Exactly the same seniority as me... "But I am the worst FO in da system."

Maybe I'm Ferd???

Cog,

You are a month or two senior to me and we could hold 777A in NYC right now, albeit at the bottom on reserve! But it sounds like there is going to be a net gain in positions and who knows what will happen!

I'd probably do the same thing and hang on to the bitter end if I lived in base. But you could sit long call at home and then drive 2 hours north to sit shortcall.........anything worth doing 2 hours north?

Anyway, good luck figuring out what to do!!! Alot of guys are in the same boat!:D

Denny

Cog,

Lord knows what will happen on the DTW 755/'ER, but I've been based in DTW a couple of times over the years. Since most guys commute, the schedules are commuter friendly and the hotels like us a lot. So, most guys I knew didn't do a crash pad as the hotel per month was cheaper.

In the past, the high value schedules went west the first night then to MSP or DTW then to the east coast or Fla the next and back to the west etc till you were done. On the international side, DTW did mostly Europe with some Asia (MSP did mostly Asia and some AMS) but we pulled all our Europe Jepps so I don't know what the future for DTW in Europe is.......Africa??

The new terminal is a great facility if you haven't been up there yet. Long story short, I liked DTW but staying in the same time zone sent me to MSP. Take a look at the bid package, I think you'll like what ya see. And, as Denny says, if the 777 is do able.............no brainer!!

Ferd

You have to have 2 flights that are 2 hours or more apart that, based on your seniority, you have a good chance of getting on. Reserving the jumpseat takes care of one of these flights no matter the availability. Here is the contractual language.

3. A commuting pilot who travels to his base by air will not be eligible for treatment under

c. are separated by at least two hours.

The bolded above is where it can be sticky with offline flight. How would the company check those?

Denny

Someone said I had an evil twin:D..................

The true test of the worst FO is..........do your capts cry like little girls coming down final?:eek:

Ferd

Heyas Ferd,

And it's gotten MUCH better with addition of Popeye's and Wendy's.

In fact, I ate at the Wendy's (over on the B, through the tunnel of love), and they were polite, prompt, got my order right and the food was hot when I got it. I was so stunned, it was all I could do to take my food out and have a moment of silence.

Plus they have Starbucks AND Caribou...what's not to like?

Nu

Hmm, so if you have the jumpseat on one, and your backup is oversold then you have no protection if your flight cancels or you get bumped off the jumpseat by a fed or a company person... That's not such a good deal...

Yes! :D

(and a few more to make it long enough to post...)

Your former commuting policy, although I don't think it was contractual, was much, much better. The current one is what I'd classify as "better than nothing." Hopefully it will change.

All I can say is.....get the jumpseat on the full flight and list on the other flight. If you are bumped off the jumpseat at the last minute, it still counts as one of your flights.

Denny

I've got a stupid house in LA that you can have. I'm upside down by 35%.:eek:

Not to change the subject but United has ordered 25 787's and 25 Airbus 350's with options for more of each. Since I'm computer illiterate I just copied and pasted the following.

United Airlines splits jet order between Boeing, Airbus -- chicagotribune.com

Boeing news | United's split jet order raises questions about 777's future | Seattle Times Newspaper

Denny

Well looks like they came up as links....learn something new everyday!:)

The biggest hassle is dragging that 45lb. flight kit home and back, because you landed in JFK and your trip next week is out of EWR. Then drag it home and back again for an LGA turn. It's not a show stopper, but it gets old after a few months.

If your seniority allows you to hold all JFK trips, game on...

Electronic flight kits anyone?

Wow, as I said, never really considered the 777 but both you and Ferd have me seriously considering it. Did I see it here or elsewhere that it might be upwards of 120-150 captains? The big question is how many JFK guys follow it as opposed to just bidding the 765, however they are largely commuters so why not commute to DTW and not go to school. Course with the 777, you only go to a handful of cities as opposed to the 765 or ER. More things to consider... And oh, not a darn thing to do 2 hours from DTW!!!

