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I believe that Sam was referring to the fact that most pilots have days off between trips.

Yes. That is generally correct, although the rules in advance of going on duty apply - not only for drinking but also for rest and scuba etc. For instance, a pilot is NOT free to do whatever he/she wants within the hours preceding a flight - even if at home. Those limitations do not only apply to drinking, but to rest, scuba, and most over-the-counter medications. There is actually a longer time required for things like cold medicine etc. An example: If a pilot got off duty and came down with a cold - and had 2 days off before going back to fly, he would only have the first 24 hours to medicate, and then have to stop.

The most baffling thing about this America West story is that the pilots could have lost track of time. This is something we do all the time even when we are at home. Even those who do not drink: we keep a running time to our next flight to remain legal on these issues. The FAA has even imposed strict limitations on rest. For instance, a pilot who lives in LA and who works out of New York is supposed to count his commuting time to New York even though that is commuting on his time off. That time cannot count as rest in preparation for a flight. In some cases NTSB judges even count time that the pilot spends driving to work as "non-rest". The FAA rules on rest are extremely complex and because of that, we as pilots usually err on the side of caution with regard to FAA time limits. That is why these America West pilots clearly messed up on more than simply drinking too close to flying... the messed up on "airline pilot" 101: "Know your time. Know your limits." Everyone is watching, you WILL get caught in ANY infraction.