You guys/gals are not following the Standing Bids/Displacements close enough. Nobody in Hawaii was allowed to downgrade during the base closure. Please re-look at standing bid 14-14. That was the domicile closure bid. It was a complete base closure in one single standing bid with a single effective date of closure. There were no downgrades. They were not allowed.
The downgrade that happened was a separate prior standing bid HNL reduction/downsizing of the HNL base, and as you said he bid voluntary so yes, the Captain was allowed to downgrade. That is what I am trying to explain that you can downgrade during reductions.
CLT will most likely be a reduction until the final closure bid because it is so huge, where at that point, no one can downgrade in that final Standing bid, just like the HNL reduction/Closure bids happened.
Charlotte will not have a single standing bid (I think) with a single effective date, hence allowing downgrades to happen, they have no way around it. It is going to cost them money. I am pretty sure JO is not thrilled about it either...lol