I'm sure there are a few guys stuck who shouldn't upgrade, but I've seen a lot of guys who want that hometown line, etc. One MD-11 captain I know owned and managed a P-51 in his spare time and stayed busy with the warbird circuit for years before upgrading. But...we've all met or flown the "the guy" you are describing too.

What I remember about being here in the early 2000s was guys would say things like "...I will go to that when I can hold it at (80/50/40 percent...." We were like bears eating during the salmon run....eating only the filets and roe stuffed bellies, pitching the heads, tails, and fins on the bank while we waited for more goodies. There was always more salmon coming upstream, and bids and growth were as automatic as the seasons.

Then....the retirement age changed. Then...the economy fell off a cliff. We had excess bids. And suddenly, guys who were just a few numbers out of a seat spent 4-5 years before they could hold it again. And...for the first time that I know of in a long time at FedEx, guys actually lost seats and went backwards. I don't know if that fundamentally changed everyone's bidding plan, but I think there are some who will go for a seat now the first time they can hold it rather than waiting for the "perfect" point to move.

This is not an easy company to be junior. That said, if you are junior anyway, I think some will say "what the hell" and upgrade. I predict the 757 is going to be impressively junior. The big difference in this bid and the last is they have about 1/2 the 76 vacancies they did last time, but a ton more MD11 and A300 seats. Because we didn't hire much 07-11, there is period I call the "dead zone". With that gap we have very few if any 5-8 year pilots on the property. What side of the dead zone will the captain line fall on? I think it will still be prior to an 08 hire getting MD11 captain. For the 757? The narrow body numbers on this bid weren't huge, so the line may still be 2008 or prior....but it would not completely shock me to see a 2011 hire get close.

Check the FedEx APC QuickTake updated 4/1/16 (domiciles).

We have a new domicile...ORD.

Will it go senior?

SMH

HA! ;)....

:confused: What chu talkin' bout Willis ... APC Quicktake?

FedEx Express | AirlinePilotCentral.com

Here's the link. Check domiciles out on the FedEx page. I'm heading to my standing bid and updating it right now for ORD!!!

Thoughts on the practice?

Its just that, practice. A few downward movements from the left seat to the right by senior Captains? I wonder why guys screw with the system other than to be jerks. But overall, probably what was expected. I was hoping to see someone with an employee number over a million hold 75 Capt:), but guys with 800K numbers did. Good times for guys just getting on.

Never understood the games. The only thing good, is I am sure at least once a senior guy has forgotten to change it back.. Fingers crossed..

I've had two buds have that happen. Screwed with the bid and got what they didn't want.:o

In the practice bid, over a third of the 777 Capt awards were to 777 F/Os. Thats some senior folks waiting for the seat they wanted.