If they freeze pilots out of it, it will be the biggest stinker of the year. It's reasonable to bypass LCA's and sim instructors for a few months (while still giving them mainline seniority numbers at the instant of bypass).
It's completely unreasonable to lock all other pilots out for 2 years after a training event, especially when they have upgraded before the flow through was established. This is just another poorly made, morale destroying decision from a penny pinching corporate management.
If the company would simply take snapshots of the preferential flow-up bids to predict when a pilot would flow, and compare it to the bids for training into different aircraft, if a pilot would flow within 6 months (or so) of completing training, the company could simply then pay the pilot at the higher aircraft's wage (starting 8 weeks after the awarded class date), but not actually put them into training.
The company does have a point in not wanting to train someone they know they are going to loose soon. However, 2 years is way too long for any captain freeze, and it's also unfair to apply freezes to pilots who trained before the flow through was activated. I know we all agreed to the freeze, however, it was presented to us at gunpoint while in bankruptcy. We didn't really have much choice.
The solution is a reasonable (6 month or so, maybe up to 9 months or so) bypass provision for known flowees. Give them the pay their seniority will hold, but don't waste the training money on a pilot everyone knows is going to leave shortly. If NWA hiring wavers, slows, stops, put the pilot is the very next class for the equipment they were bypassed on, or allow the pilot to elect to continue the bypass while flying his current equipment at the higher equipment pay.
A win win for all. The company saves training costs, and the pilots' seniority is respected and compensated. Besides, other than the opportunity of having another type, who would really want to undergo two intensive long course training events in one year?
Having said that, it is just plain immoral and infuriating to hold hostage any pilots who upgraded, as their seniority allowed, before any flow through was finalized. It's just another disappointment from Mesaba corporate management.