Surprising Vacancy Numbers
 

I think most of us were expecting some WB CA slots this vacancy, but I was a little surprised with the sheer number of NB FO slots...which I assume is just meant to go to new hires over the coming months. Something I'm unclear on is the seeminlgly large un-balanced numbers. Taking into account the unfilled slots - ORD320 CA vs FO numbers are 269 CA and 334 FO....EWR737 is 594 CA and 483 FO....DEN737 is 558 CA and 380 FO...what's with the unbalanced numbers?

Maybe because they can use left over vacancy slots for new hires for 120(?- new contract) days and takes less time to line up a captain? One can be a variable with new hires, but captains are permanent, I.e. depending on deliveries we might see upgrades .

It is a big machine and the inner workings aren’t always easy to interpret. They can use a lot of mid continent FOs to cover weather, Starbucks fires, and normal fubar events in both directions. The numbers are pumped to help when the surprises happen elsewhere. It snows, thunderstorms, blizzard 2027 happens, and when Jacob can’t pick up his coffee. Crisis situations.

I believe Denver is like that because of the amount of pilots on a Delayed activation. In many cases they are double counted (currently FO in Denver until 12 months on property then going to captain but bid and held it sometime in the last 12 months since UPA 23 was voted in and the company first started to use some the provisions on vacancy bid starting last October or November). That just my guess

Might be purposefully inflating the FO numbers because they don't know when certain airframes will show up. Might need all guppy one month or all bus the next.