If we are growing, why are we not even hiring enough to cover retirements?

It's not all about me, but I haven't moved up a single % in almost a year. I just don't see this "growth".

 

How are we growing without pilots?

 

Are y’all including regional aircraft in this “growth” argument? I certainly hope that nobody considers planes painted like United but operated by others any sort of “growth”......

 

I don’t think a lot of people fully understand how screwed up base staffing was/is. We had 60 IAH 787 FOs that we’re sitting home not flying getting paid for over a year, we now have a DCA 777 base where the G line is 50%. Every time a pilot leaves CLE they are not replaced. We eliminated an entire fleet in the 747 that gets rid of extra RSV and drives efficiency. There are more examples.......

You also have Zin making 350K as a 737 CA, furloughs working as much as they can to make back lost 401K time, senior pilots flying like crazy to make back pensions and pilots “making hay while the sun is shining”. That’s their choice but it certainly makes for an efficient company.

Also we are covering retirements. Don’t forget about all the furloughs still coming back (1200+) and all the Military pilots coming back. I think I read that last year over 100 pilots came back from extended leaves.

It’s so much more than new hire numbers at play here. The proof is there just go look at the quarterly reports about growth, 3-4%, look at the beating our stock has taken due to growing faster than DL, AA, SW. somehow we are not cancellling flights due to lack of Crew so that tells me that United is getting very good efficiency out of its crews.

 

Efficiency gains by better staffing models, Furlough and leave returns and pilots flying all the open time they can get their hands on falling over themselves for Senior manning.

 

It is what it is we voted in the contract, all we can do is try to turn back time with another contract. Some of the 3-4% is regional growth and some of its mainline.

 

Huh? Wall street considers planes painted like United but operated by others as “growth”. Both Mainline and Express are growing currently. Obviously, United pilots care about growing mainline.

Prediction: Kirby will try to get the weight changed to allow the 175-E2 at Express. There will be a nice pay raise offered and the promise of CS-100’s/300’s on property. For me, it’s a hell no. Put the 175-E2’s here. I’ll fly that MFer.

 

Mainline flying is growing at about 4% but we are doing it by using the aircraft more and utilizing our reserves more. The newhire training pay being correctly implemented summer 16, ATL SAV JAX CHS BOS... all coming back to mainline, the 50 hr floor for drops being implemented, accelerated short call and fsb usage (abuse), and the lack of newhires all point to running a leaner ship. They are hell bent on meeting Delta's profit margin and with Delta loading up on new airplanes with hefty lease payments they are aiming to match it in about 2-3 years or a year ahead of what they announced this summer to the investors. Delta invested in less fuel efficient, used airplanes right before gas prices dropped and they have reaped the benefits but we have a pretty reliable fleet right now that has a useful lifespan well into the 2020's. 75 and 76 replacement is the next reason for us to outlay big dollars in capital expenditures.

Kirby is sniffing glue if he thinks scope is going anywhere but towards mainline. There are too many ex-regional scum running around now to let that pass.

 

I think the bigger issue is how it is or isn't being communicated.

- No new hires since early May into fall.
- Sept/Oct Communicates no hire hires till March.
- Late Oct says back to 1200 a year starting in November
- November cancels the very 1st new hire class without explanation
- Week later says, class December 5th and 12th to start big push
- December cancels 1st January class at least so far

Absolutely none of this was explained in even a basic way, not a word to way any of this. I'm a big believer in under promise and over deliver, which is why saying every Check Airman meeting we are hiring 1000-1200 next year is silly. But to say literally nothing about the past few months is wrong and unprofessional in my opinion. It creates a information vacuum that pilots fill in.

How about the used 320 we were after is getting caught up a bit, we had more returnees then planned so dialed back some, we changed course way to fast and need some time to get TK spooled up, or the board of directors change course a bit for next year.

Don't need to tells use everything, but just a basic, this is what has been going on might help the perception.

 

Kirby is also sniffing glue if he thinks the reserves factor into the every day "planned" hour flying requirement. Time for ALPA to go back in and mandate a fixed reserve percentage. True they are using reserves more. More the reason to either mandate building more lines, or install a fixed reserve requirement. Such as 10 percent of all known and planned, and charter flying - minimum reserve compliment.

Current PBS rules allows for too much monthly and yearly latitude.