When this downgrade bid hits I will finally be pushed out of DFW. I spent all day hitting up my previous union reps for internals but I’m afraid a few check ride failures might hurt me. I really wish I would have taken the hint two years ago when the entire MEC started to offload. I can take the pay hit but I can’t commute forever nor would I move for this dumpster fire.

I keep hearing EWR will close and LGA is opening

See your posts re Breeze/FJ. I don’t understand your calculus how starting over at either off those 2 is better than staying. Yeah commuting blows, but I’m imagining you’d be a senior FO if downgrading was your choice.🤷‍♂️

The real gotcha is, if you choose to downgrade and a buyout happens, your SLI will reflect FO career expectations.

Commuting to reserve sucks, but might be worth it to hold CA seat in the long run.

Can a base closure/downgrade bid technically result in upgrades based on shuffle of more senior FOs taking the residual CA vacancies in other bases, then displacing junior CAs to FO?

This bid, if true, will be disgustingly messy. It was one thing last time with reductions in bases but full base closures (very senior bases) will really flip things upside down and have massive residual effects.

For the love of god, don't go to a 135.

Honestly, many 91/135 won't take you because of the DUI, as they constantly go into Canada, and unfortunately Canadians aren't friendly to pilots with DUIs. Same goes for the big 3. Southwest may be your best bet, but don't think they're hiring at the moment. I would echo the advice of others to stay in the left seat, continue to build the PIC time as you commute to your new base, and keep updating your apps. GL

I think the merger ship has sailed at this point. Extremely unlikely from what I gather. I just wish B6 would have never came into the picture at least we would be fighting the good fight as F9 pilots.

I’m no expert, but I don’t think this is how it works.

Your seat doesn’t have anything to do with SLI in a merger. It only matters moving forward after it is published. If already in the seat, you typically continue to hold it unless your base shrinks and there’s a displacement bid. If you bid down to the right seat prior to a merger your final seniority ends up in exactly the same place, you just get more relative seniority until you can later bid back to the left. Career expectations are weighed at the pilot group level and not individual.