Flyer77CA

I used the search feature and have not found much recent information in regards to CLT.



Excited to be joining AA, I start indoc in a couple of weeks. This is my first foray into 121 flying.

I would like more information to help choose between 737 or A320. I am interested in trying to get based at CLT asap. That is the main goal. Right now, will plane type make a difference?

Afterwards is one better than the other for new hires for the first 2 years in CLT? Next goal is hopefully to get CA award in 4 years.



Background- I will be living in CHS and will be trying to commute to CLT, it would be a 3hr drive or choose from several direct Non rev. flights the day before (my sugar mom’s job requires us being in CHS).



Reserve QOL – will there be issues with a 3hr driving commute while on short call?

I know it says a reasonable time. I do not want to make the Chief pilots naughty list.

Long call to me would be awesome, how likely is it that I could hold it in the first couple of years in CLT?



What are the different types of flying each AC type (737 vs A320) offers at CLT – average trip lengths, routes/destinations and back to the reserve Qol?



I know the company line is any base in 6 months. I also understand things can change and there is no guarantee in life, 4yrs ago I would have never expected that I’d be able to jump on the 121 train. I am hoping to ride it out for the next 18 or 20 years at AA.



Please let me know if I am overlooking anything else.

Thank you in advance and look forward to your responses!

UnbeatenPath

Not sure about most of it, but on short call I'd definitely find a rest stop or something like 45 minutes from home and hang out if you don't want a crash pad. When I did it at my last job I would take something to work on for a side hustle. Generally I wouldn't have to do it often because I'd have something on my schedule before that window. Still in training here so not sure if it'll be similar. For me I just got ORD which is a relatively senior 737 base and it was my first bid. Generally they do the bids quarterly.

airbusflieger

Welcome! Be sure to be in regular contact with your APA pilot sponsor. They should be contacting you, but if they don't, just check in with her/him once a week during training. If you start training and do not know who your sponsor is, email [email protected] and find out.

Just bid Long Call and don't stress. You should be able to hold that very quickly. While on Short Call, "reasonable", "promptly" etc are very flexible. I would not sit short call in another city that is a commute flight away, or more than a couple hours away by car. YMMV.

As for 737 v 320, lots of threads on this. All the domstic flying is fairly similar to me. Some people have very specific desires and avoids. Not me. Granted I've only done TDY in CLT, but I have been based in JFK (767), DCA (320), MIA (320) and other than the specific cities, didn't really see to much of a difference. Fly, go to the hotel. Some are good, some are bad.

The bif diffrence is tha fatigue level 737 v 320. The 320 is more quiet, has better environmentals, more comfortable, and is easier to fly.

Beech Dude

To the OP. Didn't even read your post. Just the title and the answer is.always "Bid the Bus!"

Welcome to the fAAmily.

BrazilBusDriver

The 320 is a much larger bid status (more pilot “seats”) in CLT, and all things being equal bigger = more opportunities. The 737 does seem to be trending a little more junior in other bases, but I’m not familiar with CLT for what it’s worth. I know it’s a pretty tiny bid status, and it’s worth mentioning that you need a vacancy to occur to be awarded something through the company. There’s APA mutual base exchange also, but you can’t be the junior guy or girl and use it.

Maybe someone on the 737 in CLT can chime in.

Don’t worry about the aircraft you’ll upgrade in. You’re going back for another long course for the left seat transition anyway. The only question is do you get a new piece of plastic and a type rating out of it.

The CBA language says something to the effect of report promptly for short call. Scheduling interprets that to be roughly 120 mins. APA publishes a reserve matrix that can allow you to see where you are on the “will I get used list”. It’s not always foolproof and if you’re the only person on the early reserve period, they might still have to use you even if you’re at the bottom of the list. Do with that information what you will. Your car will be your friend.

Potentially. Especially if you make it habit of showing up about 3 and a half hours after call out. But short call reserve is currently pretty short duration at the moment given the movement. You can suck it up for a few months.

It’s possible you could hold it in the first couple months. You can definitely hold it in 2 years.

Don’t know the 737, but CLT 320 is a lot of NE regional type flying, but also some trips to the carribean and longer stuff out west.

I got CLT out of the gate - it was my second choice, MIA being my first and unavailable (not common). Weird things happen with base offerings right before the quarterly vacancy runs. The 1/10 new hire class actually had a DFW slot (singular, but it existed).

Name User

In you're CLT 737 S-T-F-U and remember rule #1

For OP: Airbus is way better

TallyTarget64

today’s drop had 10.

jameson477

I had scheduling apologize for giving me a 2-hour callout this week. When asked if I could make it, my response was "promptly and safely"... Scheduling's response was simply to offer up-front parking and asked me to let them know if I thought I wouldn't make it in time so they could slip the flight.

BrazilBusDriver

That’s awesome.

IDK how long you’ve been here, but I will say that personal experience as a probationary guy - some of the schedulers seem to be a little more bold than others. I’ve had one apologize to me and ask if I could make sign in for a 105 minute call out because he knew the standard was 120 mins. I was at a hotel 10 mins from the airport and could easily do that so I said “yeah, I don’t think that’s a problem; I’ll let you know if it becomes one”.

A buddy of mine got called in the same general window and “told” his report time, then apparently his scheduler backdated the call to be more than 2 hours.

Just recently I got a 3:45 notice for a delayed flight that auto-magically updated back to on time about an hour earlier. I’d left early due to checkout time at the hotel I was using so it wasn’t an issue.

Anywho, I’m pretty conservative when it comes to all this stuff because I got my start in the mid-2000s regionals when they’d fire you at the drop of a hat (because it was a required piece of the uniform and why aren’t you wearing it?).

Probably also worth noting for OP that from what I’ve gathered here certain domiciles are far more understanding than others (looking at you LAX).

BrazilBusDriver

lol, Ever find yourself splicing pornography into feature films? If ORD ever gets their rumored and presumably similarly tiny 320 bid status can there be club meetups? Maybe a competition to settle the Airbii vs “man’s airplane” debate once and for all?