And just to add I fly with captains that were on reserve for about 6 years as FOs.

When things are bad it seems we keep our jobs. When things are good the rest of the industry leaves us behind.

I did help one friend get a CP meet and greet at AS and was thrilled to hear they chose United. I think it is a sensible and intelligent choice.

Of course not all of us have a crystal ball and we can’t predict the future. Also some of us, such as myself are mediocre at best and couldn’t get a call from anyone else.

That’s why I’m at AS. No one else even called. It doesn’t bother me and I’ll be happy/fine but I sure wish anyone with scope had called. I also scratch my head as to why anyone would come here with an offer from any other major.

To each their own I guess.


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Just from what I’m reading is it safe to say that a new hire would be on reserve in SEA on the 73? Doing the red eye reserve (7pm?? to 9am??) for the next 1-2 years? With 12-14 days off a month.

 

Reserves are on duty 18 days a month. When I was on red eye reserve it went JR. I think it started at 5:30pm so a two hour call meant you could be on at the gate by 7:30.

Covid changed a lot of things. So this might not be accurate now.

We don’t sit ready at the airport but other than that SkyWest was much better rules wise for reserve than AS.

Also when I was hired management was pretty rah rah about hiring 800 pilots and I think they hired 450. I seriously doubt we will see 250 in 21-22 but who knows. With those numbers you may be able to hold open flying by the end of the hiring cycle, if hired at the beginning of the wave of 250. Depending on the base.

That would be best case. If you didn’t get bear case then yes it could mean years on reserve if we didn’t hire again. Lately we have been shrinking to profitability and giving the little new flying almost entirely to Horizon and SkyWest. If this trend continues which seems 100% the case presently:

I’d plan on worst case being hired and spending years on reserve in SEA or LAX on the 737.

For once in my aviation career I got pretty lucky and I can barely hold a line with over 400 pilots hired below me. Step trades do not work out generally. I usually get SE Alaska winter ops and east coast summer ops. I bid avoid red eyes.

I’d be top 10 in the open flying lines but there are only 30 lines or so of open flying. 3 of those lines worked out for the days off I wanted. So open flying is a risk but it beats reserve. At the current hiring trend you’d need two hiring cycles to get into my level of seniority. That would be 2-4 years.

Hope this helps.


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10 -12 days off. They have the right to fly you into your days off. Max days off are 12 on reserve. They will also change you from am to pm or vice versa throughout your reserve month. Oh yeah, they have the right to do that too ! Without exaggeration, these are the worst “reserve” rules in the industry, bar none.....

 

Its anecdotal, but I've never had anything less than 12 days off

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Based on my entirely unscientific survey, captains on reserve get pushed into their days off. They have it way worse than the FOs. Most of the captains I know on reserve are being used more than 79 hours every month.

It’s yet another thing to keep in mind. A massive QOL change is coming if you upgrade and unless there is unprecedented movement, you’ll be on reserve for years.


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Is LAX and SEA the most junior bases? How about PDX?

 

PDX seems to be the most senior. Not sure if LAX or SEA wins jr base. Seems to depend on Bus or Boeing…


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any idea on how long to hold it?

 

Once the October position bid is complete, the plug in PDX will be a January 2019 hire. So just under 2 years