AD200100

I received CJO from both AA and DL and worry about making the right bet.
AA has a very small base at BOS (200 pilots out of 15,000+), and rumors of closing the base.
DL holds half the airport and has rumors of opening a base at BOS.
Those rumors can go on for years and can become reality tomorrow - Either way, I'll make a bet here.

My question is if I live at BOS and go to AA, will it be worth it - Once I upgrade I'll probably commute to LGA until I can hold BOS again.
Heard it's 15 years as of today...
What's the most junior CA at BOS?

AllYourBaseAreB

whoever you’re talking to is blowing smoke. Current junior CA this fall is a Jan 2015 hire. Will continue to get more junior. The more common rumor is an airbus base eventually opening there because the vast majority of flying there is on it.

with the NEA commuting to NYC on AA metal sucks. Went from over a dozen a day to just 5, and only to JFK. There is also a lot AA guys doing it. Now if the NEA goes away, that would hopefully improve and at least get some LGA-BOS flying back from JetBlue.

it’s really a gamble on how good or bad or nonexistent BOS becomes in the next few years. We have plenty of gates, just being under utilized. New international terminal, and XLRs in a couple years could be a big deal for AA’s presence there. Or not.

Delta will at least guarantee you a solid career in NY with lots of metal for your commute (republic at least). Widebody trips passing through town too (no idea what base they originate in)

CRJCapitan

Up until a few months ago it was 15 years but now it’s 2015 like mentioned above. There are a few slots in the vacancy bid in a few weeks so who knows what it’ll
be after that. FO slots have also been offered in new hire classes, but that could just be a very temporary thing.

TallFlyer

I believe it was sometime last year that the then BOS APA reps put out a blast all but promising a 320 base in BOS subject to ratification of a new contract. Take all of that with a grain of salt, but I suspect that's probably more true than not.

Agree with the "blowing smoke" comment above, but at the same time am willing to eat those words if proven wrong.

AllYourBaseAreB

those Boston reps were full of wacky tabacky smoke

UtahGetMe2

FWIW, I faced the same exact decision recently. After several months of talking to pilots at each company, I decided to go to AA. It was an agonizing decision, and I'll most likely have lingering doubts/uneasiness about it for a long time.

What it ultimately came down to is the bird-in-hand. Getting BOS is my top priority, so I eventually had to snap out of the allure of the mighty widget and choose the company that I know, ...today...., can actually get me there. 7 new hires at AA got BOS in May straight out of indoc. Not bad.

A surprising number of DL pilots actually helped solidify my decision. Numerous guys advised me that the DL BOS base rumor has been a rumor for many years and that although it might happen, it also might not, and to be prepared to commute to NYC for my career. And even if DL BOS does happen, there are many questions about how senior it will go, and how long it would take to get A-320 training (my SSAN is terrible -- starts with a 0. Based on recent drops, I would have got a 737, or possibly 220 or 717).

My kids are still young and my priority is to avoid a commute. Once they're older and/or off to college, I can assess if I want to commute to NYC for quicker upgrade, WB flying, or better relative seniority. ....Or possibly stay in BOS forever, who knows? It's currently senior on the CA side, but the CA list is OLD and the upgrade time will continue to drop drastically over the next 5 years.

I met AA's new BOS Chief Pilot a couple weeks ago. I asked about the future of the base and his overall comment was "stable and status quo for the foreseeable future." It sounds like there's so much hiring and movement right now that the training burden would be too high to open (or close) a category. **Which is the same reason (among a couple others) DL is citing for not opening a BOS base yet.

Also, I'll add that the only place I've read anything about BOS closing is on chat forums and/or social media. Seems like conjecture. The "BOS might close" rumor seems to be based solely on the fact that the 73 BOS base is small. But I haven't heard anything from the company along those lines. In fact, the only rumors I've heard through company channels regarding BOS are about growth/expansion (via 320's, XLRs, etc).

Good luck with your decision. It's a tough one. My only regret is not looking into B6. I was told by several peers that B6 is a "stepping-stone LCC" and not a "destination airline." So I didn't even apply. I think I still would have picked AA for several reasons, but I regret not at least looking into B6 and seeing what they had to offer. If BOS is truly a top priority for you, my advice is to apply to airlines with a BOS base -- i.e. AA and B6, .....and DL only if/when they open one.

Cheers

AD200100

Thank you. That's exactly my situation.
I know it's kind of a "champion problem", I mean a year ago I thought it will take me at least 5 years to maybe get a CJO, never the less from two majors...
As of now, it looks like it's going to be AA because of the BOS base that is already up and running. Hope I'm making the right move and thanks again for the information.

StoneQOLdCrazy

one of the reasons for the AA tieup with Jetblue via the NEA was for access to, or at least some benefit from, JB's LGA slots.
AA suffered from inadequate LGA slots due to trading them to Delta for a bunch of DCA slots back in the day. IOW, if AA had adequate LGA slots, they wouldn't have needed the NEA in the first place. YMMV

AllYourBaseAreB

uh… no. AA is letting JB use AA slots in LGA. USairways certainly sold the farm but AA itself still had plenty of slots. Enough slots combined, I believe we had to divest a few for merger approval. AA lent JB a lot of slots being used by RJs. The NEA was sold to us as JB helping feed our Europe and SA flying in JFK. In reality, the main benefit appears to be huge growth AAdvantage club membership with JB customers.

but in a round about way, yes, AA is too small in NYC. JetBlue slots at all 3 airports are spreading the flying around, to let AA focus on “more efficient route structures, without raising prices”. I don’t really believe it. Nor did the judge. It’s a merger without all the heavy lifting required.

DrSmacFum

very curious why JetBlue isnt on the table for you