Originally Posted by Nextlife

I'm sure everyone would answer this question their own way, but as an experienced 121 guy, would you do the same thing if you lived in the base that would put you to at #24 of #25 and let you sit reserve at home?

Originally Posted by Nextlife

Essentially, are those seniority numbers better than getting a first domicile where you already (or want to) live?

Originally Posted by Freeflyfreak

No base would put me "at home"

The best I could do would be a 1hr flight, and that base was not available.

What I was faced with for my choice was a 3.25 hr average one way commute flight, with 25ish direct flights per day, or a 6.5 hr average one way commute flight with only 3 direct flights per day, one being a red eye! (otherwise it is a 2 leg deal).
I was going to have to live in a crashpad, and travel in the day before, either way.
At the end of the day, with the situation I was given, my thought process went like this..... "The commute is going to suck either way, though one is definitely worse than the other. I would rather have the 24 numbers. After all, worst case scenario I can likely improve the commute in 1 year ish, best case scenario I can improve the commute before I even have do it"

Given your scenario though, of being able to get the exact base I wanted from day 1 and living there, in exchange for 24 numbers.........
I would have taken the home base, and kept my fingers crossed for the future.
In fact I probably would even have taken the closest base at 1hr commute and 25ish flights, in exchange for those numbers too, if I had that choice.
Unfortunately I didn't have that luxury.




That question will truly never be answered until it is too late.
All you can do is weigh the pro's and cons of the individual situation and choices presented, make the decision, and then hope for the best. Once the decision is made, it is out of your hands and up to fate.

Originally Posted by ghilis101

I hope that your decision, for better or worse, never gets tested, because the future progression and success of the airline industry, and the aspiration of people like us waiting on the outside hoping to get in, depends on lots of movement and tons of people underneath you! Congrats and good luck there!

Originally Posted by Freeflyfreak

Same here.
I was number 3 in my class by age.
When it became my time to choose I was faced with the choice of getting an aircraft and base that was more preferable to me, but becoming number 24 in the class.
Or taking a base that was less preferable to me and becoming either number 1 in the class or number 6 in the class depending on equipment.

It was an extremely tough decision, but I went with my general rule that has been learned the hard way over 17+ years in the regional airline biz. That is, seniority is worth more than anything in certain situations, more than money, more than base, more that aircraft type.
One seniority number can mean the difference between holding the base you want or a long commute, holding weekends off or no weekends off, holding a CA seat or being FO, being furloughed or being employed.....etc. etc. etc., and these downsides have the potential to last for YEARS. I have seen it happen to guys I know.

I decided to take the much less desired base and aircraft and jump up to number 1 in the class, than take what I wanted and become number 24 of 25.

The new hire lock in is only 6 months, after that it is 2 years, so that helped ease the decision for me.

It was worth it to me and I don't regret it, some others made the opposite decision to me and dont regret it either.

One decision gives guaranteed pain early on with the potential (but no guarantee) for major upside later. The other decision gives lesser or no pain starting out, with the potential (but no guarantee) for major downside later if you are ever wishing you had an extra couple of seniority numbers.
Basically either choice is a gamble, and you will never know for sure if you made the right decision until retirement.

Finishing later, does give the advantage of having time off at home between indoc and aircraft GS, but that is where the advantage ends. The downsides are, loss of seniority (with all the associated potential repercussions in years to come), the potential of being on probation longer, and also being on first year pay longer.

It is kind of a jacked up system if you ask me, but it is contractual, and there is no getting around it. It is what it is.

Originally Posted by Pirate

Sage advice, I'd say.

Does the company, by chance, provide an equipment briefing to the class from it's Chief Pilot (or the like) prior to selection? A "status of the fleet", as it were, to maybe help everyone make the most informed choice? Sometimes, you don't know what you don't know. Or, are we on our own to get as much info (rumor) as we can from personal and/or forum sources?

Originally Posted by Freeflyfreak

You get very little info prior.
Day 2 IIRC in the morning they give you a ballpark idea of what is available.

Words to the effect of "X number of EQUIP/BASE, the rest are mix of EQUIP/BASE and EQUIP/BASE"
But you don't know exact numbers or the finish dates at this point, and that can make a big difference to your decision, it did mine.

In the afternoon of the same day they bring in an Excel spreadsheet.
On the top of the spreadsheet is the class arranged by age oldest first.
On the bottom is the equipment arranged by projected finish time, earliest first.
That bottom order is going to be the final seniority order of the class once decisions are made and names get assigned slots. (the seniority that most matters anyway, there are actually 4 seniority dates but I don't want to make it too complicated here)

You get a few minutes to look at it while they explain the process, they were very good about explaining the potential drawbacks of giving up seniority, and you get to ask questions (such as the status of a fleet/base), maybe 5-10 mins I would guess, but it may have been longer. (Time warped for me when I saw the list and the choice I was faced with).

Then they copy the oldest name, and say "OK what do you want" and paste him in his choice.
They go down the name list like that until all the spots are taken.
Didn't take long at all.

Hope that helps.

Originally Posted by ERJF15

For everyone waiting for a invite or call, if Eagles TA passes, street hiring will slow as a higher number of pilots flow over. There is language, if I'm undestanding it correctly, there may be classes where 100% of the class could be Eagle flows. Not trying to flame or start a argument. Just trying to give a heads up to whats going on w/us and AA.