FedEx First Year Info for New Hires...
#211
#212
For May, the junior lineholder on the 777 was hired June 2016. On the MD-11, he was hired in Feb 2016. Those are actual published lines. Junior secondary lines with flying (no reserve) are going to October 2016 hires on the 777 and May 2016 folks on the -11.
That info is accurate but there may be guys slightly junior to those data points getting flying lines too. Our seniority list doesn't have DOH and it takes more research than I feel like doing to get more specific than that. Those expectations can change depending on where they're hiring. 777 has been undermanned and they've been pumping bodies in over the last year. I've heard that's going to slow down until late this year, so things could stagnate for newbies on that jet. MD might pick up but as of this snap shot, 777 movement is quicker.
That info is accurate but there may be guys slightly junior to those data points getting flying lines too. Our seniority list doesn't have DOH and it takes more research than I feel like doing to get more specific than that. Those expectations can change depending on where they're hiring. 777 has been undermanned and they've been pumping bodies in over the last year. I've heard that's going to slow down until late this year, so things could stagnate for newbies on that jet. MD might pick up but as of this snap shot, 777 movement is quicker.
#213
I'm not trying to be argumentative but, IMO, until you can totally avoid reserve by getting a line (or top half VTO), are you really a line holder? Maybe my definition is completely wrong. Sorry if I caused confusion.
#214
At the airlines I've worked for, a secondary line made of "scraps" is still a line. If someone is inconsistently getting a published line and other months getting a secondary with flyiing, then I would call them a line holder. They're not on reserve. How or why that happens isn't relevant if it happens all the time.
Peak is a factor in about 15% of our year. Are you going to discount the other 85% because things change during that brief period? I don't understand how a line holder in non-peak ops can't continue to be a line holder during peak (unless they have to be able to hold Xmas off in Dec to still be considered a line holder). In my experience during peak, non-lineholders become lineholders if they're willing to work when everyone want to be off. But, if your definition of a lineholder means they can't get scraps or "crappy" lines then I guess that wouldn't count either.
I just flew with an F/O whose been here for 18 months. Hasn't been on reserve since last fall. He's getting "crappy lines" or scraps via secondary, but he ain't on reserve. He can trip trade, bank all the BKO hours on the long haul and benefit from every flavor of disruption we have. So, I'd call that a line holder. On the 777 a crappy line usually means F/O flying trips with no front or back deadheads and a few multi-leg days of hub turns in Asia or Europe. Still not too bad - they're just not getting the DHs or nice RFO trips that average 8-9 CH of pay per day. I'll bet there are plenty of FOs who would much rather do that every month than commute to reserve and maintain a crash pad whether they're considered line holders by everyone here or not.
Peak is a factor in about 15% of our year. Are you going to discount the other 85% because things change during that brief period? I don't understand how a line holder in non-peak ops can't continue to be a line holder during peak (unless they have to be able to hold Xmas off in Dec to still be considered a line holder). In my experience during peak, non-lineholders become lineholders if they're willing to work when everyone want to be off. But, if your definition of a lineholder means they can't get scraps or "crappy" lines then I guess that wouldn't count either.
I just flew with an F/O whose been here for 18 months. Hasn't been on reserve since last fall. He's getting "crappy lines" or scraps via secondary, but he ain't on reserve. He can trip trade, bank all the BKO hours on the long haul and benefit from every flavor of disruption we have. So, I'd call that a line holder. On the 777 a crappy line usually means F/O flying trips with no front or back deadheads and a few multi-leg days of hub turns in Asia or Europe. Still not too bad - they're just not getting the DHs or nice RFO trips that average 8-9 CH of pay per day. I'll bet there are plenty of FOs who would much rather do that every month than commute to reserve and maintain a crash pad whether they're considered line holders by everyone here or not.
#215
That all makes sense. Thanks for the insight. I was fortunate enough to get hired before we stopped hiring last time. I sat on reserve for three years (75 FO). Towards the end of that time, when I starting getting scrap lines, trip drop/trading was a extremely difficult as we were in contract negotiations. A bottom VTO meant a crappy reserve line. Even when my input was "any trips," I'd get reserve including the infamous R-24. So I stopped that because all it got me was a similar crappy reserve line that I could have held on the bid but now with less notice for my commute.
I'm glad new guys are seeing movement and have choices. Good QOL spread around makes for a better work environment overall.
I'm glad new guys are seeing movement and have choices. Good QOL spread around makes for a better work environment overall.
#216
Manning ... (But not Tom)
Yes. You can drop your whole reserve schedule. It's all based on manning, open time and reserves. Some fleets are better than others in allowing R-day manipulation. Sometimes it takes many, many requests to get it done. Other times you have to whittle the days away a few at a time with multiple drops.