Um nope, LA is the one place I would not consider living. NorCal or SAN maybe.

I agree. I live in farm country in central CA. Close enough to drive to LA if I have to, but far enough from the So. Cal sub-culture.

Depending on how far out my re-upgrade will be on the west coast, I too may consider DTW 777B. We shall see. The flying has taken an ugly Betty turn here in the west. Every Delta management team over the last 15 years has talked up the west coast only to bail and then build up the coveted ATL or NYC. I have little hope for LAX in the short term: too much competition, too low yields, too far from the other hubs, bla, bla, bla...

What does the 777 have in NYC......about 40 Capt.? I think they only have one trip. Sounds like we will have at least 3 flights out of DTW on the 777. I don't know how long they are but I would hazzard a guess that 120 captain positions might not be far off the mark. They might not get there on this bid but it sounds reasonable. I suspect most of the NYC guys will follow the time to DTW but some who live in the area wont. If your thinking about it, I think your idea of bidding it at 50 or 60 percent is probably a good one.

Can't argue with the idea of getting bored with only 3 layover cities! I like what Ferd said...............indecision is the key to flexibility!!:) And I like to be VERY flexible!!:)

Denny

I would assume 100 in each seat at least on the 777 in DTW.

As a side note, I think the only hope for us out west is that we get the SEA flying. You guys in ATL are crying about 60 CA and FO positions maybe going away. What is that, maybe 2% of your flying? LAX lost about 10% in recent history. Not to mention SLC and CVG or remember DFW?

This will be the first pull down of ATL that I can remember, IF it actually happens. Come on guys "spread the wealth around."

BD

20 more post to 20k

Off topic but any word on the increased LGA routes and flying?

And I have nothing to do as I'm "stuck" in Kona ALL week.

We need more rotations like this:

DAY FLIGHT T DEPARTS ARRIVES C BLK. VM EQ ACT/MAX
A 1767 LAX 1320 KOA 1707 5.47 757 00.00/00.00
KOA 98.53/ 5.47BL
5.47TL
E 1768 KOA 2130 LAX 0500 5.30 00.00/00.00
5.30BL
5.30TL
21.03TRP
TOTALS---32.20TL 11.17BL 21.03CR TAFB 113.10

As long as you don't get it as a reserve it's good.

I have been entertaining the Idea of Bidding out of ATL and going to DTW or MSP. Then I looked at the weather today and said Hell No!!!!

Thing is a lot of the guys being effected on this bid were in DFW and now are in ATL or CVG. They seem to be the ones that keep getting moved around.

Wear a coat! It is fun. Makes you feel alive.

I like that trip

Take the hotel off of it!!!

LOL! A little too breezy and cool for ya?;):D

It's windy as all get out in ATL today...

Got my preliminary AE preferences laid out... Just will have to tweak when the bid comes out.

Heading to SEA tomorrow night... my wife is on a kick watching 90's Christmas movies. Must get out of house! :)

You'll love it. Just spent 2 hours snow blowing/digging out my driveway on long call at home. Had a blast sledding out front with all the neighborhood kids. Not a bad deal (as long as they don't call today :eek:)

Love the snow, but tomorrow when it dips down to -15F windchills, I'll wish I was in ATL.

WAR EAGLE!

Watch out kid, you'll shoot your eye out

Does anyone have any new "credible" AE rumors?

I still think we won't see it until the January bid awards are published and final. They're busy enough as it is.

I think you are right..

I thought it was officially coming out on friday.

------------

Just put one foot in front of the other and soon you'll be walking cross the floor hoor hoor...

He's mister snow miser

Burgermeister meisterburger

Dude, I feel your pain.

Like I said I was told Friday, but it generally slips by a few days.

Three post ya'll

Nothing posted officially as a date?

Who will it be?

Oh dont get me wrong...I love snow!! Then I like coming back home and cutting the grass. I could never live in a place that was cold, gloomy and frozen for months on end. I know some folks love it though.