Happy New Year everyone....

From everything I can gather on this message board, FedEx should start the hiring machine now that it is post peak.

Thought I would make a thread for those folks out there who are hoping for the call to post if they hear anything.

Good luck...

 

Anyone know when the application window will be open again?

 

No one who posts here knows what FDX will do; although they usually know what FDX is doing.

What does that mean; noone can tell you when it will open but they can tell you that it is open.

 

IMO...YMMV Softening market in Asia, continued flat US volume (even over peak), profits resting on the fuel surcharge. The last thing we need are more bodies. We have plenty of guys, they are just in the wrong seats. 727 needs a massive excess bid before they consider hiring. Leaner is better.

 

I have no inside information on when, but I am confident that the window will open. Therefore, at the risk of stating the obvious, NOW is the time to make sure your stuff is in order. If "they" announce the window opens January 15th, are you ready? This is the time when you should be updating electronic logbooks, resumes, asking former buds now at FDX if they are sponsoring anyone, prepping for cog tests, talking to Albie at Emerald Coast Interview, asking questions of those who have recently been hired, getting smart on what FDA means, researching potential CGN and HKG domiciles etc. etc. My kids will tell you that I define "luck" as the intersection of preparation with opportunity (insert x-y axis diagram here, or a picture of Aaron Rodgers). So...good "luck" to all y'all out there.

 

leaner is better for management. For the reserve linehlder it means misery- no drops no trades. Regular lineholders are adversely affected by the lack in schedule flexibility while lean as well. Properly manned there is "room" from a contractual floor BLG to higher blgs as published.

4a2b was exploited far longer than could be justified, at the same time reserves were denied from dropping r-days for insufficient coverage. What a dichotomy- "we're overmanned so 4a2b, but were denying all trades & drops due to insufficient manning?!?" "O" stated this in an email.

Lean could be advantage ALPA for contract leverage, "if", we were unified enough to legally not work on our days off, as the company is Dependent on our singleminded selfish pilots working draft, volunteer, and overtime for straight pay, in order to execute the flight schedule while "lean".

Once the NC is close to agreement, or at a stalled impasse, it would not take long for wheels to fall off the flight schedule wagon if manpower planning is so lean that they must rely on draft, vol, pick-up, and the pilots didn't accept. Properly manned they would not have to worry. Apparently due to our collective shortsightedness, they still dont have to worry.

 

The 72 does seem to be fat but there's a class starting next week with about 10 going to the panel...(told that by someone in the class)

 

IMHO, The big driver on how many will be hired is pending retirements. The company will not get short of Captains and they really don't have a good handle on how many Capts will retire in the upcoming years. I was told average age of retirees in 2011 was at least a year younger than it had been historically. Imagine if most pilots decided to retire at 60 or earlier.

 

in the words of Homer Simpson.... "mmmmmmmmm........retirements"

 

That should give the bean counters something to drill on...do our increasingly tougher work schedules drive Captains to retire earlier...and how might that hurt/help the bottom line