This is what I remember:

The "more senior" F/O's that went to training chose the 727 FO seat vs. the 727 SO (FE) seat - as their seniority entitled them to elect to do (any/all of them could have held the 727 SO/FE seat, but chose - voluntarily - to bid for the 727 FO seat instead)

The guys that I knew that were AWARDED 727 FO (based on they were senior enough to hold it & had bid it over the SO/FE slot) - did go to training right away - while some (a lot) of pilots JUNIOR to them remained in ANC (as MD11 FO's) awaiting a 727 SO/FE training slot that was assigned to them, but MUCH farther in the future than the FO training slots (many - maybe all - I don't really know - never went to SO/FE training & were able to bid back to ANC MD11 FO before they ever even left.)

The company has always been in control of the training letter - and there are separate letters for each & every crew position/aircraft.

At the time, there must have been training slots that needed to be filled in the 727 FO seat right away, & evidently, they were somewhat "fat" on 727 SO/FE's &/or had no training slots needing to be filled right away.

The excess BID & the resulting training letters were/are 2 completely separate events - as per our CBA.

The "more senior" guys that got the 727 FO slots & went to training right away actually got what their seniority entitled them to - an FO seat vs. an SO/FE seat.

The ones I knew/know that got FO thought they were getting a better "deal" getting the window view vs. side-saddle - but had no idea the training letter would play out like it did.

So.....that's how I "explain it"

Questions?