For anyone that cares, Oct 6 will be the last upgrade class of the year. The reason, to short on FO's. However, we all know this can change at anytime.

Expect this to become an industry trend in the next couple or years.

Holding back needed upgrades because of a lack of newhires has been going on for months, and in some cases YEARS at the regional level.

Of course simply raising FO pay (1st year especially!) to make the job more appealing would be too easy...

What is going to happen when they are short captains because every one is leaving?

Really? Tell that to UA.

The same thing I was thinking!

CQFO's? How do you all feel about that? And off subject, How does the SW pilot group feel about ALPA?

They already are on the EMB side.

yeah, i wouldn't call it an industry trend.. pinnacle tried to pull this one over on us back in sept/oct of last year. look where we are now.. another vacancy for over 30 capt, and they cant fill them...

like i said look where we are at. our management was dumb enough to do this to try and force us into signing a contract, you know the entire doom and gloom scenario, yet about 3 months after that they ran out of captains and couldn't even fill half the upgrade classes. so if you want to see what will happen at skywest just look at pinnacle.

the only difference is skywest doesnt have a contract. management is going to do what they need to do to make sure the planes are flying and that the business keeps moving. for the captains at skywest i am sorry, you guys are about to get screwed big time.. how do i know? the management here tried to do everything to get us to give up some of our contractual rights so they could staff the planes better.. we said hell no and now they are paying the price. i think j.a. will just go to sapa and tell them what needs to be done, and it will happen.

Pinnacle can't fill upgrade slots? Why not? Not enough qualified pilots or people aren't bidding it?

Airsupport,
In what ways would management screw the captains? Do you mean by making them fly 100 hours a month, something to that effect or some other creative way that hasn't crossed my mind?