OK...I'll throw ya some info. I was hired a year ago...
Base...Memphis unless you are asked if you would like a 75 to Cologne. I had someone recently ask me about the MD fleet and base assignment. You WILL NOT get LAX. Not sure about ANC but doubt it. A couple of my classmates bid for and were awarded ANC in the big bid we had last year.
Fleet wise you'll be hand picked for the MD and then asked if you'd like to fly it. Those folks typically are previously type rated in the fleet, flew C17s or KC135s or F18s. This could change but it's how it worked for my class and others I know.
If you don't go to the MD you will be racked and stacked according to the last 4 of your social...highest number wins. They'll then start with number 1 and tell him /her to pick one of the available planes. This varies by class so you could get all 777s, all 757s or anything in between. So I'd highly suggest speaking with someone here to figure out which fleet would be the best fit for you (BTW this will happen on day 1 for the Boeing /Airbus folks so already have your picks rank ordered when you show).
Training also varies. The MD is the longest...don't know what is shortest. After BI (basic indoc which is two weeks) you'll get a date to start training. Some start almost immediately while others wait a few weeks or more. I'd say plan on a two or three week wait time and two months give or take to complete training. Once training is complete you'll start year one pay.
Pay...sorry but again this varies by fleet and your desire to work. If you want to work a lot you can definitely break guarantee. If you want to work min or less by dropping trips or R days you can probably do that too. Reason I mention this is anything you drop gets put into your makeup bank (this stays with you forever and when you use it is paid at whatever pay rate you are currently at). If you can pay your bills and bank some days and wait for year two pay you can then use those hours at your newly improved pay rate...I know several who have done this.
For me I kinda mixed it up between lots of work and min guarantee and $66k comes to mind give or take for year one...remembering tho I started in Feb so that's for 11 months.
Schedule wise again it depends. I was very active in molding my schedule (meaning lots of time spent dropping days,trading trips, dropping trips etc) and was off for the 4th, the entire week of Thanksgiving and my last day in December was the 23rd and I didn't come back to work until the 4th of January. This was with no use of vacation which you won't have in your first calendar year.
Hopefully this helps and welcome aboard! Oh and for those of you who commute get a crash pad secured ASAP as I hear they are in short supply. BTW we have a great jumpseat policy so there is no reason to think you NEED to move here unless you really have a burning desire to live here (they should tell you this in BI and no I don't).
Cheers,
Gas