A class of 11 just started monday. Hiring is picking up.

Two classes, not one. The 17 number was a monthly total. It came directly from management, but is also a few days old.

Are you really that gullible or are you just trying to "sell" envoy to potential new hires for your own personal benefit?

The flow(s) were not crafted as some kind of benevolent gift to envoy and Piedmont pilots, rewarding them for slogging through 3 to 6 years (or 16 years as is currently the case) at their regional airline(s). No. It was designed to replace $125,000/year Captains with $65,000/year Captains and to replace $60,000 (9 year) First Officers with brand new $22,000 First Officers.

Why would mainline AAG hire from their own regionals instead of recruiting pilots from XJT, RAH, SKW, Commutair, Horizon, etc. in addition to the military and a plethora of 135 and corporate outfits? They have chosen to take financial advantage of the situation and move (a.k.a. "flow") their own highly-paid 16-year regional Captains over the mainline, (where their pay will initially be cut about in half), while drastically reducing pilot labor costs at their regionals.

Now for the news that no one wants to admit: once AAG has maximized their regional pilot cost reductions, via the "flow" and the 12/4 paycaps,...... the flow will slow to a trickle,...... flowing just enough pilots to mainline to keep their regional pilot costs as low as possible.

Do you think Parker, Kirby, Glass, et. al. invented the "flows" because they're nice guys?!?!?! Don't be a fool. They crafted the flow in order to maximize profits and maximize their bonus checks and stock options.

Many of you have written "don't chase the quick upgrade". I say "don't chase the flow!"

As I typed I was wondering if it was 220. Still, that is around 1000 CA's getting a 2% pay raise.

175 is what I've heard. Easy number to remember too...

Due to decreased AA growth and hiring only due to attrition which 2016 isnt that high.

I had a AA jump seater the other day. He told me that when he flowed to AA he got to keep his Eagle date of hire for seniority. Are the flows now getting that?

Eagle DOH for being hired at AMR/AAG but no - if you flow through you do not keep your Eagle DOH for AA purposes (AAG level on some things, such as travel).

The numbered guys I am not sure about - they might be a little different but still their DOH at Eagle does not translate to a DOH over at AA.

If AA is still hiring, they will have a tough time in front of a judge denying the contractual guaranteed flow. Are you really so gullible that anyone with an ATP and 1,000 hours of TPIC will get hired by a major? It's going to take more than that. Especially with the wholly owned carriers occupying half or more of the available slots.

Envoy's "flow" is contractually set to diminish, over time. As I seem to recall, it slows to a maximum of 30% of each mainline class,..... over time.

If Parker and the boys really wanted to move their "best and brightest" to the big leagues,....... why would the contract severely limit the number of Envoy and PDT pilots moving over to mainline? And why do you suppose Parker and the boys fought *SO* hard for the 12/4 pay caps, especially if they never intended to have a lot of pilots up against those caps?

Envoy and Piedmont have very senior and EXPENSIVE pilot groups. The flows are designed and calculated to minimize regional pilot labor costs,...... not reward pilots for their loyalty.

Airlines trample on labor contracts on a daily basis. When minimum pilot labor costs at the wholly-owned regional airlines are achieved, they'll find ways to reduce those flows to a trickle. Sure, you can file a grievance but they'll drag that out for years, and in the meantime they'll save millions of dollars.

Or you can come to PDT and get a quick upgrade and a flow. You are completely missing the point of the flow. Yes it does reduce labor cost, however that is only a positive byproduct. The real value to mainline, is in pilot recruitment. As long as the flow is working as advertised AAG will have no problem staffing its in house regional feed. As long as the prospect of flowing to AA is attracting new pilots, The flow will continue.