I'm not so sure about that...

I'd be willing to bet that new hires won't be on reserve for more than a year if hiring stays like it is...and will probably be looking more like 6-8 months. Obviously if someone is the most junior pilot, and then hiring stops for 2 years, they'll remain the most junior pilot and will always be on reserve. I'm a 2010 hire, and if you count back 50 numbers you'll go back 2 years in seniority. When these new guys come in they'll only be a few months behind us. That's a more normal longevity spread, when times don't include the largest depression in a century. With hiring going the way it is, new hires from at least the first two classes last year should have a line by summer, unless something very dramatic happens. I'm just jealous that the EJA side is getting so many bodies and ASA is being so freakin stingy.

whoa. Attitude check.

ASA has classes starting too.

Just to put things into perspective, I only commented on this because of my experiences with the company referenced. When I was hired at ASA I was on reserve for about a month. Suddenly the flood gates opened up (just like everyone is predicting to happen soon) and I was just about to upgrade. Then, just like every few years for the past 40 years of aviation, the good times ended and reversed themselves. Long story short, I spend 3.5 years on reserve as an F.O. at a regional airline.

Things have started to look like they did when I was first hired. But that is quickly progressing. I think the short stint on reserve is already on the getting longer trend. At least at ASA. It would appear as if DTW is going to be somewhat senior.

Bottom line is, there are lots of pilots that have been here for over 2 years and are still on reserve in their current seat. The freezes have been waived and those pilots are going to move to a seat that will allow them to hold a line. Trust me. Get stuck on reserve at ASA for more than 2 years and you'll do ANYTHING to not be tied to crew scheduling.

My comments are a realistic prediction of how long F.O.s may be on reserve at ASA. This is based on my experiences with the company. I wouldn't want to tell a pilot that they would immediately become a line-holder when that is not true. March was an irregularity for the most part. Maybe in a year things will change but crews aren't going to sit reserve now that they can move to different seats. That seat freeze waive was a big thing.

I wouldn't bank too much on this possible hiring trend in the near future. As a pilot, I have learned that forecasts aren't always accurate. Just because the weather forecast says that it will be above minimums when you get there, doesn't mean you should assume that it will be.

Attitude check? Not sure how you interpreted that as having any attitude whatsoever.

I did forget about the 3/7 ASA class but current interviews are going into the XJT classes at the end of March and I was looking for some insight into what those could expect.

No one knows, your guess is as good as anyone's. 6 months on reserve if hiring keeps up or it could be 3 years if hiring stops for a while. All we know is 190ish pilots being hired the first half of this year, all will be on reserve unless hiring continues.

If you're ORD based, hiring continues, the majors start hiring, you'll be holding a line this year. If you're in CLE, hiring stops, and the majors don't hire a bunch, then you'll retire as a reserve FO.

To give you some idea, it seems like about 1/3rd of each base's FOs are on reserve, and then some % of those get a relief line. In march I believe there are 270ish FOs in ORD, and I believe I heard that's supposed to grow to 370. So if we assume 370 FOs in ORD (the most junior base) then 122 of them will be on reserve, and maybe 20-30 of the most senior will hold a relief line.

Thanks Clocks! Very informative. Is a relief line the same thing as long call reserve?

A relief line has all the same rules as a hard line. After all lineholders are awarded their lines a bunch of trips will drop into open time due to training and vacation conflicts. This open time is used to build more lines. These are relief lines. Same as a hard line just built with what is left and you dont see what it is when you bid and you know your schedule later than a normal hard lineholder.

This is mostly because our CEO last year slashed and burned this place like an endangered rain forest to make us staffed more closely to Colgan than the airline we once were that actually got things done.

This is also a function of PBS for you guys. The main purpose of PBS that cannot be stated enough is that it requires less pilots. No matter who controls it and how it is set up, it will always mean less pilots.

Any JCBA that has PBS will be a no vote for me. Visit Vote No for PBS

Does anyone know if the travel provided for XJT training is positive space or space available? I think I am in trouble. All the UA flights from DEN to IAH on March 20 are overbooked and there is no inventory to even sell a ticket except in the F cabin on an 0500 flight.

It's positive space to training and I think you can declare must ride.