Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeF16
Ok, I'm very new at reading the contract and have a question on category freezes. I found this statement on pages 2-5 and 22-1 in regard to category freezes:
during which the pilot will (unless declared eligible by the Company) be ineligible to be awarded another AE with an earliest conversion date falling within the freeze period (other than to a new or reestablished category) for which qualification training is required.
This statement leads me to believe that even with a category freeze, when a new category opens such as SEA 737 I may bid and be awarded that category. If that is a true statement, how long is the category considered a "new or reestablished category"? For example, I am so junior I doubt I'll be able to get this in the January AE, but lets say that a couple months later there are vacancies and it is offered again, would I still be eligible to bid this, or would it no longer be considered a "new or reestablished category" which would require I wait until the expiration of my seat lock?
I know it's highly unlikely this will fall as junior as me but I'm going to take the advice I've heard several times of "bid what you want, and want what you bid", just curious if there will be a 2nd chance when my hopes are dashed the 1st time .
It also says:
"New...category means, for the purposes of Section 22, a category that has not been in existence for 60 days since the date of the first opportunity for the first conversion"
So you
might get another bite at the apple if there is another immediate AE the following month. I'm not sure though. New categories coupled with almost constant mothly AE's is somewhat uncharted territory so I hesitate to say for sure. Normally in most cases you only got 1 chance to bid it but in this case you may get 2 depending on the frequency of the AE's in conjunction with the new category.
That said, it really doesn't matter because you're either going to get it or you're not if you have a bid in for it, and you should
NEVER have an AE/VD bid in for something you don't want or even want less than what you currently have. In your case that also means don't have a bid in unless you're willing to be the plug…possibly for a while. If that bothers you, throw in a percentage qualifier. However if you do that, you need to be OK with not getting it when you could have been the plug.
Just to muddy the mud even more, the flying in new categories tends to suck for a while. However the first attempt might be your only way in for a long time, precicely because more senior pilots who want it, and intend to bid it in the future, may bypass on the first attempt. That could get you a plug position, but then on future AE's here come the senior bidders "pushing you down" and keeping you the plug, possibly for years.
Do not bid it unless you want it. If you want it, don't forget to bid it.