Originally Posted by GEARPINSOUT

Thanks,

I live in IAH and am waiting for a new hire class date. Just trying to decide if I should bid (subject to availability on my class bid) 777 SFO and commute or 320 IAH and be home. I know everyone will say home but I really like long haul flying.

Originally Posted by 72944

No loophole, no sneaking in. Base trades are in the contract and awarded by seniority.

Originally Posted by JTwift

Our reserve rules suuuuuuuuuuck. I hope they get some love on the contract. But you'd have to be insane to commute vs just living in base. If you can sit reserve at home, it's tolerable. Commuting sucks. And commuting to reserve sucks even more.

Pick IAH anything vs commuting

Originally Posted by FlewNavy

For the love of god...do not commute to reserve in SFO if you can sit reserve in base on any airplane!

Originally Posted by 82spukram

I would bid Iah 320 fo for first year. Don’t commute on probation if you don’t have too. Then at the 10 month point on property decide if you want to go to the 756 IAH (assuming it’s available) or 777 in SFO. You also get a chance to see if wait time for 777 or 787 in IAH comes down or not.

the long haul flying isn’t going anywhere at United. Go NB in base first year if possible. You won’t be flying that much anyway first year on the WB but you will be sitting around in a Crashpad boarded a lot your first year.

one last point point in case you are not familiar with UAL you can bid up in pay bands at any time but you cannot bid down. So you could go 320/737 IAH then put in a bid for IAH 777, 787, and 756 FO and if you hold any of those during your first year you move up to the next bid group while and at any time you feel frustrated with NB flying just bid up and out to where you want to be.

good luck

Originally Posted by Brickfire

I could say something like “that would be the dumbest thing in the history of dumb” but that wouldn’t be helpful.

I will instead point out that you can always bid up from 737/320 to 777 if you desperately miss long haul. You cannot bid from 777 to 320 after 6 months.

Originally Posted by 82spukram

Also attached is from fall of 2019 but it have seniority ranges for each fleet and seat. Things have changed a lot since then for IAH but it will give you an idea of movement with in categories.

Originally Posted by Hedley

Bid IAH 737/320 if you can, and consider that the 737 will probably get you to IAH sooner if no IAH slots are available in your class. Once you are on property you can always bid up at any time, but if you take a WB slot as a new hire you are stuck with it for a 2 year training freeze unless you upgrade to captain. I also wouldn’t expect industry leading reserve rules in the next contract, when ever that happens. I’d plan on our current book with the possibility of a few minor tweaks. If there are significant improvements to reserve then be grateful, but if not, you will have planned accordingly. Despite what some people say, we’re not going to reverse 20+ years of contract erosion with one deal. Significant improvements to our current contract is a reality, inflation adjusted contract 2000 is a pipe dream.

Originally Posted by DC462

The past few replies are SAGE advice. You would be wise (and much happier) to listen to them. The commute to SFO is very tough and there are many very senior people who do it. So you will always have problems plus when wx goes marginal they just start cutting flights and you won’t make your commute in time. Plus the CP there is a d***. Missed assignments on probation in SFO is a bad move. You’ve been warned by a lot of folks on this forum. Good luck.

Originally Posted by 01110011

You’ll still miss long haul flying in SFO on the 777 while you sit there on reserve indefinitely.

Go NB and drive to work and once you get a feel for what that commute realistically looks like, how often you’ll get used/long you’ll be on reserve, etc then you can bid up if you want.

Originally Posted by Knotcher

It is allowed currently, but it is an abrogation of seniority by circumventing the vacancy bid process...the union even admitted it as much in their proposal. The only redeeming quality of the Tumi TA was closing that.

Originally Posted by 01110011

How is a seniority based system abrogating seniority. If you want it, put the base trade in and take the spot.

Originally Posted by Knotcher

Because people are getting into a BES that they couldn't otherwise hold, not to mention potential for buddy-buddy hijinks. If you could hold it on a bid fine, otherwise wait in line.

Originally Posted by 01110011

“I’m mad I have to fill out a 2-minute form once a month”.

There is no buddy-buddy trading going on that couldn’t be swooped on by someone with better seniority. There is no scenario in which a senior pilot who put in for a base trade wouldn’t get it over a junior pilot, except some oddball Guam scenarios covered in the UPA.

Originally Posted by 01110011

“I’m mad I have to fill out a 2-minute form once a month”.

There is no buddy-buddy trading going on that couldn’t be swooped on by someone with better seniority. There is no scenario in which a senior pilot who put in for a base trade wouldn’t get it over a junior pilot, except some oddball Guam scenarios covered in the UPA.

Originally Posted by Brickfire

It prevents anyone not on the 777 from taking the seat. That’s not how seniority works in a bid.