Originally Posted by
LeineLodge
You may be right, but I would argue that those who have actually lived under both systems have the better perspective.
The scenario you described with the seasonal commuters would not likely happen. Under the APA system, if they closed the category, everyone could displace into anything else they liked. This constant waterfall training effect would far outweigh any potential savings on DH.
Ultimately it doesn't matter, but you will be hard pressed to convince any FNWA that the AE is better for pilots. As was previously described Delta can time their AE's to just before a wave of freezes expires (with only a few bids a year, they know when a large bulk of freezes are about to expire.) With monthly bids, your two year seatlock is only two years. Here it is potentially 2 years, plus however long it takes them to run another AE, and THEN you have potentially a year while you wait for them to convert you. If you're stuck in an undesirable situation it could be for a much longer time under the AE system.
I'm on board with our new favorite way of doing things. Just trying to shed some light on why you guys are seeing so much desire to return to the old favorite way.
First,
They would not have to shutter an entire category and those most effected would be junior pilots that would be constantly shifting from one seat to the next.
The AE system is slower and it is much harder to sharp shoot immediate changes to the flying needs. The means that generally speaking the company will over staff jets just to make sure they have enough bodies is marketing "thinks" they may need.
An APA system allows tighter staffing and quicker shifts to staffing.
I have worked under both types of systems and have likes and dislikes of both systems. My opinion is neither type of award system is perfect, but I prefer larger bids. What I would like to see is more transparency in what "all" pilots are bidding and where I will sit and any given time on any jet in any seat based on the 22D reports. This functionality can be incorporated in to dbms, and is something that the SOT should look at.