Originally Posted by
KnockKnock
This might be hearsay but isn’t one of the reasons we stopped hiring into the Airbus is because management found how to maximize efficiency with your PBS system and now finds the Airbus side overstaffed? In CQ, one of the instructors said the Airbus staffing model was way off and the company is now exploiting the loopholes. Yes, hiring has frozen on both airplanes but it stopped for the Bus long before the Boeing and I’ve heard when it resumes, it will be Boeing first. So do these “efficiencies” equate to even less hiring? I understand the QOL on the Airbus is slipping further and further away, from what it was, as AAG takes total control of the system. I would be hesitant to accept any system that furthers managements stranglehold of our “efficiency” while furthering the stagnation of pilot hiring. Plus, when the pot of pairings gets picked through, what’s left for the junior guys? When I worked under PBS, there wasn’t much left for anyone under 25-30% in the seat.
The junior guys do fine too. When I was 80% I still did pretty good for my trips bid, and more importantly my days off bid. As for the rest, the airbus hiring stopped end of January followed quickly by Boeing. The 4% growth rate is the main reason for the slowdown. On the Airbus side, it’s also the repainting and new interiors that is going to happen on the entire fleet in 18 months. That’s a fairly aggressive schedule, and will take planes out for weeks at a time. And yeah, we’re overstaffed on the Airbus side. That’s why there are daily emails offering premium pay to cover trips.
Serious question: why would anyone come here anymore? 620 retirements in 10 years out of 2,900. That’s barely 21% of the list. If you want ANC there’s Fedex/UPS. SEA is Delta, SF United, and LAX all 4 legacy carriers. PDX is the only unique AS base.