Yes...........

Who would of thought Philly bus captain would have gone so junior?

Or quite so many!

LAX 737: 12,0xx
LGA 320: 11,5xx
DCA 737: 11,999


LGA is now the 4th most junior G2 captain base. Didn't see that coming.

Happily wrong on my poor prediction.

June vacancy
 

I’m happy to be able to say i told you so PRS lol

I’m surprised NB CA went so Jr and surprised 777FO went more senior than last bid...

DFW 787 FO (Grp4) - 11,7xx

Its all in cycles, you'll see it go junior again prob in 1-3 bids.

So I counted 35 CLT/320/FOs being awarded something else, and ZERO CLT/320/FO positions awarded...oh and zero CLT/320/CA awarded either, although I didn’t count how many CAs bid off it. What’s up with that?

If i had to guess the amount of 73 flying is eating into the airbus block hours. I wouldn’t be shocked to see a clt 737 base soon.

Tons of guys trying to get CLT. Even though there hasn’t been any positions awarded to CLT in awhile and we have lots of retirements in CLT, we continue to stagnate or go backwards in seniority.

LUS retirements? Makes perfect sense. CLT seems to be “right sizing” and other bases must be seeing a lot of CLT AB flying this summer.

the vacancy showed CLT 320 FO numbers at 554 for June 19 and 554 for Aug19. There were 567 on the Jan PBS award report, so maybe some. 35 seems like a high number to not backfill some, unless there are some out on some sort of leave, but even so they have to account for that on a monthly basis. The even more puzzling part is not filling any CLT 320 CA slots, the rsv CA i fly with say they fly all the time and OG is readily available. There was 17 CLT/320/CA that bid elsewhere by my count.

Cheaper to pay OG and staff it that away? Just a guess. However more logical part says CLT is like PHX. In AA world it was too large for one plane. They’re trimming it down and will transition crews. If you look at actual 737 departures it’s not that many as it seems. AA keeps saying no to PHX 737 which of all them seems it would make the most sense?

Still no FO slots awarded in CLT. Again

Edit: I didn’t see the previous posts.

Vacation Rounds
 

So, if you’re happy with round 1 results. What should I doon the ballots for Rounds 2-4? Should I delete the ballots, little confused how that works.

If all your vacation was awarded it doesn't matter. If you have days that are available you should bid.

Baboom!.......not too bad I guess. Kinda backward tho.

When does July vacancy close? Hahahah

Did you bid for all 3 weeks as one block? And get it? If so, you’re done. Or did you only have 1 week to bid? If so, you’re done.

If you have weeks left, you need to bid for placement of those weeks in round 2-4, which happens all in one bid.

Also, as a heads up, this is completely separate from the vacancy bid...

Don’t be surprised. G2 captain at the lower levels of seniority percentage are worked like sled dogs. Add in the number of commuters, particularly at bases like LGA where it’s super expensive to live, and the lack of commutable trips at that seniority and you will see a resistance to bidding captain from people that can hold G3 and especially G4 f/o, aka “dozing for dollars”. I hear it every trip I fly. Not many guys want to deal with the constant reroutes and multi leg days.

Any predictions on how jr GP 2 CA goes over the next few yrs say out to 2021 with increasing retirements. Any chance it goes above 12,500-13,000??!!

I'm guessing it will hover around the same % where it is currently.

Not at all true for me. G2 NB CA has been a lot more relaxing, with a lot more time at home, than WB Intl FO ever was for me. And I’m not near as tired. I barely get rerouted/RA’d. In fact G2 CA has been the best gig so far in my 19 years here. But hey to each their own

It will only go lower if we grow

SC reserve in base?

While I get reassigned all the time so disagree with you on that - as a G4 FO were you sitting reserve or holding a line? And we’re you living in base or commuting? If a lineholder what type of trips and days off were you holding? Just curious as I might move to a hub and bid group 4.

I was all about trying G4 FO, but looking now, I doubt I’ll do it. I’d be just as jr on 320 CA but making a lot more money. People talk as if you’ll hold a line as a G4 FO quicker, but it looks the same to me and $40ish K more a year.

I’ll probably do 6 months G4 and bail for G2 CA. As a bonus it costs an extra training cycle to the company.

Run the numbers...
90hrs G4 FO ≈ 73hrs G2 CA.

It'll come down to your preference for line vs res, and type of flying.

If a good number of people did this, we would have A LOT of G4 FOs making G2CA pay because of withholding. Lots of training cycles! Great idea.

Today I’m a LH in base. But I started as a commuter to LC to LGA for 3 months. Easy peasy. Then transitioned to a line in LGA, then transferred done here for SC reserve in base. Now a LH.

Even commuting to LC reserve on domestic G2 CA was tons easier than flying those long haul trips that left me brain dead for 2-3 days after...only to repeat it all over again.

That is my plan as well. You can break your lock for first upgrade, right? After six months I think? I figure go get a new type, do international for a bit, then bid G2 CA to break your lock.

I agree I much prefer local domestic stuff except for the heavy leg days and short overnights.

However it's different if you are only working 8-10 days on reserve vs 18 on reserve in an understaffed category/base.

True statement... I’ve been blessed to be based in a relatively small base that doesn’t fly much.

DCA 737 ;) A hidden gem new hires should really consider over LGA or MIA.

I started in DCA on the 80, great base, small bid status, we only flew 30ish hours a month back then. Great deal living there, not so sweet for commuters.

Being a junior ca on the 73 is starting to feel like the land of the misfit toys. Movement has slowed to a trickle the last few bids, while the bus has had big awards going junior.

18 months in, and still commuting to reserve, I cant hold a line anywhere (except for the occasional hybrid with vacation or training) while I'd be in solid line holding territory on the bus in LGA. The last bid would have had me going home if I were on the bus, still just out of reach on the 73.

Yeah Captain side a different story. FO side however has seen some get nice movement the past year for sure.

Also DCA like many LUS bases seems to have many approaching mandatory retirement? You’d know more on that then me but anytime I hand a plane away to DCA crews there seems to be a lot with few years left?

this isnt a big secret, I know ALOT of FOs that have this plan as well...hopefully the seat lock rules dont change in the next contract 🤔

That’s great that this has worked for you. I’m hearing one side of the story, it’s good to get other feedback.

If you can’t nap then longhaul doesn’t work for most people. I’m lucky, as soon as I lay down in the bunk, I’m out.