Originally Posted by
submachXJ
Just a clarification. You are seat locked as an FO for 3 years if you have not had the opportunity to upgrade. This means after 3 years you can bid to FO in another airplane. There are no seat locks for upgrade as long as you meat the minimum of experience which are ATP minimums. Also I believe a year with the company which can be reduced to avoid hiring street captains. There may be a XJ flight time requirement but it is low and can be reduced. So to summarize you can upgrade when your seniority holds it and move to whatever base your aircraft is in and your seniority can bid to that base.
Bottom line:
3 years to switch FO seats. If you switch FO seats, you're stuck there for 2 years even if you could upgrade.
As long as you meet ATP minimums, you can upgrade provided your seniority can hold it.
Once you upgrade you are locked 2 years from taking another captain spot for two years from your FED ride. Unless the company relaxes the lock.
You can change bases whenever there is a bid and your seniority can hold it - no lock.
I don't remember a Mesaba Flight time requirement for upgrade. I think what your talking is a minimum hour requirement to upgrade into turbojet aircraft (when the AVRO came on property - it was our first jet). I think there was a 5000 hour requirement but if you had less than 5000 hours Mesaba time reduced that 5000 number some percentage.
I don't believe we have this issue any more. I also think there is something in the contract about NOT hiring street jet captains but I am not certain of the language.