ftaba1

What makes you believe there will be more base closures? Just curious.

Excargodog

So if one or two of them upgrade, that only leaves three of them per Q400 jumping over the seniority of the junior FOs. And how many total Q400s are going away this year?

Excargodog

Putting the junior FOs even farther away from holding a line....

snackysmores

We are getting 13 jets and losing 15 Qs. A net loss of aircraft this year.

That's the way it's always been done in the past. As we lose more planes the marketing team and bean counters will do what they do best and determine that MFR, GEG, and/or BOI "do not make business sense" anymore and will be closed. BOI is under a unique threat because Skywest has a E175 base there now complete with a Mx facility.

I hope I'm wrong, I really am. I can only speak from experience.

Once the first base is announced for closure there will be a displacement bid. If there is no PDX Jet base by that time, most of them will probably take PDX Q400 CA for an easier commute (and because SEA blows). This will displace a lot of junior PDX CAs who will will most likely take the jet in SEA if they're forced to re-base there, thus kicking the junior jet CAs out of their seats because most of the junior PDX CAs have years of seniority on the junior jet CAs. Will be a sh!tshow that's for sure.

In the grand scheme I can see this airline having only PDX and SEA as bases. The Q will always stay in PDX, but SEA could be nicked too to make room for more jets.

DashAviator

No base closures have been announced, so everything here is just speculation... in my opinion, the worst outcome (seniority-wise) would be if Horizon were to close the Boise base. I suspect many of the displaced pilots would immediately bid the jet.

BigfatQ

Not that I'm doubting what you're saying Smacky, but why would junior captains get downgraded if the seniors were going to bid the jet? The total number of captains needed should still be the same. And it should be easy to make up for the net loss of two planes by just letting some more attrition happen and hiring a little less

snackysmores

I would think the senior Q captains of the outstations would prefer PDX Q CA over SEA Jet CA because the commute is easier and the trips are better right now, at least until a PDX Jet base opens up.

If theres no PDX jet base, the senior Q captains will want PDX Q CA, thus giving the boot to the junior PDX Q captains. If those guys are displaced to SEA they will probably take the jet and boot out the junior SEA jet CAs.

snackysmores

Ah I stand corrected. The PDX junior Q400 captains would get displaced to SEA E175 CA, but there wouldn't be downgrades to FO. It will just make gaining any seniority for junior jet CAs impossible.

BigfatQ

Thanks for the clarification

fivebyfive

Does anyone know what the max # of Pilots can be in the PDX E175 satellite base before it must be termed a regular base? Seems like the whole “PDX satellite” thing is in place to keep from loosing valuable PDX Q400 Cptns to the Jet. The company would rather upgrade F/Os. Anyone??