Originally Posted by
swine
California-based purple runway guy here. This info is all very helpful. You mention MEM IND and ANC… what about OAK? That is still a crew base right? Is it very senior? If I stuck around for flow this is the base I’d want but I don’t know much about it or if/when I’d be able to hold it as base.
I specifically didn't mention OAK for the reason a few others have noted. OAK is a (relatively) new base which exists only for the purpose of giving the company an easy way to get folks into the APAC theater in one duty period. Most of the OAK bidpack consists of (business class) deadhead to Asia, followed by 7-10 days of night hub turning through KIX and CAN, then deadhead back. If these trips were to be built from MEM the DH to get in theater would require two duty periods with an intervening rest period because of our CBA rules regarding deadheads as duty time. FDX had a LAX base for many years which closed recently as the MD11 has started its eventual drawdown into retirement, so a west coast base here is never a guarantee (other than ANC). As others have pointed out it is possible that our APAC flying could be outsourced. There is no way for me (or any other line pilot) to know for sure whether this will or won't happen, but I would be cautious about coming here ONLY for that flying and that base. Seniority-wise OAK is modestly senior right now, but its difficult to forecast how that might play out once we start hiring again. Feel free to PM me and we can chat offline.
-Sled