I hear you. With the arrival of the NEOs, BOS 320, SEA220 M88 retirement, and multiple Widebody base opening(NYC777, SLC330, LAX350) it's difficult to formulate a strategy as you don't want to end up at the kind of party you didn't expect (LAX320). With that said reasons like the ones you stated may convince senior folks to hang tight while the mess gets sorted out and some of these categories end up going extremely junior

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Just flipped through some narrow body bid packets/wides...wow! Base on that and the noticeable lack of premium vacation weeks available, I expect to see WB FO go senior and NB A go junior. I know that for whatever reason, we'll always have those that just have to get back in the left seat ASAP. But we'll probably see a new type of junior NB A that simply say screw it, my schedule is already crappy, might as well make the pay.

Even as a fairly junior WB FO, there is no way you could get me to bid NB A right now. When even the top 1/3rd are getting coverage and barely able to get a premium vacation, it just isn't worth the little bump in pay I'd see. Our domestic rotation construction and work rules need a massive overhaul.

I actually just looked at that bid package and liked the 1-2 leg days that seem to be the majority. Looks fairly uncommutable on the front ends though. Would one be a complete idiot to consider the 73N after being a career Airbus button pusher?

I think you're on to something. And the pay ain't anything to sneeze at, frankly. If it lets you retire at 55 instead of 65, there's something to be said for TVM. If it lets your spouse stay home with kids instead of working and double-scheduling around your crappy NB B schedule, that's a game-changer. I'm all about QOL, but work is for money-making (for me).

I also expect sick leave usage to go (back?) up. This domestic operation is not sustainable in the long term over many years... at least not if you want to be healthy.

So when are these 320NEO ETOPS, turn-the-737-into-an-MD90 aircraft arriving?

November and then 42 next year. They are very vague on what it will do besides Hawaii though. I would suspect the 737 will still do all the Caribbean flying but that’s a guess

Please tell which NB Capt category has line holders in the top 1/3 getting coverage awards so I can avoid it!

Or the NB Capt categories where the top 1/3 can't hold decent vacation weeks....that just ain't right. Guess that was "their" solution to last summer's goat rope.

Line holders in the top half can't be given coverage. However, reserves could get coverage even if they're the number 2 person in category to bid reserve. Not everyone in to top third bid a line. 30% in DTW320A got coverage on reserve.

I fly with former (relatively senior) WB Bs who say their pay as NB A is a significant jump over their previous earnings. What do you figure your theoretical difference to be such that you call it only a "little bump"?