Hello,

I am scheduled to begin indoc in a few weeks at United. In my current group, projected around 70 new hires, I am sitting roughly in the middle of the pack seniority wise. I will be living in base at EWR and have been mulling over what to bid. My top three are the 756, Bus and 737. With that information, I have a few questions:

- Does it make sense for a new hire to bid the 756 – what would be the reserve time, use, etc. in EWR? I think I read the junior line holder is a 11/2018 hire?

- Besides more LGA flying on the Bus, is there a benefit and or con of one over the other, I’m not picky on cockpit size and all that. Again, what’s reserve time and line holding life like for those fleets?

Thanks so much for your help! I look forward to joining United soon! Stay safe everyone!

First of all, CONGRATS!
Now.. here it comes. You'll get alot of opinions on what you should bid as a NH. Here's my take as a 756FO about to leave to the 78.
The 756 will give you a variety of flying that you won't see on any other fleet. Also, with the amount of projected hiring in the future (take that with grain of salt) you will not be on the bottom of the list for very long. Sure, you MAY get a line sooner on the 73/Guppy~Airbus/Fiffy but it's probably only a few months difference. People can argue that IF you go to one of those, your (potential) upgrade will be easier in a year or two. But mind you, if you choose to be one of those Y2Capts in the future, you will be on RESERVE for a long long time.
(Please don't be one of those guys who wants to see an LOA changing the Reserve Rules [in the future] as we need a FULL Contract.. no more damn LOA's/MOU's)

On option would be to choose the smaller plane and then switch to the 756 in a year or two. It all comes down to how much you love/hate/don't mind training.

As someone who picked the 756 out of InDoc, I have had no regrets. Bigger cockpits with different types of flying and rare to have more than 2 legs a day.

Either way, enjoy the excitement of being a new hire and take it all in. Both the good and the bad.
See ya on the line~
Always
Motch

PS) No matter what, make sure you FS, FP & FtC

756 pre-pandemic out of ewr had some of the best flying. Western Europe and some random widebody pay 764 trips if you live in base and don't mind the reserve callouts. The 73 is all around superior to the bus. It is a growing fleet, great diversity in trips, less LGA by a large margin, and you get to make fun of bus pilots... all around win. It is trying times in ewr with operational issues but that is being felt universally right now. If you are local 756 if you aren't 73. Just my opinion. Welcome!

when did you find out your seniority in your class?

I’m not in EWR but I bud 737 for seniority progression, once I can hold a line on 756 comfortably I’ll bid over and avoid global reserve. I don’t mind global reserve but if I’m going to do that I’d rather do it on787/777

Except at LGA

I spent 5 years on 756 and it was fantastic flying.

Ya ummm the data on 756 ewr time to line vs 737/320 time to line is wildly off in this thread. Correct the junior LH on the 756 was hired in 2018. Not sure on the 737/320 but I would assume it’s a half winger

Here is another look at your question. We are getting new A321NEOs followed by XLRs with deliveries started in 23 and 24 respectively. Those will most likely take over the 757 flying and eventually grow it to include international and trans-cons and most likely some Hawaiian flying (my opine on the latter). We are getting new 737s at a prodigious rate, and they do some great flying, lots of variety as compared to what the Bus currently does. If you want seniority then go NB, with the 737 initially being better with the Bus fleet closing the gap in the near future. Also, remember, as we get the NEO / XLR expect the 757 fleet to start shrinking. The 767 fleet offers a lot as talked to above, just realize it will eventually start it's drawdown. Oh, there is the perpetual reserve of 777 / / 787 if one desires (consider moving to domicile for quality of life).

The above is just an opinion and is worth maybe 2 centavos.

Disclaimer, I'm a Bus guy.

Involution of the regionals offers a decent dusting of uncertainty on the fleet futures too