acl65pilot

You do not have base rights. You have rights to a specific seat in a specific base for 180 days. The base will go more senior (ATL) but you will have first dibs on your seat until sometime in late June to early July. (There will be another bid in the first part of the year)

acl65pilot

Marketing wants a GUM base now, Planning wants to make dead for certain that Marketing is going to commit for longer than 12 months to that flying. They DO NOT want to establish a base only to have it dismantlement twelve months from now. The flying will probably happen soon, when they pull the trigger on the base is anyone's guess. They just have to believe that the flying will be there long term to do it.

It is to be 10% of the 73N fleet. (10 Jets from what I am told)

acl65pilot

There are ways to massage this whole deal. I am know they know that. We can still modify the bid with part of it getting canceled after the fact, many going to training, a clean up bid, a bid modification, or a totally new bid. There are many ways for them to tweak it.

Yes they are looking at modifying what we are seeing now, and there have been some developments that may require a modification. Marketing moves quick and Crew Planning likes to slow it down a little to take the Highs and Lows out of it for all of us.

johnso29

All great stuff.

Ferd149

Guess that means the 757s will be coming home, I think we have 7 out there. Oh well, it's been a fun run.........

Next guy who wants to scream at me for lost south flying due to fleet synergies is no longer going to get a polite smile and nod.

Ferd

forgot to bid

ACL, would 73Ns in GUM mean the 757s are coming back or wouldn't really mean we'd have 10 73Ns and 7 757s flying out there between GUM and NRT.

acl65pilot

Ya know Ferd, I was told that, and then talking with a few guys last week they seemed to "Know" that they would be staying there. They work over there and thought that this 73N flying was add-on flying.

In the end it is anyone's guess, but I just wanted to point out that there was a differing voice on this.

acl65pilot

read my post below yours. I think it is add on flying. People were stating the 757's were coming back state side to do more Europe International work but then about two weeks ago the ones who work with this stuff state that it would be add on flying to the 757's. (Simply put it is a moving target) I am sure a lot of what does where and by whom will have to wait to see what we finally agree to in the JAL deal. It is not a static world over there right now. They have what DAL wants and we are having to give to get it.

forgot to bid

ACL, could we staff a GUM base with 12 day trips from current bases like LAX and ATL?

Ferd149

Scambo,

Sorry for the delay, I just found this. I guess the easy answer is the Asia flying is mostly commuters for the reasons you mentioned. Not junior senior. But there are exceptions, the #2 mostly Asia FO from MSP lives in MSP.

I haven't been based in DTW for several years, but those guys are mostly commuters and you would be competing with more guys wanting those trips there even though you would be more senior. In MSP I'm #36 and normally about the #3 to #5 Asia bidder. So looks like you would be able to hold the MSP trips with no problems.

There are no reserves out there, but they do hold onto you till your scheduled DH home. In other words they make sure your replacement is in town before you get to leave, ie I never call to get released when I'm done (most flights get back to NRT before the DH back to the states, think hub times) I don't give them the satisfaction of telling me no. For this reason, I don't bid the carry in/carry out trips (avoid carry out in the bid). Under the old NWA PWA they had to beg you to fly "high time" so you had options. With a carry out trip, they still have time to use you and then do something with the next trip. I don't know what the Delta PWA says.

I like Saipan for the beautiful island, the history (big WWII battle field) and everyplace I like to eat and drink is within walking distance. Not so much Guam. Plus, it's the closest place and it used to have the longest layovers (but not now, maybe it will go back if we get the increased service back).

If a guy calls in sick just before the trip, I've seen them do all sorts of things. Put the whole thing on the open board if its early in the month, cut it in half if towards the middle/end. I've also talked to guys who got called a few hours prior to a 12 day off reserve.......but I think that's rare. Mostly I think they have to cut it up, sure it makes the bean counters crazy with the DH cost.

Other Saipan stuff I'll leave to PMs

Ferd

PS May be all a moot point if the 737s come out with or without a Guam base.