Originally Posted by
sailingfun
The delivery schedules are exactly what was put out by the company and DALPA. The last two bids were largely positive and had a net increase in Captains slots. In fact the last bid everyone on here talked about how terrible it was going to be even though it added a significant number of Captains jobs. The results came out and every said that was not so bad. The same thing will happen on the March bid. There is a large number of Captains bids that will help offset the FO surpluses. We have had those surpluses for a long time but forward looking layered furlough protections kept pilots on the property. We are now working though the surpluses and hiring will follow. Had it not been for lower then expected ER numbers and a large number of pilots on leave returning we would be hiring now. In fact flight ops wanted to hire but could not get funding from management.
I guess management could still cancel the 717's and 737-900's that will start coming at 5 per month in the fall however I don't see that happening.
The delivery schedule will be one thing. Not replacing those airplanes 1 for 1 or greater and not replacing retiring pilots will tell the real story. It's kind of like going on a diet....burn more calories than you take in and you thin out. One thing that bothers me frankly that you use as a talking point...the fact that some of the guys in their mid 60's took the early retirement....citing that as a good thing for those of us waiting for upward movement.
Guys have been counting each the additional 5 years to finally reach the day when age 65 retirements kick in. We were counting on those guys who left to get the movement started. They didn't. The latest TA was also funded with those guys. Now they are gone and not replaced, lowering the total movement from retirements over the next 5 years. Throw in the new added productivity and this is a treadmill to nowhere. The spin just gets to be a bit much after this long Sailing.