Originally Posted by
Ottopilot
In theory, if a "senior" pilots gambles with his QOL and holds out on a captain bid and then can't hold it later, too bad. That's their choice. Upgrade or don't upgrade, but it's not the fault of a "junior" pilot.
Everyone knows that we have been merging for a couple years (SLI).
Everyone knows that age 65 retirements started in Dec 2012.
Everyone knows that both airlines are already short-staffed.
Bid what you want, don't bid what you don't want. If you wait, you get what you get.
Agreed.
But in the case of UCH and UCH's plans for 2013, I think UAL ALPA has a very legitimate reason to "trust but verify."
Later this year
"S-UAL" 737-900ERs are scheduled for delivery combined with the retirement of L-UAL 757s. Considering the total absence of a pre-SLI S-UAL 737 training program, IMHO, it's a reasonable concern of UAL ALPA that UCH could attempt to train and staff the 737-900ERs prior to combined operations using its existing S-CAL assets.