Heed

Determining the odds of getting a certain base out of training is a crapshoot really. I can speak to UAL (recently) and that most are going to EWR and SFO with occasional DC slots (DC encompasses IAD, DCA & BWI). It's all 737/320 slots currently and supposedly 75's will open up again next year sometime. One class recently was all SFO and another was all EWR. What slots will be available for your class when you show up? Who knows.

With that in mind, apply everywhere and interview everywhere you get a chance. If you get multiple offers (not unheard of currently), then start looking at the basing and see what the junior guys are getting, commutability, etc. Compare class start dates. Until you have more than one choice, it's an easy choice with one offer.

Vacancy bids seem to occur every couple of months. It offers you a chance to move bases and/or aircraft. You can't bid laterally (i.e. 737 to 320), but you can bid up to 75/76t, etc. There have been two since August and I haven't followed them, so I am not sure how many new guys are using them. I do know two of my classmates bid from SFO to LAX and got it, both were on the 737. edit: You can't bid laterally w/i 24 mos of current seat assignment. You also can't bid down (75 to 320/737) w/i 24 mos of current seat assignment.

If you have to commute initially, take a good look at your options when picking the base. You want to be able to one-leg it if possible and distance isn't necessarily the deciding factor when flying. Number of flights, chances for an open seat/jump seat, etc. is what matters. If the flight is full, what are the chances a senior dude will trump you for the jump seat (i.e. DEN-SFO w/UAL)? Is it the middle of the summer, a full flight and they need to unload pax and/or luggage from the DHC-8?

I think you are pretty well positioned if you get on with UAL. Even if you don't get DC off the new hire bid, you can always put in a standing bid for it and you are living next to a UAL hub with two airports to find flights for your commute while you are awaiting a base transfer.

Sliceback

Commute to a regional that is 'better' vs. a 'drive to' regional? Take the local job, hands down.

Lockins vary by company's. At AA newhire lock-in is 6(?) or 9 months. Subsequent equipment awards are a two year lock- in.

Equipment bids run monthly. New contract alows it to be as few as 4x/year. Next week the December awards will be posted. Training starts in November, finishes in December.

December bid is typically the second most junior training cycle. January awards typically the most junior because you'll be in training in December. Training is done every day, to include Christmas. So senior guys typically avoid January equipment bids since the odds are high that you'd be in training over Christmas.

Brillo

Thanks for the info. Anybody venture a guess on what the hiring environment might look like for a retirement date of summer 2018? Obviously anything can happen, but from reading different threads it seems like it should still be fairly good. Not sure how much the majors are frontloading hiring for anticipated retirements.

Sliceback

Current retirements totals for the Big 4 + FX/UPS/JB/AS is about 1400 in 2015. 2018 is about 2100. 2019 about 2300. Peaks around 2900 in 2023. Still about 2200 in 2030.

Front loading timeline is a couple of months to get everyone trained and in place before a guy retires or new a/c is delivered.

MikeF16

Who can predict the next 9/11, global financial meltdown, black swan, etc, etc? Don't lose too much sleep worrying over what you can't control.

BFMthisA10

'Case anyone missed it.
http://www.jqpublicblog.com/air-force-quietly-implements-stop-loss-provision-to-fill-deployments/

Brillo

So we might be retiring in Raleigh/Durham area, and it looks like GoJet pilots are getting that as a base fairly soon after training, which would be awesome from a QOL perspective to be able to stay home. I've read a bit about all the "history" there, but have no idea what the current environment is like. There's some serious hatred on some threads for GoJets, but it's hard to tell how prevalent that is in real life. I would hate to gain some currency and 121 time there only to screw myself when it comes interview time for the majors and I get some still-****ed Captain sitting across the table from me.

Sliceback

Ask yourself - "self, how many major airline Captains that I might interview know anything, or give a sh*t, about GoJets?"

Self will say - "probably none."

John Carr

True statement.

You'd be hard pressed to find a GoJet, or a Freedom A list pilot that DIDNT get a job based solely on working there.

Brillo

That's what I figured, but sometimes who the heck knows with stupid stuff like this. Thanks for the gouge.