Originally Posted by NuGuy

True, but the company can also directly furlough pilots without the shuffling around.

Can't play defense ALL the time.

In stagant times, with maybe 2 bids a year, you can have people languishing in positions that have an untennable QoL because they got stuck in a bad spot when the music stopped.

Even people who just want to change bases are blocked for months on end.

Having experienced both systems, I AM warming up to the way DAL does some things, but I don't see much that recommends the AE thing over the APA system.

1) No more random guesswork and fretting when the next bid will be. No built up angst.

2) The APA system allows you to see which way the wind is blowing before jumping in. You see a lot of people on the web board clamoring for "practice bids". With the APA system, there is no need.

3) People don't have a meltdown worrying about their bids. Miss one? No problemo, there will be one next month. No need to re-arrange your whole life to grab a once a year bid.

4) People who just want to swap bases can do so without waiting forever.

5) People who get stuck in a bad spot can bid out sooner, rather than dealing with a BAD commute or reserve for months on end. This is especially important now that lineholding is no longer guarenteed.

6) No more guess work when you will be "converted". The APA system worked 4 months out. You knew exactly when you would be in the seat. As opposed to up to a year under the AE system.

7) Along with 6, you can plan your training. Don't want to train in the summer? Pull your bid until Fall.

8) When you got an award under the APA system, you "owned" it. The only way you wouldn't get it is if they displaced you. Bids could't just be "cancelled".

So far, the only minus we've heard is that the AE system provides maybe (just maybe) a speedbump to furlough.

As I said, you can't play defense all the time.

Nu