1 Introduction
Creating a current bid
In this topic, we review how to create a bid in the current bid period.
We estimate that this will take 15 minutes to complete.
2 Detailed Explanation
Let's review how you can submit a bid for the current bid period.
Click
the Bids tab.
This is the default screen and is what you will see when the system has no bid groups configured.
Award Pairings are days when you are flying.
Reserve Bid Groups are days when you are on standby and not flying.
Click
the Add Bid Group button.
We will select the pairing bid group as our first choice.
Click Pairing
Bid Group.
Click
the Apply button.
Notice that award pairings is now shown here.
HINT
It's best to place your negative bids (situations that you don't want to do) at the top; this helps to remove pairings you do not want to fly.
Click Prefer
Off.
For the purposes of this training, the primary situation that we don't want to do is to fly on a weekend.
Click Weekends.
Click
the Apply button.
Line 2 is now shows this preference for not flying on a weekend.
HINT
Things that you
don't want to do (negative bids) are shown in gold like this:
Click
the Back To Prefer Off button.
If you use Reset All, it ensures the "prefer off at weekends" option remains active. For the purposes of this training demonstration however, let's add another bid preference that does not build on this first filter.
Click
the Reset All button.
Let's do another example of a "prefer off" bid.
Click Prefer
Off.
Let's imagine that there are certain dates that you want to have off, for instance February 9, 11, and 24.
Click Dates
List.
Click 09.
Click 11.
Click 24.
Click
the Apply button.
Note the 9th, 11th and 24th are specific dates you want off (not a date range).
Let's reset the filter and clear the bid preference.
Click
the Reset All button.
Let's add another filter that avoids pairings with certain attributes.
Click Avoid
Pairings.
In this example we are going to bid to avoid pairings that have an average daily credit of less than 6 hours.
Click Average
Daily Credit.
Click
the - Select - dropdown
button.
Let's set up the logic for your Average Daily Credit preference. Note that IF is the default condition.
Click
the Less Than < list
item.
Let's use a Less Than condition. You could also use any of the other conditions to designate a preference.
Click
the Hours input
field.
Press
the Backspace
key.
Enter 6 into
the Hours field.
Click
the Back To Pairing Check-In
Time button.
Let's now add another attribute to the bid line, by adding a layover filter.
Click Layover.
We are going to add a preference for layovers that are less than 12 hours in duration.
Click Of
Duration.
Click
the - Select - dropdown
button.
Click
the Less Than < list
item.
Click
the Hours input
field.
Press
the Backspace
key.
Press
the Backspace
key.
Enter 12 into
the Hours field.
Click
the Apply button.
Line 4 (in gold again as it is a negative bid) summarizes this bid preference.
Click
the Reset All button.
Now we can add positive bids, that is, pairings that we do want to fly.
HINT
You don't have to add positive bid preferences, but we recommended that you do. If you don't add positive bids, the system will build you a schedule with the remaining pairings left in your pool, which may not be exactly what you want.
Click Award
Pairings.
Let's add pairings that depart on Mondays and/or Tuesdays as our preferred departure dates.
Click Depart
On.
Click Days
Of Week List.
Let's select the
day of the week, not the calendar date this time. These are
shown in dark blue like this:
Click Mo.
Click Tu.
Click
the Apply button.
The line numbers for positive bid preferences display in green.
We can now add another bid preference for the purposes of this training.
Click
the Reset All button.
Let's add another award pairing.
Click Award
Pairings.
Let's imagine that we really like having a layover in Miami, so we will add this preference.
Click Layover.
Click Stations.
Click
the None Selected dropdown
button.
For the purposes of this training demonstration we have scrolled down to locate MIA in the list for you. This isn't standard system functionality.
Click
the MIA list
item.
Click
the Apply button.
Once again, the preference is added.
We are about to submit our bid preferences and although it is not required to, best practice is to reset our bid preferences before submitting the bid group.
Click
the Reset All button.
This green circle indicates that we are online with the server. You can only sync when the server is online.
This save button stores the bid preferences to the device that
you are using.
ATTENTION
If you are using a
shared device (for example a computer or tablet that you access
in an airport which is not your own), saving to the device won't
help you in the long-term. (You won't necessarily be able to
access this device again.)
It is best
practice to submit your bid preferences to the server.
This is the submit
button and the best way to save your bid preferences!
Click
the Submit button.
