Sounds like Auburn's motto:D

Earlier someone asked about half the 9 category being surplussed.

You may not see any surpluses, or only a fraction of what ultimately will need to leave the category. Reason being the company would rather the pilots bid out of the category, then they just won't backfill. If enough don't bid out, then they'll post another bid with the surpluses.

Okay, can we please adopt 5 day trips in NYC like in the NWA bases? When you look at their lines they have to be the most uncommutable trips in the system- even if you live in NYC. Try a EWR 0510 sign in and 2347 end. Not exactly ideal if don't live in NJ.

Back to looking at my MD preferences. I guess I could go to MD but ironically most of my flying will be 1 leg to ATL early morning, all ATL flying, 1 leg back to NY late night. Why can't I just stay here? :(

Actually, because of the beauty of the MD system I might just bid to have some fun. :D If you can't be with the one you want, be with the one your seniority can hold.

I have suggest to some that we do a few things with the Sum Microsystems DBMS software.
We could put MD, and VD bids bids senior to you.
We could also put a real time, what you would hold right now.

The only catch with the second part is that the company would have to determine how many positions they will backfill and how many positions above those posted they are really going to award and input it in to the system. In effect they would have to be nailed down to it, and not change it once the bid comes out. That is something I do not see them doing. This AE process is very liberal from the company standpoint and all the posting does is state the min about of positions they are going to award. Going in the other direction further hampers them.

never mind I found it

To answer the question about a VD.

What a VD does is allows you to leave the catagory to a new one with the seniority of the guys that is getting MDed. That means if he can hold 744A you can get it with an MD. Not likely but you must remember that to be awarded a new position under a VD you are not using your seniority, but the displacing pilots seniority to get in to the new seat.

Do not forget that a VD incurs a seat lock and will have to rebid vacation. The rule of thumb is that your VD should mirror your AE preferences.


FtB, I have been around but just did not feel like adding to the conversation. Add to it I was running down a new rumor that may have teeth :D

.....deleted

Blech. Well, at least I'm still gainfully employed. Thanks.

In the words of the immortal Bard "Fredde Le Grand":


"Put your hands up for Detroit, I love this city"



YouTube - Put Your Hands Up For Detroit - Fedde Le Grand


(Not)

New rumor with teeth??? Do tell, ACL.

If we are willing to give up the 1 for 3.5 in the contract I am sure the company will be glad to build lots of 5 day trips. If we keep it the rotations have to be built to close to FAR's for the companies liking. Lots of pilots would have to be pulled off in day 5 and paid for the flying.

Not willing to do that just yet.....
:cool:

There's that "give up" attitude again. I know that they start off by "giving" us a pot of money and then we have to divvy up our demands based costs etc. How about we approach them first listing our demands and let them figure out how to pay for it.

Executive compensation doesn't seem to be suffering but the average airline employee seems to be making the same $$ today that they did 10 years ago. It's great to have a good rapport with management but that doesn't mean we have to bend over whenever they say so.

Can we get the scheduling committee to see if they can't build some more commutable lines in NYC. With most of the guys being commuters, the lines don't seem to be very commutable. If that means going to 5 days, so be it.

Oh how true!

I am sure you will see the ER flying in NYC shift a little bid as we add for spring and summer.

New rumor with teeth? We love this game ACL.

Okay, everyone place your bets and see if we can encourage ACL to play the hot/cold game.

1) We're getting 52 new A320s? :D

2) We won't MD anyone in this AE. :D :D

3) GUAM 777 or GUAM DC9ETOPS

4) Replacing 742s with second hand 744BCFs from the large inventory in the desert.

6) We just bought ANA

7) We're getting a 100 seater at mainline, either Ejets now or Cseries later.

I will play.
Two to four of those would make sense ;)

That freaks me out. None of them made sense when I was typing them!

Oh wait. Hmmmm.

I said two to four would make sense, not that it was what I was talking about..


Also just to get you going, there is a surprise on this AE.

Oh do tell! Pu-leazzzzzzzzzzzzzze!!! I feel like a kid at Christmas! :p :D

Seattle ER category!!!!????? Yeah!!!!!:D Oh wait, wishful thinking on my part!:)

Denny

What is the difference between "best practices" and gouge?

Expand upon that....

Best Practices is something that the training dept puts out, and gouge is more rogue.... :cool:

Nope do not want to jinx it.

OK, but I had to ask. :p

I thought you guys already had 100 seaters at mainline?

So when are we going to see the AE?

Well, one is two words and the other one and spelling are two that I can think of!:D

But, seriously, I don't think there is any difference at all as far as you are thinking. I look at "gouge" as a way to learn systems easier and "best practices" as how to best operate the jet the way the company wants me too.

Denny

Agreed, just wondering if its good enough to be a best practice...than why isn't it in the books?

The strong rumor is this Friday. But I would venture to guess that it will be out by the 16th either way. The way that memo was worded, it appears they want it to close on or before the 31st with the results being posted shortly after the new years holiday.

We do, but the lastest announcement has them parked by Oct 2010. :(

Such a shame, because they are paid for and I would think marketing could find a great spot for them. :(

I was just on the phone with crew resources working my mil leave return and the word I got was that the bid should be out Friday, but no later than the 12th, which kind of surprised me. Can they put out a bid on Saturday?

I can think of two reasons.

1. There is more than one way to "skin a cat" legally but one way might be more efficient than another.

2. They don't want us to be responsible for having to remember even more mumbo jumbo.

I think this is a "technique" versus "procedure" type discussion. Best practices are techniques to get the job done but are not a required way of doing it whereas a procedure is a required way of doing it....see number 1 above!

Generally speaking, Delta has always given a wide range of latitude, where they can, on how you get the job done.

Denny

Its not a give up attitude. NW did not have 1 for 3.5. Therefore they can build 5 day domestic trips without lots of credit or bumping up against FAR Limits. Personally I don't want 5 day trips so hope nothing changes but you wont see them often with 1 for 3.5 in the contract. Do the math on a 5 day reporting at 11 am on day 1 and getting back at 7 pm day 5 and it will come clear to you what the companies issues would be.

unregard...

Not everybody is a commuter. If you take the trip rigs away and allow the company to build 5 day trips more easily then you are going to have a lot more sit-arounds and long layovers where you aren't getting paid.
Even as a commuter, do you really want 5 day trips worth 15 hours?

I'm confused because we have 5 days built on the DC9 Bid Pack for January. Is that because we aren't officially in BP5 yet? If the company can't do it, then why does the DC9 have them? :confused:

Can you do that math for me? I have a headache. :D

I've never seen a 5 day worth less then 25 hours. Most are around 27-30 hours of credit. FWIW.

Guys like them because you do 3 a month and you're done. Or you can do two 5 days and a 4 day and still end up with 75+ hours of credit. The DAL-N pilot group actually requested 5 day trips.

When you commute, you will find the 3 day trips a pita, and it sounds if a lot of us will be commuting.