Originally Posted by 80ktsClamp (Post 1083567)

IF... and a big IF this rumor is true, I certainly hope to see some serious gains in section 23 out of this.

Originally Posted by FmrFreightDog (Post 1083512)

Have to disagree with the statement that new hires have lots of choices. Their choices are limited to the company's needs at the time. When I got hired at "Brand X", as I recall the choices were DTW DC9, MEM DC9, and ANC 742. Now, assuming I went to work at "Brand X" because I live in MSP and want to work in MSP (neither of which are true, thank goodness.... :) ), I think it's a good thing that I was afforded the right to bid that ASAP.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for seat locks to reduce excessive bidding around the system and unnecessary training costs. But to lock a new-hire with a family and a house and the whole deal in, say, DTW, into flying out of NYC or LAX (yeah, yeah, I know we don't actually fly out of LAX anymore..) for a year just because those were the company's whimsical needs at the moment is a cruddy deal. Odds are that guy will have applied to Delta because he has an expectation to drive to work.

Not looking out for the "yet to be hired" will bite us in the butt in the near long term. Stuff like this will drive qualified applicants elsewhere.

And... selling the not-yet-hired out has a pretty poor history. See "B Scale"...

Then again, if this last AE is any indicator, most of us are going to end up commuting to a base/seat we don't really want eventually anyway, so...

Originally Posted by FlyingSig (Post 1083572)

23K and 23G5 may not affect all categories equally, but for those on the ER (esp in NYC), eliminating 23G5 is a HUGE gain and improving 23K is a BIG leap forward as well.

Originally Posted by FlyingSig (Post 1083480)

12 month equipment freeze for new hire pilots

Originally Posted by newKnow (Post 1083559)

The monthly update from crew resources says that among the legacy carriers, we have the highest pilot average age. This is news to me. I thought we were behind UAL and American. They still say no hiring for 2012 though. :(

Now that I think about it, what domestic, non-legacy carrier has an old pilot group. I wonder why they worded it like that? If we're old, as in the oldest, just say we are old. :D

Originally Posted by capncrunch (Post 1083575)

We better well have received something very juicy in return for that MAJOR concession. ALPA is dead to me if we gave away that concession for cheap or free.

Originally Posted by Roadkill (Post 1083582)

anyone know anything about the "engine fire" on an ATL> Charlotte flight about an hour ago? Saw it on CNN. Looks like they landed at ATL, no issues. What aircraft?

Originally Posted by hockeypilot44 (Post 1083491)

If that's true, that's horrible. We are going to hire hundreds per year in a few years. There's no reason these pilots should be seat locked as new hires. I was placed in ANC as a new hire. To this day, I've never been to Alaska. I was able to bid out of there immediately. I strongly disagree with throwing new hires under the bus for our own gain just because they don't work here yet.

Originally Posted by sailingfun (Post 1083586)

It would be a seat not base lock. The majority of new hires would go to the MD88 which has multiple bases. The A320 and 737N also have many basing options. They would be free to bid any base they can hold without any lock.

This is however all rumor. I can't believe the company agreed to eliminate recovery flying for a seat lock on new hires. They would be saving a nickel in training and losing a dollar in recovery costs. Not very likely they agreed to this. Its far more likely they agreed to some modifications on recovery flying such as being required to get you back the same day and eliminate the 6 hours in base. That might be more of a equal cost savings.