Since our system bids are spaced out as far as time goes. They are generally fairly large. When they post System Bids that are large like that, it does 2 things. It stretches out the training letter. And it allows anyone on the seniority list to hold most (if not all) WB FO positions in MEM and (the key)....leave unfilled vacancies in nearly all FO seats at the company.

The unfilled first officer vacancies allow the company to hire directly into those wide-body positions after the close of the bid.

There are some exceptions... like the LAX base = super senior and at times there may or may not be position available in ANC.

But if you are fortunate enough to already be on property when the system bid is open, and you are awarded the 757, you can bid out. You may not train for your new aircraft for a while.. but you can move. If you are awarded a Wide-Body FO position as a new hire... there are seat locks that apply for a lateral move.

Make Sense?

JP

That makes sense, thank you. I’m not sure I’ll be on property if/when the bid opens early Sep, but I’m fairly certain I’ll be on property before the bid closes if it’s 14 days minimum. I couldn’t find any verbiage in the CBA that says whether or not you have to be on property by bid open or close, so hoping they allow us to bid!

I think you have to be on property when the bids open. I was hired after one opened and before a bid closed and wasn’t allowed to bid.

The good news for you, Chub, is that if the conventional wisdom/rumor mill states with conviction that a bid will be posted in early September there will be no bid before at least mid-October.


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Haha, well here’s hoping for a slightly late bid open...

Does conventional wisdom hold true if those statements have gone beyond the rumor mill and ended up in flt ops and fleet updates from management?...or is that considered just an extension of the rumor mill? Serious question.

Pretty sure “The World on Time” is an inside joke. That said, I could very well be wrong. In fact, I did think I was wrong one time but it turned out I was mistaken.


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Is there a specific date in September floating around, or is the rumor just “early” September?

"As of now, it's looking good for a bid in September, as always, bid what you want to fly."

If it wasn’t before it definitely is now. I haven’t departed on time from a sort since... March, maybe?