Like NWAF16Dude said, it all depends on how many are hired after you. Also, it depends on what equipment and base.

As a general rule of thumb, reserve always goes to the most junior pilots. If you're in the bottom 20% of your base and category, count on being on reserve. That percentage will fluctuate depending on peak summer season or slow months, what we call "shoulder" seasons.

There is a huge variation in seniority between the bases and equipment. Example, I would be about 55% on the MD88 in NYC and hold a line. But in ATL, I'm scraping the bottom, always on reserve. That's because ATL is a senior base. Now I have my reasons for bidding ATL vs NYC. Similarly most, if not all, 777 FOs could hold CA on some piece of equipment somewhere in the system. They just choose not to, for a variety of reasons.

If you want to hold a line as quickly as possible, I'd bid NYC MD88. You might hold 320 in class but you'll be on reserve a long time as more senior guys will continously bid on top of you as soon as they think they can hold a line on it. Since there are only around 200 new hires (not counting the furlough recalls who are senior to you), there will need to be a lot of hiring soon for you to get off reserve quickly.

 

I'll second what f16dude said. I've been on reserve since I was hired but a guy that interviewed with me and started class one month (two classes) in front of me has been holding a line on the 88 for over a year. Timing isn't everything, it's the ONLY thing.

 

And those of us hired around when the Merger was announced have been on reserve a little over 2 years. (And we're very happy you're here!)

How long on reserve also depends on what base/AC you're in - how big and how senior. In a relatively small (and junior) category like one of the DC9 cats, there may only be 15 reserves - so you don't have to have as many bodies under you to hold a line. On the ATL M88, there are over 500 pilots in the category, so about 100 of them are reserves. Add in the seniority factor, and I've heard it takes about a year of pretty good hirring to hold a line there.

 

Is it bad form to quote myself? Just to add a bit more detail to what I posted above. I was initially hired into DTWDC9B back in 99. Things were moving pretty quickly and I held a line in DTW after about 3 months. That was the most junior position in the company at the time.

Now I've been here almost 12 years and made what was probably a mistake by bidding up to DTW7ERB. Love the airplane, but I'm back on reserve for what will likely be a long time.

 

OH YEAH! The reserve system at Delta needs work. I especially like the lower pay for reserves versus line holders. Why did anyone agree to that? I've been on reserve since I was hired too. This summer has been brutal! Finally broke guarantee after 2.5 years though! 73.5 hours in August with 14 days hard flying and 5 short call days.

If the 305 hired are the only ones hired you will be on reserve for a while to come! If we hire 60/month next year, who knows, you might be on reserve less than 6 months.

Let's hope we keep hiring! Welcome aboard! Hard as it is right now, I really think this is the only place to be...

 

Well, that was my experience. I heard nothing from the company about my vacation (as a new hire I came on property after the bidding and was unaware of any process to put in my preference). Vacation popped up on my schedule (just a couple of days of it based on the prorated amount), and when I called the lady who works on vacation bidding/assignment she told me if I had contacted her before it was assigned I would have been able to give her a preference. She was very cordial, but stated since it had been put on my schedule it was too late to get it changed.

 

I got the MD-88 in NYC out of indoc: spent a month on reserve then had a line for the next 8 months until the next AE came out. Been reserve on the 88 ever since Feb '09 in ATL.

 

And for every person who experiences this, there are others who bid reserve on purpose. As a 2001 hire, I held a line on Express for all of three months back in '01. Been on reserve since and don't have a problem with 70 hours of pay for 40-50 hours of work. How many of those SC days was also a fly day?

 

I hate to tell you this Pitts but guys have been saying that for at least the last 22+ years about both the reserve system and pay issue.......

Denny

 

Well that second bid for equipment for the September guys closed tonight at 2300 so i guess we will see the assignments from it fairly soon. I hope by Friday so I can enjoy my time on the lake without worrying about it.