I doubt a clean sheet 737/797 would deliver much beyond the 20% that the NEO would. Maybe a few percent, but I'd hardly call that obsolete. Maybe the 797 would have the infinite hull life cycles or whatever, but really does anyone think a brand new 320 with 25-30 years on it is "obsolete"? Its all about the efficiency and operating costs and the NEO will have very comparable operating costs especially when you factor in the better part of an additional decade flying gas guzzlers around waiting for their 797. That is a steep off the books price that is nevertheless built in to the 797. Too little too late IMHO. Until we see next-next gen the difference in efficiency between the 320 NEO and the mythical 797 just won't be that significant and the NEO has the lead big time.

Thanks Rocky. That's why I never argue with the schedulers - They're always right! :p

We need to change some of our hotels to Hyatt Places! I just stayed one. Really nice hotel. Good internet, inexpensive food, free breakfast, BIG LCD TV's, and overall nice rooms. Plus, the fitness room is well equipped.

Anybody know why we changed hotels in FLL? That was a great location! Somebody told me we're inland now.

What would you do?....
Today is an X day and they give you a "courtesy call" that you are on Short call at 6 am. Commuter, JS booked to get to base the next morning, but you are not on long call till midnight tonight and your flight doesn't get you in until 10 ish. Do you:

a. Call scheduling and tell them the earliest short call you could do is 10 am since you weren't scheduled to start long call till midnight tonight

b. Nothing. They will see you haven't acknowledged at midnight when you start long call.

c. Acknowledge and rush to get to the airport tonight so you can be on 6 am long call.

I'm just curious. I called scheduling and told them I am on an off day and am commuting in in the morning so I could do a 10 am short call. They switched it, no big deal, but I was wondering if because I called I technically could have been acknowledging and therefore had to rush to the airport tonight anyway? I don't doubt I did the right thing, just wondering what implications I COULD have and maybe will have in the future? I'm a little confused about the contract wording. It is a non issue now, but just wanted to make sure I don't have a completely false idea of what's legal and what's not. I know I'm not required to answer my phone on my X day, but the wording in the contract says I can be converted to short call within 10 hours of scheduling's first attempt to contact me. Does that mean since they made an attempt today even though I am off that I can be on short call early?

I just stayed at one of those as well on a RSW layover. Nice place. I could live in the room they gave me, nice and big.

Dow up to 12,000, S&P to 1,300 and oil down to $85. While not necessarily meaningful, it's giving businesses the optimism to hire (and fly for business). :)

Was there anything on your schedule prior to 3:00pm on your X day?

Yeah they put 6 am short call and I called and they changed it to later short call now... But I'm not required to check my schedule AT 3 right? just sometime between 3 pm and 2 am I think. I'm just confused because I thought you could not be used until noon on your first day or 10 am short call. Is that wrong? Just want to make sure I don't get myself in trouble in the future here. I didn't think I needed to commute in until the morning of the first day on because I am not on call until midnight.

But you have to check it by 0200 base time of your first on call day after coming off a typical X day. I think you were liable for the early SC but scheduling worked with you. Good for all.

You did the right thing but they could have said "we need you at 6 AM". As long as they notify you by 3 PM on your last X-day, they can schedule you as early as 5 AM. If they wait until after 3 PM, they can't schedule you before noon (SC @ 10AM).

From "When Scheduling Calls"

A reserve pilot must check his schedule and acknowledge a rotation,
short-call period, or rest period under two circumstances:
1. Last Non-fl y Day: On his last non-fl y day prior to an on-call day,
a reserve pilot must check his schedule between 1500 and 0200
August 2009 29
base time. He may be required to report for a rotation or start short
call as early as 0500 base time or start rest as early as 0001 base
time, provided Crew Scheduling has placed the duty or rest on his
schedule prior to 1500,. If is no duty on his schedule prior to 1500,
then he simply becomes a long-call pilot at 0001.
:)