As others have mentioned, yes it will most likely be available very quickly.

It has been a bit since this was discussed so here is how this all works from a contractual standpoint....

In order for an assignment to be available to a new hire it must have first gone "unfilled" on a vacancy bid open to all pilots already here. Any unfilled assignment on a vacancy bid is available to the company to give to a new hire for up to 120 days after the vacancy bid is closed/awarded. The frequency at which the company offers vacancy bids is up to them but with all the aircraft deliveries and pilot retirements we have going on right now, they have been quite frequent. (basically monthly)

In order to keep unfilled positions available the company will need to have large vacancies advertised. This allows them to continue to have choices of what to give out to new hires based on their most immediate need. It also allows the recently hired to very quickly have a chance to lateral to a different base or upgrade to a different plane. You will get a "freeze" into the plane you are assigned as a new hire, but that freeze does not stop you from lateralling to a different base on that plane or from bidding up in pay category. So, if you get a 737 as your initial assignment you can lateral to any of the other 737 based or bid up to 756/777/787 (if your seniority can hold it) on any vacancy bid that closes after you are here (several times that has been just 1 or 2 days after classes have started) The only thing you wouldn't be able to bid if you get the 737 assigned is over to the A320 fleet.

Right now we have recent vacancy bids that closed/awarded on 6-13/8-11/9-12, so the company can use unfilled assignments from all of those still. but none from any of the vacancy bids that closed in May or earlier. After next week's class the unfilled assignments from the 6-13 vacancy bid award with expire and they will be down to just the other two bids. I would anticipate that we will be getting another vacancy bid in the next couple days. Those bids are open for 10 days for all the seniority list to bid on and then will be awarded. Again, the company doesn't have to put out a bid, but if they don't the clock is still ticking on the 120 days, so old unfilled assignments could expire. Given the fact that there were almost 1300 unfilled assignments on just the last two vacancy bids, they are not in any danger of running out, so skipping a month in the vacancy bid cadence is always a possibility, but in the hiring pace we are at right now, I still think there will be vacancy bids every month over the winter. They almost always over advertise for the junior FO slots on those vacancy bids during this kind of hiring, so they always have "choices" of which base to give out to new hires. This is a good situation as it means you will have a very quick opportunity to lateral if you desire.

Lastly, just because an assignment went unfilled doesn't mean it will be offered to new hires. The company gets to chose which unfilled assignments they use for new hires and which they let expire. So, even if there were a few unfilled assignments in the base/aircraft you wanted on a vacancy bid right before you get hired on, it does not mean that it will be offered in a new hire class.