Originally Posted by sailingfun

The company has provided many statements about hiring. Short term hiring this winter is predicated on the block hour plan which marketing has yet to release to flight ops. Once it is out then a decision to hire now or next year will be made. Once hiring starts flight ops expects it to continue long term.
Your thoughts on the contract are incorrect. We are shifting almost 1000 pilot jobs from DCI back to the mainline. The work rule changes will cost us somewhere in the around 125 to 150 jobs total. The give backs cost us 300 to 340 jobs but improvements in other areas picked up about 200 jobs. The early retirement program looks like it will come in around 230 pilots. The good news on the ER program is that it looks like it will be far more effective then DALPA thought. They had planned on 250 to 300 however thought most would be the 63 to 65 year old pilots. Those guys are staying and the majority of pilots leaving are 59 to 61 which is much better for the pilot group.
Hiring will come but its dependent on the block hour plan which falls back on the economy.