QOL
 

What are the typical trip lengths in Florida bases? Finishing up IOE at my first airline, time to start throwing apps out again.. 2 biggest factors for QOL for me are shorter trip lengths and being Florida based. I also don’t mind sitting perma reserve in base if it means I’ll fly less. Sorry if that’s too forward 😅. And how will the merger impact trip lengths? I can't find any info about the average Jetblue trip lengths.

Lots of 1-2 day trips

Trips are 1 day, 2 day overnight turns, 2, 3 and 4 day pairings, with more 1 and 2 days trips now than before.

Reserve doesn’t guarantee you will fly less, and it’s impossible to know what pairings will look like post merger because route maps and destinations will all be subject to change.

Well, being Florida based shouldn’t be all that hard. While on reserve - well, you fly what you are assigned. You have some control over trip length by RAP bidding, but not much. Not too much control over that ever until you can hold a line, but the ability to bid a line and then trip trade really gives you the opportunity to sculpt your schedule to a great degree, better the more senior you are of course.

How merger will impact trip lengths depends to considerable degree on how the JCBA goes (assuming the DOJ allows it) and your guess on that is as good as anyone else’s. Jet Blue does Europe trips and is planning on expanding those so it’s gonna be different than what NK is used to.

Best advice I can give to anyone new to the 121 world is to learn how to use PBS to your advantage (assuming your carrier uses it). It never fails to amaze me how many senior guys don’t really understand the ins and outs of PBS bidding (in fairness, I don’t know $hit about line bidding), but learning how to bid effectively (ALPA has video tutorials) and learning the fine points of the CBA you are operating under will pay huge dividends over the course of a career.

IAH Bidding for December?
 

How is IAH looking for basing? Any insight on that yet? Prediction on if it be junior for a while?

People are getting jt straight out of training extremely Jr here

IAH or DFW
 

- Which base is more junior on the FO side, IAH or DFW? -

- Which has more commutable trips?

TIA!

In the FL bases the shorter trip lengths go somewhat senior as most people live within easy driving distance. The only commuters I've flown with over the past 3 years all lived in ATL or IAH, and now we have domiciles in both of those cities.

In fact just this past week I saw very commutable 4 day trip, late start/early finish with no redeyes and 1-2 legs per day, sit in open time for several days and eventually went to a reserve.

Any FLL captain reserves here to talk about how life is and how much you fly and what kind of assignments?

IAH for sure i think dfw at least on the FO side is one of the more senior bases at least on the bottom side

Except I have a class date at NK not DL, so the question remains.
Fully expecting to commute to a FL base for a bit but DTW is driving distance.

You'll get DTW within a few months for sure. If attrition keeps up or increases you may get it while still in training.

Got it, thank you.

Now that the data is out post displacement bid, only 10 FOs were displaced and maybe some volunteered because they wanted to move elsewhere. Next vacancy bid already there’s a vacancy for one DTW FO. So yea I think if you come here wanting DTW it won’t take too long. Maybe next vacancy there’s more than one opening for DTW FO.

Good info, much appreciated.

What is the seniority breakdown for IAH?

Its obtainable while in training

So jr. For FOs? How senior on the CA side?

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I wouldn't say its more Jr than the Florida bases but not far behind. Several of the cpts getting displaced from dfw are heading down there and will hold lines.

Hi everyone, quick question, how long before getting DFW for a new FO? Any thoughts on DFW base future? They shrunk it and Frontier is on its way….
Thanks!

I believe most Jr guy is a June hire so maybe 4 months out of training. But if you live it the area iah is super commutable and very Jr you can easily get a commutable reserve block and throw yourself on first call. Fo's are basically being used every single day.

Thank you so much, any rumors on the future of DFW base?

Purely opinion here, but that shrinkage is likely temporary. I would think it would grow back and beyond.

Yeah, that's what HE said

Nice twist. Well done.

Even the Union calls it SIT pay...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnN0...=SpiritALPAMEC

Howdy! Is Vegas still straight-out-of-training junior, or is that falling off?

Vegas is the most junior base and new hires are generally forced into it for at least their first month

And the last base vacancy bid a couple weeks ago showed 24 open LAS FO slots.

And before that it was FLL, and before that it was ACY, and before that it was SJU. No one is forced, junior bases are where juniors are based.

Yeah, and except for about 8-9 months during COVID when there wasn’t any hiring and nobody moved, the frequent vacancy bids (and now attrition) allow FOs to get out of bases they don’t want to be at fairly quickly. But yeah, junior folks suck hind teat until there are even more junior folk behind them. Welcome to the airline business.

Random question: anyone know if scheduling can call you while you’re on a layover for X list trips? I’m on a 23 hour layover so just curious.

Is FLL still a possibility straight out of training? Starting with spirit next month and was hoping for FLL.

For now, yes. 90% of people got what they wanted on the second bid

Got it! Thanks!

No, because when you are on a layover, you are not in base, and X-list is in base only. You can put yourself on the Y list for where you are, and change JRM to your actual location, and they might call you. But they are only supposed to do that after they exhaust all other options pretty much. Having said that, they will probably just reschedule you if they need to, because "you are legal 117" (ask me how I know). Definitely grieve that if it happens...

Haha. Exactly. What’s next, newhires forced to do R3 reserve and work holidays?

Yeah, it sounds like a “oh, you picked up the phone. You need to head to the airport, you’re going to Detroit now”

I picked up the phone because I thought they were calling me about my delay 🤦‍♀️

(really need a whole set of facepalm, head exploding, angry/sleepy emojis in pilot uniform)

thanks for the reply but I don’t think I explained that correctly. What I mean is that if im on a layover and it’s my last day of the trip, can they call be for x list for a trip out of base tomorrow while im still on the layover.