Captain Downgrades- industry standard survey
 

At your company, when captains are downgraded back to FO status, how do they decide who gets to upgrade first when the music starts again?

In other words, if a senior FO bypasses upgrade, then the junior FO who did upgrade is downgraded, will the company:

Option A: Restore the downgraded CA first, before offering the senior FO a chance to upgrade

Option B: Put out a system-wide upgrade bid and upgrade in order of systemwide seniority without regard for previous status

Please reply with the name of your company and which one they use.

I was told that the "industry standard" was option B, and that is what the PSA MEC is saying. In our case the contract does not clearly say one way or another. There is certainly a discussion for why either case is better, but I'd really like to hear if any other companies have a clear method defined.

Option B. is the only fair way to do it or seniority is meaningless...


Republic..

Seniority ALWAYS rules.

NWA is option A. A displaced pilot always maintains displacement rights to their original seat.

even if they bypassed a senior pilot who bid for upgrade and wasn't allowed to leave their seat due to "operational necessities."

that's what happened here at RAH, and the next time there better be an upgrade award based on seniority, not the desires of mgmt.

I believe at Mesaba within 90 days the displaced captain has "reinstatement rights" that would allow him to go back to his original position. After that it's just seniority based so he may not be able to hold the position again.

I don't believe we have an operational necessities clause. If an F/O chooses to be bypassed, that is there choice. The displaced capt has rights to the previous seat as long as it is there first choice on there bid.

Avroman - you're right on with how XJ deals with displaced CAs.

Oh boy, you hit a sore spot with me.

In 2005 I was displace form the B737 CA seat in May due to the bankruptcy. I was in the middle of the pack of first round displacments. Immediately thereafter, ATA management awarded 8 or 10 captain spots to FO's that have never been captain, at any time, anywhere. Most were PFE's that upgraded to FO and barely met the minimum pilot time to upgrade, which is arbitrary to begin with. The contract language was pretty explicit that this shouldn't happen, but our union leadership, led by ex-FE's, decided that seniority rules. Three months after I was displaced they began training. Those that upgraded early, have more PIC jet time than I do, but I have more TPIC than they do. When ATA shut down, they found jobs quicker than me, and better ones at that. I've had a hard time forgiving ALPA for this. They've also done little to help out ATA guys get jobs.

Language needs to be explicit in the contract that displaced CA's should come back to the left seat first when vacancies appear.

TSA

Senority