4.10.26 – Contract Implementation Update #57: Informational Session Begins Shortly

Friday, April 10, 2026

Contract Implementation Update #57:
Informational Session Begins Shortly

Join Us for an Informational Session Today!

The APFA CIC will be hosting an informational session today at 12:30 PM (CT). Join us as we review using the new Prefer Positions Order per Aircraft property in PBS. We are available to answer any questions you may have!

This session will be recorded for those who cannot view live and posted to APFA.org.

Click Here to Join the Microsoft Teams Meeting
Meeting ID: 215 040 179 236 46
Passcode: FM3K5xn9

It is important to note what the Prefer Positions Order per Aircraft property does and does not do.

What it does:

• When used in a layer, it tells PBS which positions to consider when awarding on a particular aircraft.
• As an example, if you bid position 2 using Prefer Positions Order per Aircraft for the 787-9, you are telling PBS: “If I am awarded a sequence originating on a 787-9, I only want position 2”.
• You should use other pairing properties to create your pairing pools (e.g. Prefer Pairing Type, Layover at City, specific bids, etc.).
• The property functions similar to the way the Prefer Positions Order property: it simply gives direction for PBS on what position order to award for trips you can hold at your seniority in a given layer. This new property simply allows you to give this same direction on a per aircraft basis.

What it does NOT do:

• When used in a layer, this new property does not filter (e.g. add or remove) sequences to/from your pairing pools by aircraft. However, it may reduce the total number of pairings in your pairing pool if you do not include every position in your bid.
• It does not function in the same way as the Prefer Aircraft property, which acts as a filter by removing pairings that do not have at least one leg on the specified aircraft. The Prefer Positions Order per Aircraft property will not filter out pairings or sequences that do not operate on the aircraft for which you are bidding position order preferences.
• If you bid position 2 using Prefer Positions Order per Aircraft for the 787-9, you are not telling PBS: “I only want PBS to consider trips or sequences that originate on the 787-9”. You would need to use additional properties, (e.g. Prefer Pairing Type, Prefer Aircraft, Layover at City, specific bids, etc.) to ensure the types of trips you want to bid are captured in your layers.

Always make sure to use the View Pairing Set button on the Layer tab to review your pairing pools in each layer to ensure that the properties you are using are generating the sequences you intend to bid.

Q1. What is the difference between Prefer Positions Order and Prefer Positions Order per Aircraft?
A1. The Prefer Positions Order property is a broad property that applies the same position order to multiple aircraft types in a layer. The new Prefer Positions Order per Aircraft property allows you to apply a position order preference for individual aircraft types in a layer.

Q2. If I bid Prefer Positions Order per Aircraft and the generic Prefer Positions Order in the same layer, which position order will PBS use?
A2. At each layer PBS looks at the trips in your pairing pool and attempts to award the trip(s) you are able to hold at your seniority. It then uses your position order preference to award your position on the awarded trip(s). If you are awarded a sequence with the first working leg on the aircraft specified using the Prefer Positions Order per Aircraft property, PBS will use the per aircraft position order. If the sequence awarded does not have the first working leg on the aircraft specified using the Prefer Positions Order per Aircraft property, it will use the “generic” Prefer Positions Order.

Q3. If I bid Prefer Positions Order per Aircraft twice with different position orders in the same layer on the same aircraft, which position order will PBS use?
A3. Just like Prefer Positions Order, it is not recommended that you input separate bids for Prefer Positions Order per Aircraft positions more than once in the same layer. There is no guarantee which position order PBS will use to award you in that layer. You can use the property multiple times in the same layer, just make sure you are using the property for different aircraft and not repeating the same aircraft in a layer.

Q4. If I bid Prefer Positions Order per Aircraft for the 737 position 1, and in the same layer bid” Prefer Positions Order position 2, will PBS award me position 2 on a 737 if I cannot hold position 1 in that layer?
A4. No. If you use the Prefer Positions Order per Aircraft property in the same layer as Prefer Positions Order, PBS will only consider the position order bid using the per aircraft property when awarding sequences that have the first working leg on the specified aircraft type. It will not consider the generic position order if you are unable to hold the position bid using the per aircraft property. If you want to bid both positions 1 and 2 on the 737, you should input a single bid for Prefer Positions Order per Aircraft for the 737 specifying both positions.

In Unity,

Ashleigh Harbison
LAX

Hunter Meredith
PHL

Mike Sosa
DFW

Contact the CIC