Originally Posted by TOGALOCK

I think the biggest question you need to ask yourself is why you want a CA spot. Is it simply because you *want* to upgrade, or are you doing it because it’s what’s best for family, finances, financial planning, etc.

If you simply want to upgrade just to upgrade then I would take the base transfer first and then put your name in the upgrade hat. If you’re wanting to upgrade for the latter reasons then I would say get a CA seat locked in asap and then worry about the base transfer. Always bid for where you’d want to be if the music stops tomorrow.

Upgrades right now may not stop, but they may suddenly begin to trend more senior. If that were to happen, are you okay staying in the right seat, or would you be kicking yourself for not taking the upgrade just to avoid a couple extra months of commuting? Also something to keep in mind that, with a base transfer, you don’t automatically transfer on the effective date listed on the bid. It can take up to six months for you to be activated into your base award based on the needs of manpower planning. At that point, what’s another month or so of commuting in order to get your ultimate desire (captain upgrade) locked in. Commuting is not fun. Been there done that plenty of times, but sometimes it’s a necessary evil. Especially when family is involved. Only you can make that call.