Originally Posted by
neodd
Bid the things that will screw you last. There's no 220 in ATL so if you wanna be ATL based, 220 is your last preference. First preference is every ATL offering, second tier is every plane that ATL has but NYC based so you can base swap on the next AE (usually couple months). Last tier is stuff that doesn't exist in your desired base. You can bid for a new category after only a 1-year seat lock in that case (remaining seat lock gets added to your new seat lock).
Originally Posted by
Baradium
To clarify, it's that you can't hold, not that it doesn't exist, that allows the 1 year seat lock.
I think his explanation is a good way to look at it though. If you want ATL, bid everything ATL first. Next would be bidding equipment in any base that is also based in ATL. This would give the quickest opportunity to become ATL based as you could do it with the very first AE after getting hired potentially. Last option is to bid equipment that has no current base in ATL (220 is the only thing that fits this scenario).
Option 2 and Option 3 would both allow for you to bid a different piece of equipment requiring qualification training to get to ATL after 12 months IF you can't hold your current equipment there and have bid it without conditions if it exists.