Originally Posted by Freeflyfreak

Actually it is a little longer than that because: "A pilot who completes required training after the effective date of an award shall begin any applicable lock-in on the first day of the contractual month following the completion of training, but no later than the first day of the second (2nd) contractual month following the commencement of training."

Plus you can potentially be withheld for 6 months after an award.

So 6 months plus 2 months plus a potential 6 months withheld.
However, at the company's discretion they can also release you from a lock early if they are hurting for people in a particular status. Early lock-in releases have happened recently too.
So worst case scenario 14ish months locked and withheld from beginning training.
Best case scenario, awarded a bid while still in training and released from the lock in by the company (yes it has happened).

It is a lot to weigh, but like I said, I don't regret it.

Originally Posted by Pirate

OK, so to clarify, let's say I'm the oldest and want to preserve my #1 status by choosing the 1st training end date, no matter the base/equipment. What I really want, however, is say the 75/76 in MIA, so I put in a bid for that equipment/base after the fact. Maybe I end up with the worst case scenario like you mention above, and that's ok, but if the company wants to switch my training to the 75/76 any time, even before I class up for my original equipment, and I get delayed and am now effectively the last one from my IIRC class to finish training, I'm still senior to everyone else in my class because it's based on the original IIRC training equipment selection completion date only, right?

Originally Posted by aa73

Yep, even a single seniority # can make a difference. I should know, when we stopped furloughing in 2005 they furloughed right up to the guy behind me and stopped! (I was the junior pilot in my new hire class and they furloughed right up to the senior guy in the next class behind me.) Ya cant make this stuff up... 😜

Great meeting ya the other night Freeflyfreak.

Originally Posted by swaayze

Heard a recent rumor that it may go to something like one class of MD80 then one class of 737 due to the training backups. No idea where it originated or if it's at all valid but it kinda seems to make sense.

Originally Posted by Sliceback

Unofficial comment from guy coming back from the school house was that April and May might be one class of newhires each to reduce training backup.

Originally Posted by Pirate

OK, so to clarify, let's say I'm the oldest and want to preserve my #1 status by choosing the 1st training end date, no matter the base/equipment. What I really want, however, is say the 75/76 in MIA, so I put in a bid for that equipment/base after the fact. Maybe I end up with the worst case scenario like you mention above, and that's ok, but if the company wants to switch my training to the 75/76 any time, even before I class up for my original equipment, and I get delayed and am now effectively the last one from my IIRC class to finish training, I'm still senior to everyone else in my class because it's based on the original IIRC training equipment selection completion date only, right?

Originally Posted by Sliceback

How many years were you 'the plug'? (bottom guy)