Originally Posted by
ropestart
the bid before this last one, captain went 1.5 years maybe 2, can’t really recall. This last bid was more seniority due to very few captain slots available on NB. Once deliveries pick up, I’m sure it will go down a bit, but not NH vaccines. Those days are long gone.
It was more like 4-4.5 years and it was a couple seats in Guam.
Stepping back a bit ... a lot has changed. Post covid United had mass-retired a bunch of very senior captains, was rapidly expanding its 737 fleet, and had reserve rules that many pilots disliked. Captain demand exceeded supply and it went very junior, so junior that a big part of the last contract negotiation was how new hires could be forced into captain against their will.
Things have changed. The new reserve rules are better liked and nobody can deliver new planes on time. Consequently, the company got the captains it needed and more. NBCA vacancies are very slim and going senior. The bid awards are showing 2025 weirdness, the seniority list are showing 2023 weirdness. It will take a few years to shake out and then presumably it might approach some sort of sustainable pattern ... which is very likely to be 5-10 years to captain and much longer to lineholding captain. There's really no reason a seniority based 30-year career would have people making captain shortly after hire.