Originally Posted by
Gone Flying
I saw a post on FB earlier and it got me thinking. I wonder how many pilots who took the early upgrade on the 320 or ER are considering a bid down to the 220 or 717 when their seat lock is up. The difference between 90% and 75% in category is definitely noticeable. And while it is a pay cut, that can easily be outweighed by the increased QOL/ premium pay that comes with better relative seniority.
Might depend on the base, but I went from 320A to 7ERA and even though I took a 20% ish hit in seniority in seat, (now down to 9% hit) the garbage of the ER bid pack is better than the midpack stuff on the 320.
Now I could make more money as a 320A, but that's solely because the ER in NYC is this oddly properly manned category.
But for straight up bid pack trips flying, the ER is far better, even excluding the international stuff.
MEX on 320? 0500 report at LGA , LGA to DTW/MSP, then to MEX. On way back, whatever MSP/DTW you didn't hit on way down and 2300 landing.
7ER? 0830 JFK report. One and done to MEX. 24h layover, one and done home, land about 2100
When I was a commuter, neither was commutable, but the ER was at least "gentlemanly un commutable" getting up at 7 vs 4 in the crashpad, and some days you might barely make the last RJ home.
Living in base? I'd be getting up at 0315 to be driving by 0345 and getting home around 0030-0100 in the 320 trip. 7ER get up at 6, leave by 0630, and then home by 2300.
320 misses rush hour both ways, but a 3.5 hour earlier report.
Now 7ER ATL? Whenever I've gotten a ATL ER domestic trip on a Y-coded RES rotation, I think those were worse than the coverage award trips I'd get on the 320 in NYC when I was 98% in seat.