Every 2 or 3 months an AE (Advance Entitlement) is posted. In that report you see where they are wanting to add positions and how many. It also gives information on possible displacements (747 retirement, closing of NYC MD88) or when new aircraft will be joining the fleet although things are ALWAYS changing regarding new planes. The report gives a window of time for when you may actually get transferred or trained after the award. The window can be a few months or an entire year.

You can update your preferences whenever you like, you just have to make sure they are accurate when the AE bid closes. A week or so after the AE closes the awards are posted. A few weeks after that a "Projected Training" report comes out telling you when you are expected to actually go to training on your new equipment or when you will be transferred to your new base.

Very detailed description. Thanks so much. Hope to join you guys soon if all goes well

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I start indoc 15 May, and am hoping for 7ER ATL based because of the longer flights. I've seen posts about QOL is better on smaller jets while junior. Does anyone have advice on this?
Thanks

The smaller narrow bodies have better QOL simply because senior people tend to avoid them. That gives junior people the chance to move up relatively quick on those fleets. If you can stomach the multi-leg days it could end up working out better for you.

My personal advice is if you have a family with kids, bid what airplane will allow you to live a good life at home. You will always have time later on when they're grown to fly the big stuff.

QOL is closely proportional to seniority on every fleet. Your seniority will improve faster on the smaller jets thus your QOL will also improve faster. This is not to say that QOL is equal on all fleets, just that within each fleet seniority is the best indicator of how good your QOL can be.

The above is obviously a generalization and since you say you like longer flights you might enjoy being on the ER more even if you are much more junior. Of course there are many benefits of seniority that have nothing to do with your fleet, such as weekends off, choice of vacation, first crack at "green-gold" etc. that are directly related to seniority. The beauty of having a diverse fleet with more models than Victoria's Secret is one mans trash is another mans super-model. :D

Scoop

Don't forget first year pay is the same on all fleets and second year pay doesn't vary that much either. Bid for what is important to you and remember the ER flys a lot of domestic as well. And the senior guys aren't doing it.

So realistic question: how much does a 7er slc fo fly on reserve?

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QOL is a moving target sometimes. Just being at Dal is a big QOL improvement. Then being reserve might be awesome QOL if your goal was to be home, until, they start using you everyday on reserve.

Then you want a line, because you see that as being a better qol. Until you realize that on the ER you cant get off reserve, especially in Atlanta. But your new hire buddy on the 88 Atlanta is jelly in year 2 of how much you get paid every month for min reserve compared to his schedule with all of its 4 day 14 leg trips for the same hours, plus, you have air conditioning in your jet.

But your jelly of him because he held Christmas off and you had back to back 6 day trips starting on December 21. And holidays mattered a lot to you.

So the question becomes what do you value as QOL and what then gives you the best shot at that?

That's a good way to put it. How about: commutability and Max days off (slc/msp/dtw/atl). What's the answer?

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My guess is a lot. It's not just SLC you will cover. I was based in SLC years a go and seemed like every trip started with a DH to Atl. So the ER is in many bases and you could be DH'd to any one of those bases.