Still... How does one get hired 4 months ago, and are already upgrading? Doesn't that sort of bypass the seniority process?

 

Not necessarily. The standing bid department goes down the seniority list looking for FOs who have bid a CRJ CA position in a base with vacancies and who are qualified to be Captain. They keep going down the list looking for people who fit those criteria until they fill the class, then they stop. Apparently either more senior FOs who did have it bid are not qualified or not enough senior FOs have bid a CA position, or if they have, it's in a base which their seniority cannot hold. Obviously in order to fill this class they had to go down to Sept 2015 hires.

Once the more senior FOs become qualified and/or decide they want to bid it, then when the next vacancy award gets run, they will slot right in above the guys who were awarded it first but are junior to them.

The great majority of our new hires have no Part 121 time and it takes 18 months to 2 years to get that time, so right now only those hired in the summer of 2014 and earlier have the time under their belts. Once you start getting to fall and winter 2014 hires, fewer of them will have the time in their logbooks, so you end up skipping down to the few who have prior experience.

The Sept 2015 guys will end up sitting on reserve for quite some time because as the FOs more senior to them upgrade, that will keep pushing them down on the CA list for their base.

 

Got it. Thanks for the explanation XDash!

 

Because most new hire FOs lack the 1,000 hours 121 (or qualifying 135/military) time to serve as PIC.

Enough of our FOs are either:

a) Not yet qualified to serve as PIC under 121 due to the 1,000 hours rule,

or

b) Holding out for EJet CA

...so they have to go way, way down the list to find qualified bidders for the CRJ, resulting in previous 121/135/mil ppl getting a quick upgrade.

It's good for them in the short-term (getting to upgrade fast), but they'll be at the bottom of the CA roster for a very long time--esp. on the CRJ side of the house...when the FOs senior to them hit their 1,000 hours 121 time, they'll upgrade above the junior (previous 121) ppl on the CA list, and keep them pinned to the bottom of the list in whatever base they're in.

 

Not sure if you are on your phone or computer, but you have a PM, FHS.

 

I looked at the standing bid and neither one had in a bid for CA at any of the bases.

 

Flaps was a college professor in another life, being as such, I doubt he answers any direct messages.

 

Those standing bid forms are rarely updated. I highly highly highly doubt two people that junior were misawarded.

 

What is considered to be qualifying military time? Sorry if this is a dumb question

 

Up to 500 military FW hours can be credited towards the 1000 hours of required 121 time. Helicopters need not apply.