It does not matter if they backfill on this bid. The positions will have to be backfilled in follow on bids and the timing of conversion can’t change much if at all. They are running the airline as skinny as they can.

Why do they have to be backfilled on a future bid? Wasn’t it pointed out by CS that they will just DH if they don’t get pilots to bid off?

Denny

Backfill is caused by a pilot bidding off. You are talking about moving flying which is a bit different. They are trying to migrate the time on the cheap avoiding displacements. Moving flying generates no net advancement gain for the pilot group.

I’m confused as to your overall opinion on this whole AE...three posts ago you say they have to backfill eventually because there aren’t any extra trained bodies laying around, but then the next post you acknowledge that they are indeed shifting the flying for certain categories to certain bases (which I think we all agree is happening). What’s the word, Brother? Your posts seem to contradict themselves.

2014 7ER capt! i kid, i kid!

It’s possible in NYC. I’ve got 19 years in and I can hold it, but the difference from me to a 2015 hire is only 2000 numbers at the most. Most pilots don’t want to voluntarily be near the bottom of a category that isn’t growing. I had a bid in for the ER but only if I was 85% or higher.

I’m with you on the 320 and with all the orders, we are on an elevator right now, in terms of relative seniority but variety of flying also. The 321 is flying a lot of the 757 flights I used to do. Movement on the 757 is only happening by virtue of retirement numbers. I wouldn’t mind going back to the ER, I miss flying that 757 a lot, but I hate to give up a good thing. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the bottom 7ER A dip pretty low on this bid in NYC.

And what you say above is exactly what they are trying to do......without having to backfill. That was my point and hence my question to you about why do they have to backfill on a future bid. My understanding of what they said was, no, there will not be backfill. They will cover the time with the pilots in the bases they have.

Denny

I'm an early 14 hire and I'm 1500 away from it. Maybe in a few years or maybe on this AE and I'll hate myself for it.

It’s a large bid even when you subtract the attempt to move flying cheaply. There is going to be a lot of movement and I suspect there will be several follow on bids. The kind of movement we are seeing at Delta is fantastic. When I was a new hire we were told 3 years to move up to FO, 12 years to CA, 18 years to widebody CA and 24 years to international CA. Those were pretty good numbers. Imagine this forum if tomorrow the company announced that’s what they expect going forward! I have posted about all the angst that happens on every bid. Angst on a bid should be reserved for your second displacement down in a year and wondering if it’s going to lead to a furlough warning letter.
It doesn’t get any better than this in the airline industry. Enjoy the ride! It won’t last forever.

So the only people allowed to feel angst; by definition, must have it worse than you. Noted.