Final snapshot has 1,003 total unfilled vacancies. 88 of those are Captains.

Tomorrow we will find out the final numbers.

It will be interesting on the final tomorrow to see how much the company utilizes the extra awards that 8-C-4-a allows. On the final snapshot there were 4 CLE 737 CA , 7 DEN 737 CA, 26 IAH 737 CA, and 8 ORD 737 CA awards that were taking a lateral into the respective domicile, so the company could award that many more slots in those locations that actually require training.

We could see some extra impressive numbers in those Bases if the company wants to try and compensate for those unfilled Captain slots immediately!

I’m smelling lots of premium trips when they attempt to cover that flying through other bases.

Vacancy Bid 2204-V2
 

Were the vacancy results that startling that they had to sleep on it? [emoji1787]

No it’s just that we are a technology company with wings…

The company actually has a ton of "optional" backfilling they can do (above and beyond the mandatory ones) and each one of those optional backfills creates a bunch of other movement.

I am hoping that they are taking the extra time to figure out how to maximize the optional backfills.....

..... but the reality is prob closer to the AirHoss' assesment

Ouch. I thought SYD and LON were back.

What percent seniority did CLE end at for FO/CA?

Jr Captain was about 8500 system seniority with 27 unfilled FO vacancies.

I couldn’t quite hold CLE Captain on this bid and I was hired just over 14 years ago. Also can’t hold a line (reserve only) as a 320 Captain in DC, even though it had unfilled vacancies.

Senior FO’s are having trips bought for training which allows them to double dip or pick up premium trips if they want to chase the money. They are in control of their schedules and making good money. What incentive do they have to upgrade until they are solid line holders? Why would someone willingly give that up to be on reserve for years in bases covering multiple airports? A stripe, a new hat, and the title of captain just isn’t that big of a deal.

You make very good points. I took 320 Captain earlier this year even though, with only 14 years of seniority, I won’t hold a line for a while. I didn’t finish training before I went on LTD, so with some luck I’ll get to come back in 2023 and be a line holder Captain by then…

How did the most junior Captain go to a Jan 21 hire? Advancement date past his probation date?

Where is the requirement to be off of probation mentioned? FOM 1.10.3 gives the flight time requirements for initial upgrade, but has no mention of time on property.

It is in the UPA.

with Covid reduced flying and SRL’s/Cola’s etc easy to see how many new pilots aren’t eligible yet to bid Captain.

8-I-1 Only pilots who have met the basic prerequisite piloting requirements for Air Line Transport Pilot Certificate, including successful completion of the ATP written examination and notification to the Company of such completion, and who have at least five hundred (500) hours of Flight Time at United Airlines and have completed the period of probation in accordance with Section 6-C shall be eligible to bid or displace into Captain Categories.

Thanks. I actually looked at the CBA too but must have read right past that.

But it's eligible to bid.. so still unsure how that worked out

We were hiring in January '21? I thought the first new-hire class after the pause was in May '21.

Correct, must mean '20

It looks like we had a class Jan 20th of 21 from the board date but that is a Wed. Right around 12500 on the list.

No one should bid Captain until also bidding 3 weeks of vacation. Imagine still being treated like the FNG in the left seat.

You should bid captain when your seniority allows and you understand the quality of life trade offs.

100% agree!

Every job in the world has good things and bad things about it.

One of the best things about our job is that I know of no other one where you can make a salary well into 6 figures and when your company offers you a promotion you can say "no thanks." And then the next month they will offer you a promotion and you can say "no thanks." And then the next month they will offer you a promotion ........

In the rest of the world if you make the kind of salary we make you might be able to get away with that once (and that is doubtful). Here we don't even bat an eye at the idea (until we have unfilled Captain bids)

Maybe “bid” is taken as the vacancy activation date?

There was no hiring between March 2020 and April 2021.

Yeah, that’s true. Not sure how someone would have a board date of Jan of 21, then.

leave of absence

you don’t accrue seniority on a LOA?

I totally agree. It took me 18 years to get to the left seat but I'm not going to begrudge anyone who takes a quick upgrade.

I will toss out one piece of advice for any junior pilots who are thinking that they may want to fly longhaul one day. Instead of bidding direct to the left seat of a narrowbody, bid right seat of the 777 or 787 to see if you like the lifestyle. Widebody is a whole different airline but some people aren't built to fly longhaul. Multiple time zones, long flights, crew bunks, etc. If you find longhaul's not for you, you can escape a seat lock by bidding left seat narrowbody.

I’d love to try long haul, but in my base it’s far more senior than NB captain by a bit, and that’s during Covid when a lot of people went to guppy that prefer long haul

just looked it up…. 36 months then stops accruals

You don’t accrue longevity for pay purposes but your place on the seniority list remains the same. And that is only for personal LOA. Anything COLA can be different.

yes but the topic was board date. And those do slide..if you aren’t on property.

Is that just affected by PLAs? I’ve taken a lot of COLA over the years, but mine hasn’t changed.

I am happy for the early upgrades. It means a pretty significant jump in my seniority in seat and base. I upgraded at 6 years 3 years ago after 4100 hours in the right seat. My only concern is a brand new pilot going narrowbody left seat then going to some of the crazy weird places we go for the first time in the left seat. Almost to a person every FO I’ve flown with is a great pilot and many have years of captain experience at the regionals. No question they’re qualified. I just wouldn’t want to go into San Jose CR at night in the weather with little extra gas with a probie in the right seat if I’d never been there before. Maybe my concerns are unfounded.

I think that's fair. But dont you think in the time it takes to upgrade, one would have the opportunity to see the system, learn the ropes, and be able to self-assess if they're ready? It all depends on the person, obviously.. and there's a big experience range as we all know. I would see the previous RJ CAs being ready a bit sooner than Mil and both being a lot sooner than Luftansa CFIs & FTI converts. I guess I'm saying, I think it will all work itself out.

that scenario can happen with a senior WB FO who finally upgraded to NB Captain.

in fact that may be an even worse
scenario since the new Captain is also new to the plane.

I think you’re probably right. I guess I’m referring to the really junior guys…high 11,000s and low 12,000s. They’ve only been here less than 3 years…less than 2 years in some cases. They also probably didn’t fly at all most of 2020 so subtract a year from that. I don’t think there’s any way they’ve seen all the weird places we go. I can name about 15 just off the top of my head.

Agreed. Fully. The worst CAs I flew with were the ones who had spent 15 years in the right seat of a triple. Same scenario. They needed seeing eye FOs.

Honest, not snarky question, do you think if 9/11 hadn't happened, the 20 something new hires of the late 90s would have been ready to upgrade in 3 yrs? Or is it apples and oranges given the type of flying on the 73 now vs then?