Here is a quick update following the latest meeting of the PBS working group. We’ve been digging into the statistics for the January and February rosters, and there are some interesting trends to share.
The good news is that we are seeing a positive trend in the number of viable bids. While we still see non-viable bids popping up, the overall number is decreasing. This is a great indication that more of you are becoming familiar with the system’s limitations and avoiding those common “trap” mistakes.
In this context, we would like to remind you of our PBS Tutorial videos. Please take the time to watch them to familiarize yourself with the bidding system and how to make optimum use of it. These videos are available on our website and the new ALPL App, which allows you to access them easily and watch them offline.
📲 Download the ALPL App (iOS):https://alpl.lu/app
Statistics
Below are the numbers at a glance, based on viable bids:
| Category | Jan (BC / FO) | Feb (BC / FO) |
|---|---|---|
| At least 1 Off-time bid granted | 99% / 96% | 90% / 90% |
| 1st Priority bid granted | 92% / 85% | 84% / 80% |
We also saw a steady use of waivers across both months (roughly 60 Captains and 80 First Officers). Success rates for those using waivers hovered between 73% – 76% and 73% – 83% respectively.
According to Crew Planning, February is a tough month to produce rosters. The short 28-day period, combined with big blocks of off-days and XPA days, creates tighter constraints within the system, making it harder to find valid solutions. On top of that, Carnival leads to a high volume of requests for the same period, which impacts the success rate for bids.
To improve this moving forward, Crew Planning mentioned the possibility of creating shorter trips for February in the future. This would make it easier to allocate off-days and trips simultaneously, ultimately boosting the success rate.
Overlapping Trips
This remains an ongoing topic. While we work toward a long-term solution, Crew Planning and the CPO have suggested an interim fix: if you want to avoid or limit the number of days a trip overlaps into the next roster period, you can email Crew Planning directly to indicate your preference. It is important to note that due to the nature of our operations, overlapping trips will always exist to a certain extent and cannot be avoided altogether.
To prevent the department from being flooded with emails, we kindly ask that you keep these inquiries to a minimum and only reach out if it is truly necessary. This will help them manage the workload and focus on the most essential requests.
Therefore, while our colleagues in Crew Planning will do their best to accommodate these requests, please understand they cannot guarantee that every request can be granted.
