Originally Posted by
RockyMtMadDog
In the "old days," if your trip was dropped for an OE, you were subject to recovery flying. That was wrong. The fix, however, results in some FOs who make a mini-career out of getting paid to rarely fly or who make well north of what their counterparts in the left seat make. Either way, it's featherbedding, and provides a disproportionate contractual benefit to a small population.
Actually, you're missing the point. Just like training events cascade through the whole company the OE/IOE also flows down to all F/O's below that particular F/O. Remember, not all LCA Captains are senior so the trips with LCA may or may not be "desirable" trips so they may or may not be picked up by senior FO's. Plus, they generally need/want 4 day trips to get enough flying to get the training that is needed. Anyway, whatever trips that get picked up by a more senior F/O leaves more desirable trips to be picked up by less senior F/Os and even result in some junior pilot that might have been on reserve to get a line. Also, all trips with a particular LCA are not necessarily going to be dropped during any particular month so that more senior F/O might have some trips that aren't very good be ones that he might have to fly. This would have been a major concession that affected almost all F/Os in all categories especially with the retirements, AEs and new hires that will occur in the next 10-15 years.