The Buddy Pass is really only a deal for International, if/when they can get into first class, or on some thin domestic routes where they can actually get on a flight! I have a Buddy who flys over to ATL from Zurich every January, for a week of sailboat racing in the Keys.

He buys a Buddy Pass for about $450 round trip, ZRH-ATL, and then he buys the cheapest ticket from ATL-PBI, FLL or MIA from ATL, so he will definately get there. ($380 last Jan) It's nearly impossible to ride on a pass from ATL to FL in January, over MLK weekend, which is when we race. I pick him up in MIA/FLL/PBI (which ever is the cheapest for him) on the way down to the Keys, and drop him off there on the way back.

He's been doing it for the past 5 years. Only once, did he not sit in FC both ways from ZRH-ATL. He had to sit in coach going home last year, but they gave him a whole row, so he was able to lie down and sleep most of the way home.

 

There will be about 27 ATL DC9As that might be coming over on the mandatory displacement on top of that. I'm sure nobody put an AE if they can get a free MD.

There are 44 ATL DC9As senior to 6900.


The thing we won't know is how many bid 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, etc. That's why I find that AE category stuff less than helpful.

I was looking at stuff recently for ATL Bs. I'll spare the show my math, but if I was in the bottom 40 7ER (given the bottom 63 guys are junior to the ATL767B plug) or bottom 40 73N or 30 A320 or 50 M88, I'd have my MD bid up to date just in case.

I'm betting a 2000 hire is #1 on the 717B. maybe a 1999 hire. The top 20% or so of the 717B are in the low 10,000s or 2001 hires or senior. Then I think a lot after that are guys in the 10,000s until their percentages are met. Then I'm sure the bottom of it goes junior.

That's just an assumption looking at the seniority list.

 

Hey, ftb- did you factor in the 717A positions into all that swagging?

(I've gone back and rechecked all my preferences about 15 times in the last 20 minutes.. nervously making sure i didnt put something in that may bite me!)

 

negative. which would help tremendously. it would be most helpful if a lot of 7ER Bs bid 717A. The higher the better. It'd be nice if the sucking sound was from the top and not the bottom.

717++++

 

btw, how in the world does the "downtown" 30 hour layover for ALB count as downtown?

 

That's what I thought. The major wild card is the absolute landslide of people that don't need to fill out any AEs on this bid since their category is being nuked.

I've settled on bidding what I want, and wanting what I bid. Trying to move up, if not, protect not backsliding in category, and if then, getting the best possible outcome.

Lot's and lots of %'s on my bid...

 

15 with 717A first choice senior to 4600

 

Well, I wish you luck. The sad truth is, Sh!t rolls downhill... There are 15 767 Capt.s senior to me on the ATL 767 Domestic. Each and every one of them could (and may) MD to the 777A in ATL. That will push me down 15 places, while pushing 15 off the bottom. Those bottom 15 will cascade down into other categorys, and push more out the bottom, all the way down to the 717.

That category may be entirely filled by MD's. At least they won't be seat locked for 24 mo.

 

yo, that's senior.

And just keep this in perspective, here is the top of ATL DC9 A as of right now... 3843 3886 3928 4172 4379 4574 4736 4810 4876 4971 5242 5246 5627 5706 5790 5791 5813 5940 5949 5968 6005 6013 6022 6039 6059 6146 6254 6372 6391......


I could only imagine the 717 with it's cockpit would garner even more love.

 

Ya know, I wondered the same thing. I went to college in Troy and know exactly where that place is. In fact, drove past it this summer between vacations. It it literally the worst location in the "Capital District Region" to be - you could be in downtown Schenectady (same drive time), which is a (a) nicer college town and (b) nicer downtown from I remember. Shoot - put us by the Mall near the airport where I stayed with COEX - at least we could walk across the parking lot to the mall and get something to eat.