The Crew Resources guy was on the ORD townhall today and showed the same slides that were used at the Standards Meeting. It showed the MCO/TPA base as shrinking on the slide but then he said he thinks that is actually not reality, but that it would not be growing anytime soon, so pilots will likely be replaced as they take bids or retire, but just wouldn't see any growth in the total at the base.

He did also say that this was current information as of Aug/Sept for his entire presentation (which he borrowed from his boss Felisha Mitchell) and that when Network Planning makes changes they will make the appropriate changes to accommodate. He said they have a very good relationship with Network Planning (not always the case in our history) and that they try to be good partners on working together to best accommodate any changes that come.

heard that as at least they are getting included in on plans so we don't have another IAH-SYD example. That might be to generous on my part, but he seemed happy with how Network and FO were working together, so I don't think we will see MCO/TPA growth in the near-near term, but I think he gave the example of the currency of the situation to point out that things change and UA reacts, so if Spirit does go away quickly, they would have to be able to react to the changes that Network Planning comes up with. Would that include growing MCO/TPA, who knows, but if UA adds more flights into and out of FL, then the pilot staffing across the system has to support that. That may mean building trips inefficiently in the short term until they can get the pilots where the flying most efficiently fits.