Best Base to Drop Trips as NB FO
 

I'm a year 5 FO (Seniority ~10.5) coming off emergency leave of absence/mil leave/furlough later this year. I live <3 hours from BNA, LEX, SDF, TYS and appreciate help figuring out which base/iron is best to bid mid-week out of base trips. My goal would be to bid desirable trips and drop/sell most of them, maximizing trips that start/end in TN/KY or with any DH to stay on the clock longer during the commute. Priority is max sched control (recently widowed with school-age kids) vs destinations or comfort. I was A320 before my time away from the company and am sold on it's merits, but would trade comfort for better schedule control or more commutable options. Looks like senioirty would be 30% at CLT & 15% LGA. Thanks for helping me figure out best current method to be around for my kids on the weekends and have trips desirable enough other pilots will consistently take them off my hands.

I’ve found aircraft is more of the deciding factor not base. 737 has way more schedule ease then bus

Sounds like by next spring you'll be able to drop anything you want.

My guess is probably CLT, particularly 737.

Can you elaborate?

Thank you.

I'm sorry that you're in a tough spot. I'd suggest reaching out to your CP and project wingman. You have a good case to get a little slack with schedule flexibility. AA seems to do a very good job taking care of its employees when they need it.

My condolences about your wife passing away.

Takes some time but look at the 3XP's and see what trips you actually can hold at your seniority. Look at several months to make sure the results you see are consistent over time.

Top x% Airbus FO in NYC? Might be able to hold transcons or turns that often get traded like hot cakes. At 15% seniority you'll be able to hold weekends off. Same with 30% relative seniority.

But based on what sort of flying each bid status does you might find out that 30% in Base X gets better trips (in your eyes) than being 15% in Base Y.

Check out PHL or MIA if they're commuteable. It's all about how much commuting pain you're willing to accept in order to have as much control over your schedule.

I have flown with many people who are on FMLA. Wonderful system when not abused. They are able to drop anything no questions asked. This might be eligible for that? Good luck.

I'm sorry to read about your loss. This profession would be brutal for a single parent with no family support structure. I'd second a call to Project Wingman. There may be help for you none of us are aware of.

Strong rumors of unpaid leaves and other furlough mitigation strategies. Planning says 1,000 pilots overstaffed for reduced capacity growth.

While UA/DL have new hire classes, I don’t get it :confused: Then come January, back to madness in the training department with the XLRs and whatever other deliveries.

interesting
 

This is interesting. Can you provide more detail/source? I'm not on Facebook. Thinking a long motorcycle trip by me might "help the company."

Driving three hours to catch a commute, repeating in reverse sounds absolutely awful even if single with no kids.

Long term, and I don't know how old the kids are, but I would seriously evaluate moving some extended family to a base and moving to a base. While not ideal initially, your QOL and sanity will go through the roof. Especially if you get on a wb and go reserve.

If it is only 1,000 overstaffed then it sounds like just letting retirements do their thing should be enough mitigation alone.

I know an AA pilot that got his AME to put him on LTD for a year while he got counseling for stress related to life events at home.

It might be an over-winter thing? The XLR won't even be flying here for another year and really won't build to significant numbers until 2026, assuming no more delays for Airbus (so let's say 2027?).

They could also be looking at demand and forecasting next year to be weaker, so will cut block hours. Both DL and UA won't be able to magically create demand, so they will be in a similar situation if that pans out.

The company offering zero time lines doesn't cost them anything so no real downside if they don't need the staffing.

Because, despite their CEO's primarily being the one's who have come out and said there is too much domestic capacity, they're going to go right ahead and do exactly what they've planned all along. They're the one's who know what they're doing and have a "plan." It's the ULCC's that are screwing everything up and weakening their earnings. How horrible it is to actually have a little competition in these markets...

If AA sees demand falling off, then this is the right move and will make the airline more nimble. If it doesn't, they're ceding a ton of the market to them in fear of lower margins.

1,000 overstaffed? When? Right now? This fall? Next spring? Retirements AND when the comparison is being done matters. Peak summer vs October? That's probably a 15% (?) percentage reduction in flying which is 2000+ pilots. October has always been the best month to bid reserve and hope you don't get called. Details matter on if the alleged 1,000 pilots overstaffed is true when is the stated time period and compared to what?

Retirements wil eat into that which is a great furlough protection plan.

Historically 5% below you gives you protection from small furloughs and 15% below you on the seniority list gets you big furlough protection. 9/11 the worst furloughed about 25%.

Yeah I’m calling total BS on that. We are running out of reserves daily right now on the 320 fleet. Don’t believe me? Go take a look at APA reserve and see for yourself. They’ve barely been scraping by for the last two weeks. We are properly staffed. No more, no less.

Heard the same thing.

People are making so much money right now….I doubt many would take unpaid leaves.

I believe you but remember they don't staff for summer. They staff for the shoulder months and stretch during the summer.

IF the rumor is true. How would I know? It means they are planning schedule reductions in the fall. I think that tracks with what's been announced so far.

I still think retirements plus hiring freeze will do the trick. They f* up with last furlough, I doubt they will out themselves in that position again. Playing catch up costs money

this they will just give a lot of zero time lines.

Source?

filler

Training Dept

Are you referencing the scale-back from "8% growth to 3-3.5% growth?"

Given the current retirement numbers and future deliveries, I'm not buying it. Yes, the company is in a hole of its own making, but the staffing numbers should be somewhat self correcting.

Correct. They staffed for the 8% number thus they are now overstaffed.

I agree. Hence the rumor of a 200 furlough despite being 1000 overstaffed. We'll see what happens in the spring. There isn't much we can do besides speculate.

Why would they furlough 200 pilots? 🤡

This thread has turned into troll bait rumor mill. 200 pilots is the icing on the cake. They’ll lose that many and then some in the time from WARN notices going out to becoming effective.

Not to mention how crew manning ADDED upgrades on this last vacancy after the prelim award.

AA may have lopsided staffing for updated numbers and forecasts, but still not exactly off-roading into a ditch either.

AA’s latest strategy seems to be cautious and careful. A furlough of any number is neither. Reduction in hiring and pruning strategically is in line with what we have heard and seen. This is not the end times. Get real.

I can’t imagine it would make sense for AA to furlough/displace/downgrade pilots for what would be a short term period?

yeah, I wouldn't put too much stock into that whole classes starting back up in January thing. Also when compared to UA/DL it tells you how important good leadership is these days when running a company. You could tell Isom was in way over his head from day 1.

Thank you for the helpful information about Family Leave & 3XP to view PBS Awards. Really good to know about likelihood of dropping turns & Transcons. Move to in-base isn’t an option in order to have support from in-laws to care for elementary age kids so the tips on dropping trips is very helpful.

This number is not nearly large enough to justify a furlough. It would be a money loser for sure.

If they need to ditch 200 pilots there are certainly more than 200 willing to not come to work(ZTL) which includes myself.

Not to mention the 900 or so retiring in 2025.

Really what they should do is use the “downturn” to their advantage and get both NB acft into all bases.

All the worst rumors usually originate there.

So is this the part where we start up the "just go to Delta/United" rallies again or... nevermind, I guess those never really stopped on here

huh? It has never changed. If commute is not a factor and you have a choice of course you go to United or Delta. Are you kidding me?