Crew Rostering/Scheduling Scheme at Westjet

[Uwe Goehl]

Dear Industry Colleague:

I am a candidate for the MSc Air Transport Management through City University London, presently researching various topics in preparation for my Project (Thesis) on "Developing a Flight Operations Department of Excellence."

As an airline crewmember and victim of bad rostering practices, I appreciate that Rostering/Scheduling of flight and cabin crew is an emotive subject for most airlines. Although it is not uncommon to entrepreneurs and senior airline management to be unsympathetic towards crew rostering, it is a mistake to underestimate the importance to the efficiency of airline operations. Good rostering is both efficient use of crew resources and a major financial benefit to the airline.

During our university studies, we have covered common rostering schemes such as the seniority-driven “Bid-Line” system, the “Preferential” system, the “Fair and Equal” system which attempts to be balanced, spread workload while equalizing hours and sectors, and the predictable “Fixed Pattern” system. Yet, I have read different comments about the rostering scheme at Westjet but have been unable to form a complete picture of how it exactly works. It seems like most of the comments have been overall positive with people overall happy about the flexibility and equality across the seniority levels it provides. The fact that Westjet is a successful, profitable and generally well-respected airline with a good level of staff morale, makes learning more about your scheme a worthwhile addition to my research.

I would appreciate if any active crewmembers at WestJet would be willing to explain the system to me and answer any questions that might arise. You can P.M. me on this Forum or correspond with me by e-mail at uwecavok@yahoo.com.

Thank you, in advance, for your assistance.

Sincerely,
Uwe Goehl

[Bede]

On the 7th of every month, the company releases the pairings for the next month. Pairing are from 1 to 5 days long. Pilots bid up to 16 attributes that they wish to bid. These include days off, time between pairings, layovers, check in time, check out time, destinations, start/end with deadhead from somewhere, layover length. Each bid is worth a certain number of points. First choice 1000, second choice 800, with each bid preference decreasing in points. The 16th bid is around 50 points.

Once the bid closes on the 9th of every month, everyone's bid goes into an optimizer run by AdOpt. http://www.ad-opt.com/
Ad Opt runs the optimization program on the CPlex platform (a common optimization platform) using a simplex algorithm or something similar. There are a number of constraints that must be satisfied: CAR's requirments, max 16 days per month min 13 days per month and 77.5-82.5 hrs. The optimizer attempts to maximize everyone's "satisfaction score" which is not the same as the number of points awarded for each attribute you got awarded (for example, the first bid is the 16th off. If the computer gives you the 16th off, you get 1000 points). I don't believe crew planning gives us much information about the satisfaction score.

There is a rumour that the optimizer does "optimize, optimize, sodomize". You get 2 good months followed by a poor month. I'm not sure if there's any truth to that though.

I always say you can get whatever schedule you want at westjet, but can't get everything you want.

If you're interested in operations research (the branch of math/engineering dealing with optimization), review the following information published by AdOpt. Keep in mind this information is intended for people with a solid background in optimization/combinatorics.
http://www.ad-opt.com/media-resources-c ... te-papers/

[stickontheice]

And if you get sodmized there's always Flica. You can post your pairing for someone else to pick up. If successful you usually can pick up someone else's pairing that maybe better, hope for some OT, or enjoy a few more days off.

[WJ700]

The 'sodomize' doesn't happen unless it can't fit all requests in for a group with common bids. The system then looks back at satisfaction for previous months and looks for who was happy, and will knock them to other bids. If you don't have low weighted preferences near the bottom of your 16 requests then the system has no direction and will give you an even worse schedule.

I'm on a month where I am taking my lumps. I've had a lot of schedules with one day pairings and this month I was given the eject from the group. However, now I have an 8% satisfaction, which benefits me next month to get a good schedule.

I've worked under three seniority systems and this socialized bidding now for 10 years now. There are good and bad to both. My chief complaint is the lack of predicability in WestJet's system. You don't know when your bad schedule is coming because it isn't exactly three months. It may be every 6 months it can't give you what you want. Seniority is very predictable and rewarding after many years of service in a growing airline, the downside is that when the airline stagnates someone is left with the table scraps for a lonnng time - that isn't fare.

[cj555]

As the saying goes "seniority only sucks for those who don't have it." It is very interesting to have two major airlines in Canada with very different scheduling systems (seniorty based at Air Canada, equity based at Westjet). I do like the system at WJ, as I have heard some of the new guys at AC say that the first few years stuck on reserve in a seniority system were the some of the worst years of their pilot career, whereas at WJ you would never have to go through that.

[Dh8Classic]

So how much flying can you give up if you want a really slow month after a few busy months?

[Lateralus]

So how much flying can you give up if you want a really slow month after a few busy months?

You can give away your entire schedule if you want.

[WJ700]

I think you have to average around 50 hours though.

