Originally Posted by
Dat jet
They want 540 in a four months....my guess...they only hit 480-500.
I think it's odd they advertised a big AE in August, but now we are getting a smaller AE preemptively in July, while saying we'll have a big AE in the fall. The big time training waterfall is hitting, and I think they'll have problems keeping up. I'm sure they are wanting some kind of relief in a new TA. That kind of stuff is not a free giveaway. Hiring/training shortage is a problem they made worse on their own despite warnings from Flight Ops.
It's odd because Crew Resources has changed AE strategy after the 717 debacle. They will overstaff the narrow body FO position before unleashing a beast of an AE.
The positions posted on the July 2016 AE bid will be focused on augmenting staffing on the narrow- body fleets in preparation for a larger AE bid that we anticipate posting in October or November. Based on recent staffing trends and bidding behavior, we need to utilize all available narrow-body simulator capacity for training. This is a departure from the previous practice where training was focused on a just-in-time method designed to meet peak season (summer) schedule demands. We will continue to use a version of the just-in-time training process for all Wide-body positions and narrow-body Captain positions because training time is shorter in these categories than on new-hire positions. The added staffing will also have the benefit of supporting increased rotation construction buffers and future operational reliability initiatives.
From August Newsletter:
Over the past few Advance Entitlement (AE) awards, Crew Resources continues to see a significant number of pilots surprised by their awards. As the pace of new aircraft deliveries and pilot retirements accelerate, we expect all pilots who are awarded an AE to be prepared to go to training once it is scheduled. To achieve your desired outcome of an AE, please review the tips below:
If you are not actively looking to bid off of your current fleet, please remove any standing bids.
Crew Resources provides a recap following most AE postings. This recap is a snapshot of what
occurred on a specific AE. The results are not indicative of how a future AE may be processed. A good example of this is the request for a training bypass. Every training bypass is reviewed manually and each request granted alters subsequent scenarios. If a pilot with a 2018 retirement date was granted a training bypass on the March AE, that date is not predictive for the May AE or any future AEs. All pilots requesting a training bypass should expect to train on their awarded fleet.
There will be more opportunity for Delta pilots over the next few years than there has been in a generation. The foundation of the AE process is best summed up in the phrase “Bid what you want, want what you bid.”