Tpinks

No downgrades have ever happened while we are AQP, so I wouldn’t be surprised if there is nothing in place right this moment. however per article 11, You still wear your Captain uniform even once downgraded. So I would expect some sort of short course.

I wouldn’t worry about downgrades too much right now, it’s simply too far ahead to even remotely know what could happen between now and then. Being dual seat qualified however is a benefit to the company when there is no certainty to what will actually be flown. They can run a leaner staffing overall with more captains if they reduce reserve numbers and use captains on everything. I just flew captain on captain yesterday and I’m expecting to see it a lot this month. That captain that was my FO was senior into me, but was on reserve and he said his entire trip was FO flying.

Paying a year 2 captain $93 vs a year two FO $52, the difference is still less than what that a single FO gets. Doing a small example, using just 400 pilots, 200 CA/FO, each at our yr 2 rates, the hourly cost of those 400 pilots is $28,800. If we only furlough 100 FO and no downgrades, that drops it to $23,600. if you furlough 100 and downgrade 50 to make it a 150/150 seat split the total is $21,600. This is a very simple example, and does not account for the varying amounts our captains are making. The closer we furlough towards the captain seniority, the more likely we will have downgrades.