Originally Posted by
MikeF16
No. I am referring to the pilots who realized they could get trained on the 717 in the summer of 2013 and then not fly at all for a few months because there were no airplanes on property. The DAL seat lock is normally 2 years, the new hire seat lock is 1 year. You can get out of a seat lock if a new category opens: an existing type goes to a new domicile or a new type arrives on property; or, if you are upgrading to a 1st time captain. As a side note, had the most recent TA been voted through new hires would have had a 2 year seat lock (with a few escape clauses). If I were a betting man I'd gamble that whenever TA-X is passed, it will have the same provision and pilots already on property probably won't spend any negotiating capital to make it go away.
The new number based on the last AE was 298 F/O's in ATL by May. The only way to get near that number is to get some New Hires into the mix. At least that's what I see. Also hope some of the "dead weight", I kid I kid, at the top goes on to be 777 F/O or switches to the left seat of the 717, since they can. That would provide some upward movement as well.