SUCCESS
Congratulations! The bid is submitted to the server and a unique confirmation number displays for each submission.
BENEFITS
The benefit of submitting as you go along is that each time you submit, you overwrite the previous submission, which effectively saves your preferences.
Click
the OK button.
Let's now add
another line. To add additional lines, we need to click on the
"hamburger" menu.
Click
the
button.
Click
the Insert Below menu
item.
Let's add an instruction to the system to move on to the next bid group.
Click Instruction.
Use this option to tell the system that if it was unable to build a schedule based on this bid group, then it should clear all current bid preferences and move on to the next bid group.
Click Clear
Schedule and Start Next Bid Group.
Click
the Apply button.
We are now adding our second bid group.
This is another way of doing the same thing.
Click
the Add Bid Group button.
Click
the Apply button.
The second bid group is now shown here.
Click Set
Condition.
Credit Windows can define a range of hours in which you must fly. By defining a minimum credit you are opting to fly as little as possible and will be at the bottom of the credit window when schedules are created.
Click Minimum
Credit Window.
Click
the Apply button.
Click Prefer
Off.
In this example, we will select a range of dates to prefer off.
Click Dates
Range.
Select the first date in the range.
Click 09.
Select the last date in the range.
Click 12.
Imagine a scenario
where you want to have the 9th through the 12th off for a
holiday. The system will try to give you those dates. If it
can't give the entire range, it will give you as many days as
possible, deducting the last date in the range. In this case,
you may have the 9th through the 11th awarded.
If you would
prefer the system award the 10th through the 12th, you can
select Reverse Range Priority. Choosing this option, the
starting dates in the range, rather than the end dates, are
deducted from your preference.
For this example, we will reverse the range priority.
Click Reverse
Range Priority.
Click
the Apply button.
Click
the Reset All button.
Let's look at a a set of bid preferences set up to avoid check-ins before a specific time.
Click Avoid
Pairings.
Click Pairing
Check-In Time.
Click Time.
Click
the - Select - dropdown
button.
Click After >. This designates pairings that start after a specified time.
Click After
>.
Click
the Hours input
field.
Press
the Backspace
key.
HINT
You can use either the up and down arrows or type a value in the input fields. For this example, we will enter the value.
Press
the Backspace
key.
Enter 10 into
the Hours field.
Click
the Back To Pairing Check-In
Time button.
Your Check-In time updates in the Pairing Bid Group list.
Click
the Back To Pairing Check-In
Time button.
Click
the Back To Pairing Check-In
Time button.
Use this option to tell the system that if all the pairings from the bid preference do not meet the criteria, then start the next bid group.
Click Else
Start Next Bid Group.
Click
the Apply button.
Click
the Reset All button.
You've now created a bid group that requests February 12 through to 9 off with the 9th being most important to grant, but if the request cannot be fully granted, the system will attempt to grant the request from the 10th, and so forth. If the system cannot avoid pairings that check in after 10:00 am. If it cannot do this, the system moves on to the next bid group.
Let's give a preference for which days we want to depart on.
Click Award
Pairings.
Click Depart
On.
Click Days
Of Week List.
Click Mo.
Click Tu.
Click
the Apply button.
Click
the Reset All button.
We've now added a bid line that only awards pairings that depart on Mondays and Tuesdays in February. The crewmember's seniority dictates if these awards are possible.
And now, let's add another preference for a layover location.
Click Award
Pairings.
Click Layover.
Click Stations.
Click
the None Selected dropdown
button.
As we did previously, let's set Miami as our preference.
Click
the MIA list
item.
Click
the Apply button.
Click
the Reset All button.
We have now added a bid preference to award pairings if they include a layover in Miami.
Let's now add preferences for a reserve bid group, in case the previous two bid groups we set were not successful.
Click Add
Bid Group.
Click Reserve
Bid Group.
Click
the Apply button.
Click Prefer
Off.
Click Weekends.
Click
the Apply button.
Click
the Reset All button.
We've now set a bid group which attempts to award weekends off once all of the previous bid groups are run.
Click Prefer
Off.
Click Dates
List.
Click 09.
Click 11.
Click 24.
Click
the Apply button.
Click
the Reset All button.
Click
the Submit button.
Click the Submit button to complete the bid and sync with the system.
SUCCESS
Congratulations! You submitted your bid and you have a unique confirmation number.
Click
the OK button.