Purely by the numbers, the vacancy shows they are looking to put more folks in DEN 320 on this bid than in DEN 737. The 737 base in DEN is about 1.5 times the size of the 320 base, so this bid represents pretty good movement for the DEN 320 base and a little smaller movement on the 737 side. Overall the 737 fleet is much larger than the 320 fleet, so I imagine you will continue to see incredible movement on the 737 side. New maxes are coming at about 2 per week and the 321s don't start showing up till next year, so while movement on both fleets in the FO seat will remain incredible because of growth and retirements, the 737 also has the advantage that more and more 737s are coming so they will need more 737 FOs in general than they will need 320 FOs in the next year. With that being said, they are going to need a ton in both fleets, so starting in DEN might happen and if it doesn't, getting there quickly will not be a problem on either fleet.

On the last vacancy bid DEN 320 FO (and DEN 737 FO) slots went very junior but all of them were filled. I would guess that we will have unfilled slots in DEN320FO on this bid, so that could mean that those slots would be available for new hires as initial bids. The company has 3 months (ish) to use any unfilled FO assignment for new hire classes. They don't have to offer them if they have more pressing needs, but after the 3 months any unfilled assignment that hasn't been given to a new hire, goes away. For that reason we have these vacancy bids every 4-6 weeks at this point to keep the new hire assignment slots available. That frequency means that even if you don't get DEN in new hire, you will likely get a lateral there very quickly. It is always difficult to say which fleet will get you somewhere fastest as Manpower Planning is in charge of what is offered where and us lowly pilots don't really have any insight into what is coming next in the short term. Overall, everything is moving extremely rapidly right now, so in historical context you will get to DEN much faster than ever seemed possible pre-covid. With some luck, you could get DEN immediately as your first assignment. If you get a 737 or a 320 in new hire that is not DEN, I would imagine you would get a lateral to DEN on the 1st or 2nd vacancy bid after you start.

The first "snapshot" for this vacancy will happen next week and that will start to give us an idea of how many (if any) of the DEN 320,737, or 756 slots go unfilled. If some end up going unfilled, then it will depend on where Manpower Planning really needs folks first and what your age is relative to others in your class on whether or not you can get DEN immediately or if you are going to have to wait for a vacancy bid to open after you start.

 

Historically the answer is the 737. Future deliveries point to the 737. This snapshot still means that the 737 is going to be much, much larger base. 737 opens a lot more doors for you in DEN, plus another west coast commuting option (LAS) in the event you don't get DEN at Indoc or if somehow you can't get it on the first vacancy bid.

 

Those numbers are how many spots are open on THIS CURRENT VACANCY. There aren’t going to be 100 737 FOs bidding over to Houston, but there needs to be openings for new hires, too.

I’d wager that those 320 FO spots in Denver get filled (or close to it) by pilots currently on property.

If you want Denver, go 737.

 

Thanks everyone. This is great info. I had been thinking IAH would be a better commute option than what the 320 has been dropping lately. Especially for cost of hotels. I'm trying to maximize time with 2 elementary aged kids.

Excited to get started either way. Thanks all.

 

What’s your wife got to do with this? Talk about thread drift.

 

Apparently, you don’t know the expression... since it pertains to someone voluntarily bidding reserve and subsequently complaining about the situation they subjected themselves to, but good job being an internet anonymous tough guy.

 

Wow. You’re pretty thin-skinned (and hypocritical) for someone who calls a fellow pilot with decades of seniority bidding widebody CA a “ho”. But feel free to post your personal information so no one confuses you with being an “internet anonymous tough guy”.

 

Never called anyone a ho. Maybe search the internet and figure out what the phrase means. Either before or after your time I guess, 🤷‍♂️

 

By design fifteen to twenty five percent are on reserve. It's not escapable. If you're not going to be constructive or helpful take it somewhere else. Maybe find that beach sooner rather than later.

 

Nobody likes a coward, read post 6 in this thread where you infer anyone bidding a WB CA is a “Ho”. To try and claim that nobody understands internet culture is the ultimate weaksauce.