I used to have the fall bid. I like this much better. O2 pilot is right. We think in calendar years, and its a pattern interrupt to change it. Which is why most airline pilots, who are crazy analytical and OCD cant fathom it. But I prefer bidding in January, because I have a much better idea of what my spring/summer/fall will look like. Its just like bidding monthly schedules. If we bid them too far in advance, we’d have a hard time getting time off when our kids soccer team schedules a traveling tournament 3 weeks out.

It was just over 6 years ago (September 2013). I still hear about it almost every week, and knowing the guy one number junior to me had 7 years more longevity doesn’t help me recover the 13% seniority I lost. Oh well, we move on.

I never hear about it anymore, I don’t think anyone can argue with a straight face that both CAL and UAL pilots aren’t better off post merger. With our new contract, growth, retirement, Aircraft orders, and profitability you can’t tell me any pilot or either company would be better off alone. Consolidation is THE BEST THING that’s happened to our profession in decades, if you deny that your delusional

Completely agree. We are all better off, and in retrospect, we'd have all been worse off absent the merger.

The furlough never would of happened had this merger not been pre-meditated. And I have a feeling, UAL would of been just fine.

Ha 😂😂😂 thanks for that! Made my night!

I know. Who in their right mind would park 92 NB aircraft (1/3 of NB hulls systemwide with no replacement plan) and supplement the system feed with 10 regional jets during that timeframe? Those WB aircraft flying across the lakes must have had a lot of empty seats right?

Well there is one reason to choose UAL over DAL, depending on what fleet you're on, you'll most certainly still hear stuff about the merger here at DAL. :D

Vacation bidding (1st round closes in a few days) happens Jan/Feb for a April to March vacation year. Our system has 5 rounds of bidding and unless the senior guys use all their vacation weeks on round one (one big string of vacation), our system does allow for a more equitable spreading of vacation across the seniority. That said, the vacation weeks available in the summer is laughable low, as compared to the coveted mid-Feb vacation.

Just to be clear..... senior guys cannot use “all of there weeks” on round one. They are allowed to select two consecutive weeks in round one or just one week and that opportunity is allowed to everyone.

Assuming you are talking about United, senior guys definitely can use all of their vacation in round one. Someone with 5 weeks total can use 3 weeks in a row, and 2 weeks in a row, in round one, as an example. If you’re talking about another airline, my apologies for the confusion.