[fundi]

I think you have to average around 50 hours though.

and if you don't, the guy with the LuluLemon jacket comes to your house; makes you drink some koolade, slaps some wings on yeer shirt and takes you back to the hangar...where you await your next FLiCA mission.

The flexibility of the system is quite remarkable. There is an underlying give & take mentality. It ain't perfect and the the head of flight ops likes to remind us that "there is no such thing as a perfect schedule"...yet, somehow we all think it is coming our way next month.

The 2 good months, 1 not-so-good is a rumour. It came from the pilot ranks, not those who built the system. I know many drivers that have had many months in a row of the same type of "pretty good" sked. It depends on who you talk to, where they live, if they commute or not, how picky their choices in paramaters are, etc.

I think you are onto something though. There is a delicate balancing act in the level of productivity of a group, the benefit of a decent schedule and how it effects the group, job satisfaction, and how much can be squeezed out of a lemon before there is nothing left. Thats where the actuaries come in!

Many of the initial "good ideas" of the pilot scheduling at WJ came from pilots who just chose NOT to do what they did NOT like from previous shops they had worked at. Not many of them liked the seniority style system; were trying to get everyone pulling in the same direction which meant everyone had to work just as hard as the next pilot....it sort of still carries on, and I believe helps build that team/ownership mindset.

cheers! All the best in your studies.

[Bede]

Comparing seniority based vs WestJet system: I worked for Jazz for 4.5 years. When I left I was top third on the CRJ out of YYZ. I would say my schedule was about the same. I had enough seniority at Jazz to get pretty much whatever I wanted (except for maybe the best 5 pairings). I worked fewer days at Jazz but had a lot of minimum rest layovers which makes work not as much fun. I got a good schedule from day 1 at WestJet. Even if WJ went to a seniority based system, the senior WJ guys wouldn't have that much of a better schedule. Maybe work 2 less days/month.

Flica is the best. I still don't know how some pilots survive without it.

[elvis]

It would be great if an old CP or Canadian scheduling committee pilot were to weigh in on this thread. The AC system is very much inferior to what we came up with after the five mergers to make up CDN,s bidding system. Like many things AC would not entertain any changes to "it,s not how we do it mentality".
I am amazed at the quality of the WJ system and it,s ability to be so flexible and with having no Rsv blks for your early years as f/o and then again as a Capt.

[cj555]

Even if WJ went to a seniority based system, the senior WJ guys wouldn't have that much of a better schedule. Maybe work 2 less days/month.

Thats very interesting. If thats the case, makes me wonder: Why is the seniority system so prevalent in the industry today? Perhaps the advancement of computer scheduling capability (like the one used at WJ) has made equity based rosters possible, while the technology just wasn't available 10 - 15 years ago?

[stickontheice]

Even if WJ went to a seniority based system, the senior WJ guys wouldn't have that much of a better schedule. Maybe work 2 less days/month.

Thats very interesting. If thats the case, makes me wonder: Why is the seniority system so prevalent in the industry today?

Same reason small men have to buy big trucks. Compensation for having small d...I mean...sticks.

[merlin]

WJ700 it sounds like you bid single days? Im interested to know what a "taking our lumps" month looks like? Can you share a little on that?

Thanks.

[Bede]

Thats very interesting. If thats the case, makes me wonder: Why is the seniority system so prevalent in the industry today? Perhaps the advancement of computer scheduling capability (like the one used at WJ) has made equity based rosters possible, while the technology just wasn't available 10 - 15 years ago?

Because this profession has high rates of unionization. Trade unions are largely based on seniority which is completely counterproductive. What happens is that young guys get crappy schedules and leave for greener pastures while old guys are chained to their company via the seniority system and continually get screwed because the company knows their experienced guys won't leave. Look no farther than Jazz to see what I mean.

[WJ700]

Taking my lumps: Bid one days, plus a few days off. Self induced because I gave it nothing to fall back on or directions.

Working two five days, a four day and training. Since the month was a write off anyway I picked up some more. Looking forward to March. I did get the days off.

Had I given it anything, such as preferred paring length, destinations, or overnights, it probably would have been a lot better. It doesn't happen on 'exact' three month cycles as some assume. If it can make everyone happy it will but when it can't, the system will look back for the highest satisfaction scores.

[merlin]

Does WestJet operate any continuous duties(stand ups)?

[onetreehill]

No.

[fundi]

re; "stand-ups"

uh, well yes, sometimes.
ie; during IROP recovery pairings- case in point; last week. But its been years since I've seen/heard of them.

[fundi]

Poor ol WJ700...sounds like they had to pack his/her bag for once and go on a "real pairing"...
...and stay in a hotel.

I'm laughing with you, not at you. Same for me in Jan! Not the sked I had anticipated/hoped for, but it had been 8 or 10 months since I'd had a "less than ideal sked".

WJ700-I like your type of trips too, but when the multi days show up; I just try to make the best of it. Just finished a 4 day with a great crew. The laughing and banter made the days go by quickly!