It's obviously a gamble. But if you're not sweating the pay and want to roll the bones, you can get lucky. There's sometimes a catch 22. If there are enough trip in OT so you feel comfy dropping all your R-days, you can't drop because they need the reserves. So you have to drop with nothing available and spend your life hawking OT to find some trips. But, it can work if you're persistent.
When I was a junior MD-11 Captain I ... put in a schedule adjustment request (drop or move R days, pick up open time, trip trade) at least once a week for the entire 4 years. I honestly can't recall any of them being approved!*? DENIED INSUFFICIENT RESERVES, ...
MM,
I have personal experience in this as well, though it's somewhat dated. As I said, I think this is very fleet and seat dependent. I did not experience what you did. I spent 2 solid years on reserve on the MD-11 (F/O) in MEM (2007-2009). I consistently dropped large blocks of R-days in exchange for known trips. Typically, I'd call skeds and ask if the trip in question already had trades or makeup requests for it. If not, I'd submit my drop and have the scheduler process it with me on the phone. Once approved, I'd input the makeup request and get him to process that too.
Other times, I was just moving or dropping R-days with no trips involved. More often than not I was successful. When I got excessed to ANC, I got a 19 day in a row R-line. I was able to drop half the R-days on the first request. The other half needed about a dozen requests to whittle them down to two days. The last two days took another week of daily requests but I cleared the board. Got a nice DH single departure out of open time a few days later. So, everyone's situation seem to vary quite a bit. Obviously this was also 7-8 years ago.
With us hiring into all seats and manning probably not as robust, who knows what will happen now. But, planning on worst case is certainly worth considering.
MANNING.
You can say it's fleet and seat dependent, but that's only because a particular fleet and seat can be MANNED differently, and that fluctuates so that 6 months from now the same fleet and seat may give a completely different experience.
My prediction: As The Company prepares for mass retirements on December 31st, manning in the seats from which those pilots will retire, predominantly wide-body captain seats, will tend towards overmanning. On January 1st, they will suddenly be undermanned. The junior widebody captain will have a much different "fleet and seat" experience in January than he will have had in December because the manning will have changed dramatically.
First Officer seats won't have as drastic a change, but the ability to drop R-Days and otherwise manipulate their schedules will continue to depend on how their particular seat is manned THIS MONTH. Since we have so little control over how any seat is manned, or even when we might be able to change from one seat to another, the whole matter of scheduling flexibility seems to fall into the category of stuff we can't do anything about. Enjoy it while you've got it, and grin and bear it when you don't.
.
#217
75 or bus?
Hi - thanks for all the great info so far!
Interviewed a few weeks ago and received a class date for August.
Rumor is that our class's drop will consist only of 757 and Airbus slots.
I'd be commuting out of FAR, and notice that most of the flights there are on the 'bus. If my goal is to maximize layovers at home, my first instinct would be to bid accordingly.
However, helpful insights from this thread and from friends have shown me it might not be so simple a choice.
Could anyone offer additional insights with my specific situation in mind?
Thanks!
Interviewed a few weeks ago and received a class date for August.
Rumor is that our class's drop will consist only of 757 and Airbus slots.
I'd be commuting out of FAR, and notice that most of the flights there are on the 'bus. If my goal is to maximize layovers at home, my first instinct would be to bid accordingly.
However, helpful insights from this thread and from friends have shown me it might not be so simple a choice.
Could anyone offer additional insights with my specific situation in mind?
Thanks!
#218
Hi - thanks for all the great info so far!
Interviewed a few weeks ago and received a class date for August.
Rumor is that our class's drop will consist only of 757 and Airbus slots.
I'd be commuting out of FAR, and notice that most of the flights there are on the 'bus. If my goal is to maximize layovers at home, my first instinct would be to bid accordingly.
However, helpful insights from this thread and from friends have shown me it might not be so simple a choice.
Could anyone offer additional insights with my specific situation in mind?
Thanks!
Interviewed a few weeks ago and received a class date for August.
Rumor is that our class's drop will consist only of 757 and Airbus slots.
I'd be commuting out of FAR, and notice that most of the flights there are on the 'bus. If my goal is to maximize layovers at home, my first instinct would be to bid accordingly.
However, helpful insights from this thread and from friends have shown me it might not be so simple a choice.
Could anyone offer additional insights with my specific situation in mind?
Thanks!
#219
#220
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Mar 2006
Position: Crewmember
Posts: 1,377
Look at second year pay, wide body vs narrow body.
That's all you need to know.
Unless, of course, you would rather do 4 legs a night for less money, instead of 2 legs a night for more money.
It's your call.
That's all you need to know.
Unless, of course, you would rather do 4 legs a night for less money, instead of 2 legs a night for more money.
It's your call.
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