Horribly uniformed comment. Not sure if it’s stupidity or ignorance. Either way, you should thank your lucky stars you’re working at a proud ALPA carrier.

A member a whole lot longer than you might imagine. Language that stops upgrades and prevents vacancies below them is neither creating jobs, nor upgrades.

We can do better in areas like this, our reserve system, etc. We are either constantly improving, or we are getting worse.

I’m in favor of minimum time to experience an operation before being able to upgrade to captain. It protects our pilot group and the airline. There are many examples in the regionals of “Street Captains” stepping on their d!@ks. There is really no substitute for experience in our occupation. 500 hours and not being on probation is an example of protecting both the pilot and the airline.

If a probationary captain makes a mistake, they could very well be terminated without protection from the Union. Not only that, but if said mistake makes it on the news, it protects the airline from being accused of not protecting the public because of lack of pilot experience.

This isn't a regional or a LCC that goes to the same 20 airports. We are a worldwide airline that still respects captains authority. Captains authority has eroded at a lot of airlines to an embarrassing level. We have our own culture and way of operating that isn't easy to describe. You could be a Captain without that requirement but you shouldn't.

Phrasing…..

I think he is trying let us know he has one of these

I’m curious to know what this means and if you have examples.

I came from a LCC that didn't respect pilots or Captains. It was a big happy family concept where everyone gets treated the same. Gate agents, flight attendants, schedulers would routinely talk down to pilots with zero repercussions. Don't help clean the plane on the turn? You might have to wait a few more minutes for that bathroom break on the next leg. The pilots were routinely doing other peoples jobs and it soon became the expectation that they would continue that work. That doesn't happen here and if it did it would be a non event to get it fixed. If a Captain gets walked on here it is their own fault and there are plenty of resources at your disposal to make the situation right. We have airplanes all over the world and precovid we would transport 3 million pax a week. This is a much more complex operation than an airline bumbling along doing Orlando turns. We get to work with people that are legit good at their jobs. This profession and airline is something to be proud of.

I am not saying we are perfect or that we don't have the 5% of Richard's but being a Captain here means something.

I wasn’t expecting there to still be unfilled Captain vacancies on the 4th snapshot.

Having flown under these reserve rules, I understand why there are vacancies.