The bid is so big with so much shifts in flying among the fleets that it is extremely difficult to predict what the displaced pilots will do. Only prediction I can think of is largely positive movement with very little secondary displacements.

If you want to fly it...then bid it. If you don't want to be the plug...put in a percentage. You will either get it or you won't.
You can't win if you don't enter.

Excellent advice. All the rest is just noise.

Does anyone know how it is computed if we put in reg line holder instead of a % for accepting a position?

This is a very hard ae to bid for. Potential to get what you want but at a cost possibly since you could end up 10-15 percentage points in base swing based on what others do. Then again if you sit and do nothing you could not get another chsnce for awhile. So many variables.
I think the best solution for those on the fence including myself is percentage bids

The percentage is no bueno.. did that and it's not accurate as they don't necessarily fill all the slots behind you but count them anyhow for the percentage. I've been burned before .. I'll probably wait this one and out and bid on a cleanup bid that is bound to occur. Too many variables on this AE..

The only thing the company will state is that they make a "best guess" of where the lineholder cutoff will be--there are no guarantees in this business, especially when it comes to category staffing. It is entirely possible that you could be awarded a "regular only" bid and still find yourself on reserve if Network decided to change things up in terms of which airplane flies where, etc.

Bidding something on percentages is a risky proposition anyway. Like others have said, what you get can likely be way different because of how its calculated. In any case, arbitrary cutoffs rarely make sense either. You really want to train and change categories, but only if you're 30%, but you wouldn't want it if you'd 31%? Its an OK function to use when sport bidding, but that's about it.

been junior all but on two occasions in my time. if you are going to be junior....would it be preferable to be so as a m88B? or a 777A?:D

and being junior in a pure international category is a world apart from dom NB.

This bid is an unprecedented watershed event. the moving parts are too many to reliably predict. yes, bid what you want, and want what you bid...

but if there was ever a time to take a few swings for the fence...now would be the time to do so.

Were you burned in a new hire category (ie 7ER B or lower pay)? The AE process also creates vacancies for new hires. They must have unfilled vacancies on this AE, because positions must be offered to those on property before new hires.

That being said, be wary of percentage bids in the typical new hire categories, because the number below you may take a while to fill. One safety measure is selecting the option to convert after junior into a growing categor.

Bids for all As plus Bs that pay above 7ER will be most likely be completely filled via the AE process with no vacancies left for new hires. Although not perfect, a percentage bid or number bid is still safer than bidding without a safety net.