So if I call and make an overseas deal it is contractual as long as I dont violate other parts of the contract. Good to know. Thanks. I wont break the contract. But if I can legally spend an extra day or two travelling overseas and then get paid for an elided deadhead while avoiding imputed income and travelling back to base I'm going to jump on it. I'm not sure that's a flaw in the contract. Seems like a feature. I respect that some guys want to spend time in base/gateway or only pick up out of their base/gateway or have a commute situation that fits the gateway model. Those of us who live or travel overseas have a different situation. It's our contract too.

Anyone gotten calls lately? Still heard nothing. I wrote HR and got a brief "thanks for your note" reply.

How long have others waited for calls? Anyone who was hired been called over 5 weeks after the test?

I'm sure others are smarter about this than me but I think you could be skirting the contract if you are doing this on the front end of your pattern. The contract does say all trip pairings must be built to begin or end at your base. You don't actually have to see your base, but the pattern has to be built as if you started deadheading from your base. So if you are making a deal with scheduling to start from overseas the only way to contractually do it is to have a pattern built as if you started from your base. In that case the trip should have gone to open time and awarded by seniority.

Its different VX'ing on the backside of the pattern because you've already begun your trip pairing. You are already away from your base operating in the system so scheduling is free to change up your pattern to use you on those VX days without putting those trips into open time.

Did the test the end of last December, didn't hear anything till the middle of April, interviewed end of April, put in the pool beginning of May. In the August 10 class. So it took me 8 months from first contact to hire date.

So you went about 4 months between test and call?

Thanks for the response!

Yep, don't give up hope, I emailed them just like you did and got the same response. I thought I was out of the running for the job after 4 months, but obviously they were just backed up. Best of luck.

Absolutely take whatever advantages you are able to squeeze out of this contract. There are very few that favor the pilot group. Also, please note that I am most certainly NOT the final word on our contract. If you have any questions regarding the contractual legality of your plans, contact a 1224 representative for the final answer. Just be sure to cover your six.

This contract is difficult to understand at best. It was written by Atlas lawyers who did a very poor job. In my limited experience with our CBA, I have found entire paragraphs that make no sense what-so-ever due to carelessly omitted words. It is so bad that these flaws favor neither the pilots nor the company and have gone uncorrected for years.

Yes, it's your contract, too. My issue is when the contract obviously favors small subsets within the pilot group to the detriment of the vast majority. For instance, a disproportionate number of pages in the current contract favors instructors and check airmen (although this group is growing). Our dental plan allows for bridges, dentures, crowns, ... all old guy stuff and has nothing about orthodontics for all of us younger guys who have kids with fangs and buck teeth. And there are clauses like the one we're talking about that may favor the overseas guys like you which is maybe 2 -3% of the total pilot group.

Whatever your personal situation is, study up on the contract and protect yourself and the group. Letting the company violate the contract is no longer going to go unchallenged. Letting pilots violate the contract will no longer going to go unchallenged (by me, at least). There seems to be a very focused interest on completely rewriting the upcoming contract and I, for one, will be very vocal when it comes to representing our interests.

No matter what your particular situation, the message to the company is definitely going to be: NO MORE MISTER NICE GUY !!!

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So the next contract is going (or intended) to be "not-ideal" for overseas commuters? Or will international gateways become an option?

International gateways? -- I wouldn't plan on that scenario materializing since other priorities will take precedence from our end...however, it may get slipped into the CBA even though the majority of the pilots don't really rate that as a priority.

Indeed. There are so many more things that need squaring away in the next contract that I can honestly say that international gateways aren't even on the horizon. They may appear, but there are a host of other things that are of more immediate concern.