I waited awhile to upgrade, though I never got super senior in the right seat, until it looked like I could definitely stay off reserve, and thought I'd be moving up quickly. Didn't happen, moved down significantly, then it took years before I started creeping up (with the list compressing on the top and bottom end). However...

It is very much how you work it. If you live in base, do whatever you want, sit reserve, matters very little if you're junior, upgrade and fly whatever you want. If you commute, don't commute to reserve, it's just too painful. Especially if you have kids at home and they won't let you drop R days. But if you can hold trips, even the worst trips ever--you can manipulate your schedule (some planes more than others). You can find ways to drop/swap/give away many of your trips if you want more time at home. You can spend the time it takes to trip trade into a better life. Your income can be higher and you can work less as a captain (by dropping trips), if you are willing to spend the time on the computer. Many people don't want to do that.

I've always said there is the "good FedEx" and the "bad FedEx", and have gone through extreme lengths to stay in the good FedEx. The good FedEx is where people are flying decent trips, have control over their schedule, are rested and happy. The bad FedEx is the one where the guys upgrade as soon as possible while commuting, sit reserve, fly crappy trips and are exhausted. You can get into the good FedEx by more than seniority, you can get there by strategy or working the upgrade to your advantage.

Glad to have done my part to help you move on. :D;)

If you decide to take the upgrade you get to fly with your favorite Captain on every trip ...


:D

...and you learn that you've only flown with half of the a**holes at the company...

Took me a minute....but that's hilarious...

BOOM goes the dynamite

Don,

I don't think it was you I was talking about. In fact, the last time we ever flew together, was when we were on the way over to Stanstead, with you acting as the RCO, and I did a max takeoff gross weight abort, after that number 3 engine blew up. The time before was when we were flying with Jim Camp, with me as the S/O, flying MHT-EWR-MHT, back in about 1994. Ah, good times.:)

Part of that is right, The RFO part out of Stanstead, yes I was with you, the engine blowing up,.... not so much, :D at least with me.

They say the memory is the second thing to go......:eek: ...enjoy your retirement and keep up with the racquetball :)

Any body want to comment on 50% nb Capt vs 40% wb fo vs 90% wb Capt, non commuter.

It seems like I've gone from no choices to too many choices in the last year.

How senior is b reserve in the 75? How much day flying? Just from a random sampling there seems to be a ton of multi leg night stuff.

Above about 25% on the 75 you should have a decent chance of flying mostly day or easy night lines (easy being one, sub 2 hour leg into a hotel or sleep room followed by the same leg back out). In the right seat that's when I was able to hold double deadhead day flying. I believe that is a good WAG for the left seat as well.
That doesn't answer your 50% question, but goes more to the point that there are some pretty decent day lines in the 75 bid pack. If you can hold a senior VTO line, you can build a pretty decent schedule with what gets dropped each month. And with all the training going on, you also have a good chance of getting bumped off of any day trip you hold.