Hey--this looks different. What gives?

This way of presenting the data more accurately reflects the way people actually use Snapshot. What's important is which lines in your bid you can currently hold, not what people senior to you might be able to hold. If for some reason you need that information, you can still see it at http://snapshot.ipapilot.org.

I put in my ID, and it tells me I have no bid on file.

A few things can cause this:

1. You haven't bid yet. You need to have a bid on file for Snapshot to show you any results. Keep in mind that it'll take a few minutes after you bid before your bid shows up in the bid summary.

2. From time to time UPS will drop an entire fleet from the bid summary, and then it'll show up again after a short while. If Snapshot has been working for you and then suddenly tells you don't have a bid on file, wait a while and try again.

3. UPS has you listed as a no-bidder this bid. UPS lists people who aren't bidding, or who are bidding for pay purposes only, with an NB next to their names in the bid package. Snapshot ignores the bids of no-bidders, and these bidders won't show up in the Snapshot results. UPS periodically updates the list of no-bidders, so a bidder's status may change during the bid.

UPS has me listed as a no-bidder, but I'm supposed to bid. Can you change my status?

The IPA can't change your status. You'll have to talk to the UPS Crew Planning people and have them change your status. They also need to upload a new no-bidder file for the IPA, so you might remind him about that.

Snapshot told me I'd hold one line and I was awarded a different line. Why?

There are a number of reasons that the snapshot results can differ from the real results--someone bids after the bids close, UPS changes the no-bidder status of someone and doesn't tell us (this happens a lot), they award a different number of reserve lines than the bid package indicated, and stuff like that. Snapshot also doesn't account for the rule against pairing over-60s together on lines with international duty segments. So use the Snapshot results as an aid in bidding, but don't take it as the final authority.

There is a "(2)" next to a few line numbers. Why?

Some reserve lines are awarded multiple times. The number in the parentheses indicates how many times this line is still available for you.

Who created Snapshot?

Chris Johnson created (and has been tinkering with) Snapshot for several years on his own time. Ken Hoke created this web interface, also on his own time.

How does Snapshot work and how much does it cost the membership?

Snapshot uses two computer systems working together to present its results. The "back end" fetches schedule bid summaries from UPS via FTP. The web interface, or "front end" runs on Google App Engine servers for free. Technically, the back end is using a union resource. It piggy backs on a machine that is used primarily as our mail server using internet bandwidth paid for by dues. The amount of bandwidth and wear & tear on the machine are so insignificant they are not quantifiable. So Snapshot is darn-near free.

This thing really sucks on my iPhone/Android!

Point your mobile browser to: http://ipasnapshot.appspot.com/m. It should look a little better. iPhone users can place a cool Snapshot icon on their Home Screen by clicking the "Send To" icon at the bottom then click "Add to Home Screen"