New Pilot Bases
10-11-2022 | 07:38 PM
#61
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 170
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From: A320
I used to think LAS might become a base, with 35 NB flights scheduled tomorrow vs. 23 in CLE. The trick is there are only about 110 pilots living in LAS… while CLE has just over 200 based there (and who knows how many that commute). And I seriously doubt enough LAS pilots would give up WB flying to make a NB base viable. PHX has over 200 pilots living there and 23 NB flights tomorrow, so I guess it could be a base that closely resembles CLE (with a LAX based CP to boot). But again, I don’t think enough PHX pilots would forgo WB flying to make for a viable NB base just yet. Maybe with some additional growth in flights and pilot population.
With the new terminal open in MCO, there is room to grow quickly right now and it would be very Kirbyesq to seize the opportunity. I believe we currently have a single WB capable gate at MCO, while the gates being vacated are international and WB capable since most of the airlines moving to the new terminal are international carriers. We could do an awful lot in the future with those gates, on our metal or with Star Alliance metal. MCO has 33 UAL flights tomorrow (including a few WB), and TPA has 18. I think MCO will be a full on NB base with TPA as a co-terminal and its own CP (as rumored toward the start of this thread). Plenty of pilots and flights to make it work (I’m assuming 300+ live within an easy drive, but don’t know for a fact).
With 36 flights tomorrow and assuming enough pilots live nearby, BOS could also support a base bigger than CLE.
With the new terminal open in MCO, there is room to grow quickly right now and it would be very Kirbyesq to seize the opportunity. I believe we currently have a single WB capable gate at MCO, while the gates being vacated are international and WB capable since most of the airlines moving to the new terminal are international carriers. We could do an awful lot in the future with those gates, on our metal or with Star Alliance metal. MCO has 33 UAL flights tomorrow (including a few WB), and TPA has 18. I think MCO will be a full on NB base with TPA as a co-terminal and its own CP (as rumored toward the start of this thread). Plenty of pilots and flights to make it work (I’m assuming 300+ live within an easy drive, but don’t know for a fact).
With 36 flights tomorrow and assuming enough pilots live nearby, BOS could also support a base bigger than CLE.
As of now Spirit /Frontier will be at airside 1 (until the NK/B6 deal is done in the next few years) so more gates at airside 2 with just AA/UA operating.
can only imagine how crazy senior a potential MCO/TPA base would be with all the commuters to IAH/ORD/IAD there are.
10-12-2022 | 02:45 AM
#62
Banned
Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 170
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Now that Spirit/JB is closing ACY united is gonna jump on it...IDK I made that up obviously but it would be as logical as an LAS base...my guess, Florida...we need the real-estate we're running out of gates MCO has the gates...don't know about TPA never really paid that much attention there plus MCO is in the middle and in the middle is accessible to all around it.
10-12-2022 | 04:28 AM
#65
Banned
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 1,629
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From: 756 Left Side
Pilots.., the company doesn’t care where we live. They will look at the population of the city, and potential gate space.
Las Vegas has more than double the population of Cleveland! Same can be said for Boston. Is it a place where tourists want/can go and is it a place where the locals want to leave for their own vacations! And of course.. we have Business Travel.
Yes, a Florida base is long overdue. Only real question is which airport(s) it encompasses. We currently are required to be available for not only our primary airport, yet some neighboring airports.. EWR + (LGA/JFK).
3 new bases will help out our unfilled Capt positions tremendously and you watch the 1-2 yr upgrades disappear as locals/senior pilots take those bids..
What we must also start looking at is- how do we build up local ALPA Councils and what is the timeline required~
Fun Times.. but, even in the new bases-
Fly Safe, Fly Professionally and Fly the Contract
Motch
Las Vegas has more than double the population of Cleveland! Same can be said for Boston. Is it a place where tourists want/can go and is it a place where the locals want to leave for their own vacations! And of course.. we have Business Travel.
Yes, a Florida base is long overdue. Only real question is which airport(s) it encompasses. We currently are required to be available for not only our primary airport, yet some neighboring airports.. EWR + (LGA/JFK).
3 new bases will help out our unfilled Capt positions tremendously and you watch the 1-2 yr upgrades disappear as locals/senior pilots take those bids..
What we must also start looking at is- how do we build up local ALPA Councils and what is the timeline required~
Fun Times.. but, even in the new bases-
Fly Safe, Fly Professionally and Fly the Contract
Motch
10-12-2022 | 06:16 AM
#66
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Jun 2021
Posts: 655
Likes: 0
From: A320 FO
I got the TBNT from UAL back in Jan but since I’m from FL I wasn’t that upset about it. Now at Frontier living in MCO. If UAL opens a base here Frontier is really gonna have to step up their game because they use the FL bases as justification for not improving anything. On the other hand if the base goes wildly senior at UAL that will matter as well. I still have until Jan until I can be reconsidered anyway.
10-12-2022 | 07:41 AM
#67
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Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,450
Likes: 8
FL makes sense for both purposes, though I once heard a network VP say FL would only work if we were going to go in big enough to take a fight to AA. Not sure if we’re talking about something that scale, or if the metrics have changed. As far as supporting the West Coast hubs, PHX/LAS are probably good options. Something PNW could also be very effective in drawing staffing away from SFO.
10-12-2022 | 08:27 AM
#68
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Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 670
Likes: 1
The company absolutely does care, now. We have more new hires than ever before, and it’s common place for new hires across the industry to commute and move to base later on in a career. Additionally, the fortress bases are super expensive to live at and pilots with free get to work options aren’t inclined to move there. Furthermore, there is less capacity industry wide with aircraft retirements during the pandemic; anyone commuting the last 5 years or more can definitely see the difference in 2022. Lastly, and here’s why the company cares most of all, 2 legitimate options and it’s a get out of jail free card, so you can pretend they don’t care, but it’s their responsibility to staff the equipment if commuters can’t get to work, without recourse either so long as everyone follows the contract. Add it all up, and that’s why the crew resources manager is talking about where pilots commute from now. Perhaps one day it will revert back to nobody caring, but right now they have to act because we can’t hire and train enough, let alone have extra reserves to cover for pilots who can’t make the commute.
As for FL base, it’s a no brainer now. Pilots are a hot commodity, and a FL base secures more of them.
As for FL base, it’s a no brainer now. Pilots are a hot commodity, and a FL base secures more of them.
10-12-2022 | 08:51 AM
#69
Orbis Non Sufficit
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 788
Likes: 10
That would certainly seem to be their primary objective in doing this, but does it help the company if existing NB CA vacate EWR to MCO, or LAX to PHX, thereby leaving new holes to fill where the current unfilleds are? Seems like it always comes back to the need for some incentive to bid CA at the existing coastal bases….
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