at6d

With the announcement of the BNA domicile, what is the historic trend regarding initial bids/manning etc? As in has WN historically displaced pilots to staff the base?

Im guessing the base will staff itself, but as a junior upgrade and near bottom of the list in my domicile I’m a little apprehensive about the opening.

Thoughts?

DownAndDirty

I would imagine with how small it will be initially, you'll have enough people bid it to staff it.

ZapBrannigan

Same concern. With LAX I believe that they downsized other bases to create vacancies for the new one. Here in DAL base for example, there are about 150 blank lines, but a full THIRD of them are one trip and 3-4 weeks of reserve. To me, those could be consolidated, freeing up a couple dozen positions that could be displaced to BNA. I’ve heard the same about HOU. My guess is there’s a displacement bid from 3-4 bases, but since BNA is already projected to go so senior, it won’t actually result in any displacements. Fingers crossed.

Stitches

I’m sitting just above the 50% point seniority wise. If you are a SWAPA pilot, go to the union website, look under the resources tab and find the “individual vacancy view”. It updates close to real time and it’s showing 140ish pilots senior to me bidding captain and under 10 senior to me with an fo bid as their first choice. I recall reading a SWAPA email saying there were around 150 or so local pilots living in BNA. I know there are several more who plan to move there.

Based on what I’m seeing, there may be folks who are turned away on the opening few bids. I don’t expect a significant number of displacements unless the company decides to massively cut back on one base vs all the others. I’d expect a significant cut to Mdw but there are so many Bna commuters based there it should not cause any issues. Just my take…

flyguy81

If I remember right every base had a -10 or so loss for LAX opening. I don believe anyone was displaced, or very few were.

With how popular BNA is, it’ll all be voluntary. I know a few in DEN hoping they can hold it.

Proximity

Nobody was displaced with the LAX opening. It openned so small that locals and those interests in ETOPS took all the spots, with is being somewhat competitive on the FO side to get in at first (wasn't really looking at CA stuff back then).

I would expect BNA to be extremally competitive to bid into. Take a look at the SWAPA individual vacancy view, if you are a junior CA you'll see that already 100+ pilots senior to you are bidding BNA, and that will increase as the actual date comes. If you are junior and in a BNA commuter base such as MDW/HOU/DEN I'd be looking forward to it opening.

Salukidawg

There’s rarely displacements per se with new base openings but they can happen to you if you’re at the bottom of the list in any domicile. Usually there are -10 to -15 in each seat in each domicile to add vacancies to the new domicile for the first 1-2 bid periods following a new base opening. Lot’s of churn during those months with people jockeying for position. It’s been a few years since we had a new domicile open, but that’s how I remember the vacancy bids looking.

oldschoollear

Is there any insight on how long it would take a new hire to hold BNA? Assuming a Nov 1 class date.

Thanks

e6bpilot

BNA will be crazy popular and crazy small. This means that initially it will be crazy senior.
I would love to move out there, but I don't see holding it in the left seat for me for a good long time.
I think after the initial year, it will settle into an Atlanta/Orlando type of scenario with a small junior cadre but mostly senior folks.

flyguy81

Base isn’t even going to open until early next year. We don’t do vacancy bids out that far so if someone tells you a timeline…they’re full of it because nobody knows. As of now you can hold any base in the system within 6-8 mos.