I heard about the converted deliveries this week and the new hiring projection so I checked the fleet website and saw all the "2026 Delivery" filled in that weren't there last week.

I just checked it TODAY and its been updated to now show over 100 MAX 9s are now on order and all are conversions from MAX-10 (it shows Converted 3JM which is that MAX 10)

Anything being delivered in 2025 or 2026 has a date on it except the 40 leased NEOs that show (2026/2027)

With all the 321 and 787s to be delivered between now and end of 2026 which is 122 total jets which doesn't include the 40 leased NEOS. So if we get half of those in 2026 its 142 which jives with 2,680 new hires, since we are almost adding an entire Spirit Airlines worth of flying over the next 17 months.

Its pretty amazing to go through all the MAX, 321 and 787 future deliveries and just scroll down and see pages of deliveries.

That is incorrect. In the seniority list integration process step one is to stovepipe the lists. Every pilot is assumed to hold the highest seat position he can occupy at his airline. Doesn’t matter what he actually holds. There is also a basic tenet of no leap frogging.

That’s fantastic! I was at TK 2 months ago and the they were told it was 2300, but glad the number has gone up. Thanks for the info.

I like your optimism, but pilot hiring estimates are just that -- rough estimates that are usually quite a bit higher than reality. I absolutely do not see unfilled CA spots ever again. Mainly because there are thousands of senior FOs who didn't upgrade and are now flying with 26 year old CAs with the bare minimum flight time required to occupy that seat. Fly a few of those trips (I just did one) and that will be enough to convince the laziest FO to upgrade.

Also, apologies to the Spirit folks whose thread we've hijacked. I've flown with a few former NK guys who got here (UA) not long before I did, and they've universally been great to fly with. We need more of you all...

I think so too. I missed the instant upgrade. But I was expecting that going in a year ago.

Just flew a broken trip with a 30 year on the property UA guy, and an under 30 year old guy. I am way over 50, vastly preferred the young guy with the bare minimum experience... YMMV

the older I get the more I realize old people choose to suck.

Well. That stung a bit. Hopefully that wasn't aimed at me. I personally choose to be upbeat. Sometimes takes an effort, but so far I've had positive feedback from the younger generation.

I think what he meant was that the old people that do suck have chosen to do so, not that all old people suck

someone should definitely write a paper on the science of thread jacks. It happens way too often not to have a scientific explanation. Other than old people suck.