 

Step 2: Preferencing Run

This happens every evening. At 1500, Open Time is captured, allowing reserves to review what is available and submit their preferences.

Any preferences or standing requests you have on file are recorded at 1600 and processed at 1700. You do not have to actively preference to receive an assignment during this step; you are eligible either way. 

You can also request a specific RAP here, for the event that you are assigned Ready Reserve. If you want 24-hour availability instead of a RAP, you have to specifically request that; otherwise, you will be assigned a RAP.

Step 3: Clean-Up

Anything not filled during the preferencing run gets manually assigned by scheduling. Scheduling will also look at whether there are more reserves than needed for the next day. If so, the extras are released. Everyone remaining gets placed on a RAP or 24 hrs of availability if preferenced.

Step 4: RAP Assignment for Ready Reserves

If you are on Ready Reserve, scheduling assigns you a RAP based on your preferences. Even if your preferred RAP is not available, you will be placed in the closest eligible one. 24-hour availability is still an option, but will only be assigned when preferenced by a RSV.

All assignments are posted by 1930 HDT.