75 CDG newhires gets tricky, because you have to factor in aircraft aquisition. There will only be 5 completed 75s on property by August, with about 1 per month after that. Given that 1 or 2 jets will probably stay in MEM initially for IOE and proving runs, I don't see the CDG base really getting going until next fall. I would think late summer or fall for possible newhires, but again, that's just my $0.02 worth. They would be able to slip in 3 newhires with the 3 CDG Capts in the late Aug, Sep, and Oct classes. Preceeded by 1 week of Basic Indoc, that means August for newbies.

As you mentioned, with only a couple MEM crews, STV is pretty much an impossibility for a while, but given the slow startup in CDG, it probably won't be needed for a while. Again, IMHO.

Bluejuice,
Thanks for the info. Yeah, it seems like things are slowing down across the industry. No buzzkill really. I think the poolies are just trying to stay as informed as possible with all the different variables affecting the decision-making of the company. It will be interesting to see what happens in the next few months.

I'm on MLA and avoiding some of this carnage (involuntary I might add), but it seems to me that the company is crushing us right now. All I see as an non-current-flyer is:

1. My health care bill going up $100/mo
2. My buds pay rates going up but BLG down to 68 hrs or so
....those two kill the pay raise alone
3. STV
4. Fat in every seat
5. Company with no clue about age 65...ditto with Union
6. Massively decreasing lines in the 727 bidpack, not sure about others
7. Optimizer killing double D/H's in hometowns...think this is called city purity


Seems to me we're getting our ass handed to us as a pilot group. I'm just sayin......

Bluejuice,

Do you know for sure that there will be a cleanup bid in Jan or Feb? Why would this be necessary? Just curious. Thanks

Based on past experience, what's the likelihood training dates get "moved forward or backward" for our established aircraft --- i.e. 727, A300, MD-11?

Are moves "backward" more likely then "forward"?

Can the company unilaterally move your training date to conflict with your vacation?

If so, any recourse?

Mahalo

In my limited experience:

They can move you backward all they want but forward might be different.. I was called 3 times to take an earlier bus date but said no I would rather go on time... Then they slid me back a week and went a week after the original... Just my euros worth which ain't even worth as much in U.S.

727: My post was simply an attempt to answer Cloud's question above.

I had upgrade training 2 years ago and it was moved several times by the company. No recourse. They also solicited volunteers to take training on short notice when the plan changed. Those moves forward were voluntary, they have to give you one bid month's notice (basically) before they make you start due to bidding considerations. The moves backward were unilateral.

If you lose your vacation you can move to another month if you could have held it, or you can sell it back. There is a button under vacation in VIPS to reschedule a vacation lost due to training.

The company definitely holds all the cards on training dates. That is one reason why a lot of guys delay moving up. You lose control of your life for about a year when you bid for training.

I can give you a "for instance." Last spring, a crewmember broke his leg. While he called in sick to VIPS, he never informed the Training Dept, where he was scheduled to go for an A300 class the next month. When he didn't show, the schedulers spent most of the day on the phone, offering the class to every upcoming student in that seat. Big Gotcha - Everyone who said no was waiving passover pay, just like a training swap. They finally got someone very junior to take the class and he upgraded way ahead of his peers.

Otherwise, I agree with all the rest on vacation and such.