Yes, but $$$ always some people a little more. I see more people willing to sit SC if it means they get paid more. JMO.

What makes you think there is going to be a clean up bid? I doubt if they were ever planning on replacing these pilots, that's why they offered the early out program to pilots in the first place, surplus pilots = no backfilling when they go.

They may not backfill the positions, but they most likely will reinstate those who were MD'd off their airplanes to avoid training them on a new airplane. That is why they'd need a clean up bid. The early out programs were never intended for pilots.

I heard SD thought no more than 40 or 50 would take the early out offer. Obviously, that isn't the case, and the CP I talked to looked a bit worried. The staffing is down for this fall, but everything will be ramping up again for this upcoming spring and next summer.

If there were no pilot surplus, they would not have included the pilots in the program, right? And if there's not a surplus, they would be hiring replacments, right?

If you think they might need to re-instate anyone, first you'd have to look and see exactly who got MD'd, off which equipment, and then see how many pilots went out early off that same equipment. As far as I know (and I don't pay too much attention, so maybe I missed it) there were no MD's off the 747, and that's where most of the early outs came from, right? So there is no need to reinstate anyone there, right?

If any one will be re-instated, I would think it would be to the A330 category, as they just moved it to ATL which caused quite a few MD's, and there were some early outs there, not many, but some.

As for the other categorys, only a few early outs spread all around, and since the company has already said they are going to draw down flying come fall, I don't see them backfilling any of those early outs. And not a single 777, A or B, went early.

And 30 DTW 744A's is a big hit. I don't think they expected that at all. Many of us line grunts have been saying hiring needs to continue, or Flight Ops is going to get caught with their pants down around their ankles.

Thanks Tans!

It is my understanding the early out programs were NEVER intended for pilots. The company had no plan to offer the programs to pilots. I believe ALPA stepped in, & suggested the company not exclude the pilots.

Well while I am glad they did decide to include the pilots in the early out program, I just don't see a whole lot of upward mobility coming from it. A little, yes, but not a whole lot. I'm just trying to say, don't get your hopes up waiting for a clean up bid or a reinstatement. I've seen this type of thing before, on a much larger scale (505 early outs in 1996) and instead causing of a huge updraft, the company just parked airplanes. (55 L10-11's) It could happen again.

I guess you can't reinstate A330 positions back to MSP when MSP is no longer an A330 crew base. I am looking forward to seeing the fleet breakdown of the early out pilots.