Thanks for all of the replies!

I just put an app in and am weighing the pros and cons. The biggest con is likely to be commuting, but I'm committed to working through that. I've got 20 or so direct flights from my area (including 4 from my home town) to DFW every day. That seems as do-able a commute as there could be in all of 121 to me.

Given that every other base is a 2 leg commute minimum, how soon can I expect to be based in DFW? Does the 4-5 year captain upgrade I've read about change at DFW?

Is 8-10 months on reserve about right?

Do you get any input on whether or not you have long or short reserve?

Sorry for the questions that I'm sure have been answered before, but my google results all were about "how to beat Spirits carry-on rules", etc.

It’s hard to say how long you’ll be on reserve for. Now that hiring has picked up and we are going to PBS. It’s even harder to guess. You bid for long or short call. You can look at the reserve availability a few days ahead of time, and what’s in open time to see if you’ll fly or not. I can only speak for Vegas. I’ve always had my trips added to my reserve assessment about 24-36 hrs. ahead of time.

This is not the case for all bases. DTW has an additional dynamic with the presence of the maintenance hangar there. They assign reserves to reposition spare airplanes out of DTW to rescue flights at other stations. I've been called at 3am three times in one week.

hmm, that doesn't sound very fun.

From the June vacancy bid it looks like the most junior DFW FO is a September 18 hire. As for RSV in DFW, I know a couple people with a little over a year with the company and they are RSV.

Dallas was cannibalized to grow MCO and we haven't recovered yet from the loss of a gate, airframes, lines, and pilots. It is supposed to grow back but it's going to take some time.

good thing he was hoping for DFW not DTW..?

There are new captains that have spent 18+ months on reserve, that would likely increase with PBS rules on reserve..

With the fleet growth stopping at @180 ac, sans a new order, you need to be at seniority @1450 or less to upgrade when the last ac is delivered in 2021. There are now @2160 on property.

You bid LC or SC, so seniority.

There is minimal attrition and retirement..

There are a ton of 30 to 40 year old Captains and FO’s. Unless you are in your 20’s it will be hard to see better than say 50% on captain seniority, absent a huge growth in the fleet..

JMO

You didn't list to the Q1 Earnings conference call at all, did you?