hjs1971

Just my $.02 as a guy hired near the front of this most recent wave-New hires are getting OAK/LAS/PHX within their second month. As stated, you fill out a dream sheet for IOE so you may get a super senior base like ATL or MCO for month one, then you are left to your actual seniority as to what base you get for month two (but you will get a hard line-AWESOME deal for new hires), again the most senior in your class can hold PHX or LAS if they choose, the bottom half should plan on OAK for month 2, for month 3, guys in the front of the wave got HOU, BWI and MDW. Month 4 will reveal itself in a week from now, I expect guys from the 3rd and 4th classes hired will get a few into MDW or BWI next month. The downside is, expect reserve no matter where you go in months 3-12, maybe less if you stay in OAK/LAS. Those reserve rules listed above are still accurate. IF you decide to stay out west in OAK/LAS/PHX (although PHX shows a loss of a dozen or so FO lines for May), you maybe able to get off reserve by the end of the summer, MAYBE. If you are able to get east, MDW or BWI, don't hope for anything other than reserve, til at least 2015, if not 2016 due to most of the Air Tran guys/gals wanting east coast bases, remember, there are almost 1000 of them left to transition and they mostly want ATL/MCO and BWI so they will be senior to anybody hired in the last 2-3 yrs. The rumors of 100 more New Hires ASAP are rampant and have some authority behind them, the rumors of another 100-200 towards the end of the year have a little less authority behind them. Yes, some AT guys will not be able to transition by the end of 2014 and will get a 2-3 month paid vacation, good for them.

I think they are looking at buying more used -700's that they are not talking about publicly and that plus some longer legs on the -800's, plus FAR 117, plus some of the senior guys having 1,000 hours of sick bank they can use at any time, plus folks with a few yrs at SWA or AT are accruing/using more vacation, plus the summer utilization rates (and the talk of possibly some red-eye flying), means there is a need for new hires, how many is anyone's guess and the line pilots are usually the last to know! Hope this helps a little...

Nextlife

Where does DEN fit into the seniority mix between west and east coast bases for the next couple of years? How does the Air Tran transition (assuming they'll want east coast bases) effect DEN as a possibility as a junior FO?

Woodbourne

Hello. I am coming up on 3 years non air tran and can't hold Denver. So...+ 15 fos for May

Nextlife

How much longer do you think it will take?

FL180

How is seniority determined within a class?

Woodbourne

5 additional gates in Denver should open this fall so that will help. The wild card is the 1000 air tran pilots. Really depends on them and what happens with atl and other east coast bases. Hearing fll as a domicile( may be a threat to bring mco rates down). I would say pilots 100000 and senior will be able to hold by years end. On reserve for at least a couple of years. That's my best guess, but I'm just a line puke

ClippedWing

Date of birth for new hires.

Jetnfast

How soon before a new hire could bid reserve in DAL? I think its a senior base, but assuming hired in the next few months, any idea?

Woodbourne

The May vacancy has 25 fo s and the current most junior Fo there is a June 2011 new hire

Jetnfast

Thanks Woodburne. That's not bad, only about 3 years then.