There are 300 contract changes in this TA. According to AR, they run about 280-20 in favor of the pilots. THAT’s what we used the manpower leverage for. Not for a signing bonus… although a buck twenty and change is sure gonna be nice, I’ll admit. 😎 But 10.2B is what’s up. That’s more than DAL. More than AAL. That’s why you’ll see a fat passing percentage on this TA come Oct 1. I guarantee it.

To the malcontents… DAL is still hiring.

The problem is that it takes away leverage from us. MCO and LAS were a result of trying to fill unfilled captain vacancies. Now they won’t have to open a base in BOS, SEA, AUS, etc to try to get people to upgrade.

Sadly, our leverage gets whacked at every turn, and those who only see $$ will never understand it. The number one contractual provision that has led to more disunity, reduction of leverage, and “all about me” thinking is…….. ADD PAY.. Yes, I said it. Add pay puts bandaids on onerous contractual qol issues, and allows the company to pit us against each other in the hunger games of add pay chasing. Meanwhile, strict prohibitions/protections in section 20 simply won’t ever happen as long as this mindset exists. The street Captain issue is simply one more piece of leverage flushed down the toilet.

Here’s the problem with your argument though - No matter what, someone is getting the shaft. Contract passes = Junior pilots taking the first possible upgrade to captain go to undesirable bases (the horror!). Contract doesn’t pass = The company may move vacancies to more desirable bases. This, by your own admission, stunts the relative seniority for people already in base at those undesirable bases.

The thing is though, anyone who is still in those “undesirable” bases who are senior enough to hold a more “desirable” base are staying for a reason. The reason is that it’s more desirable to *them*. Desirable vs undesirable is a personal choice. Most people don’t find EWR to be an island made of candy where rainbows always shine, but to the many pilots who live on the east coast, they wouldn’t give it up for anything.

Looking at your post history you’ve been here less than a year. So, essentially what you seem to saying is “screw the more senior people with established seniority in their base. I want to ‘get mine’ in a more desirable location”.

Also, looking at your post history, you were throwing similar temper tantrums this time last year when you were at Alaska (and a newbie there as well) when their TA came out and said you’d leave if it passed. Well, apparently you chased the golden ring over to United where it also looks like you’re not going to get what you want. Will you be applying to Delta next? Or, is beating your chest over TAs as a new guy just the thing that you do?

I would be much more likely to take an upgrade if I didn’t have to commute. I’m not commuting to narrow body reserve. Just because you walked uphill both ways to school in the snow doesn’t mean I should have to as well.

HMMM add pay,
I'm sure the majority of pilots are "capitalists". They want to make more money if they choose to work smarter, harder or longer or things go south with the operation whilst on a trip.
Some pilots lean more "socialist" and would prefer to have everyone make the same pay(same seat, category) and have an equal distribution of work.
The capitalist views it as my choice, my pay not your concern. The socialists view it as less productivity equals more pilots which means an increase in my individual seniority and I'll make more pay eventually that way.

It is a conundrum. LUV is basically fly to FAR limits and that's the only pay governor. Delta has numerous ways to really capitalize on add pay and they have the capability to have $800,000 months(albeit only 1 individual) and numerous $1M year captains 7 or 8 years ago with the old pay rates. UAL has the most restrictive of the 3 to boost one's pay above and beyond the "standard". There are very few extremes at UAL. Some add pay will always be needed to remunerate the disadvantaged pilot due to events beyond the companies control. Other times, add pay is a type of abuse governor in an attempt to change company behavior.

Personally, I think it's a bit myopic to paint all "add pay" as bad, and those individuals as participants in the "hunger games". It's merely participating in the "game of life" as we know it in America.

BTW The company is hiring as fast as they can. I personally don't feel getting them to agree to less productivity(resulting in even more hiring) was a realistic option. The result was "add pay" as the negotiated middle of the road.

So, EWR(coastal/undesirable) only 3 unfilled captains. DEN(interior/desirable/senior) 10 unfilled captains.

Overall only 37 unfilled captains as opposed to 150+ on previous bids.

FOMO? .

by the next 2-3 vacancy bids and the new CPA settles in , I expect 2-3 years to upgrade

Proof perfect that
1. QOL is vastly improved on this contract.
2. passage is a forgone conclusion.

y’all enjoy YOUR new contract.

Denver isn’t surprising at all. I’d be interested to see how many of those CA upgrades are commuters from nearby places, vs living in Denver proper.

if I lived anywhere near Denver, I’d be at TK in a heartbeat with this contract.

why fly a 90 hour line, or sit 73 hours reserve when you can just go in for 6 hours and get 90 hours of CA pay. Work a few extra days and get almost 130? Yeah