That's entirely dependent on BA delivering aircraft on a consistent schedule... it was within 12-18 months depending on base/aircraft when there were constant NB and WB deliveries.

 

A few years ago it would be involuntarily assigned to you in indoc.

Recently, it's been going to people around 7000-9000 on the list, which is 10-15 years at least.

So yeah, it varies highly. As of the last 9 months, WB FO is going far more senior than it had been. I think most people attribute that to the new contract and better QoL and protections for junior WB pilots on reserve.

 

Less slots /movement the senior ppl decide it’s time to stop waiting and lower their standards for relative seniority, and make the jump. If deliveries accelerate it’ll go junior again I bet

 

Any chance you know junior WB FO or 320 CA (Sen%) in IAH/EWR?

 

EWR 787FO about 90%*
EWR 320CA about 90%*

IAH 787 FO about 80%*
IAH 320 CA about 80%

*Realize that to get into any of those categories now you would need to be far more senior. Particularly with the case of EWR, there hasn’t been a vacancy awarded in quite some time due to displacements and shrinking of the base.

 

Project what you'd be doing at 35 yrs old at each airline. 40, 45, 50, 50, 55, 60.

It's a 34 yr forecast. Not a short term look

Spoke with a UAL guy at the airport bus stop the other day. 3rd year pay so 2+ yrs LOS. 27 yr USN P-3 community guy. 757/767 FO out of KIAD. Did 6 months 737 and jumped on the 757/767. "I'm loving it. I'm not sure I'm ever going back to domestic." Has his bid in for the 777...to sit reserve and hopefully not get called to go to work....but when you do get called it's on a 777, with F/C meals, and a bunk, to Europe. "I can nap anywhere, anytime."

Military w/b? How many hours are you wearing headsets? Did they finally buy SELCAL for the HF's? Airline w/b flying is vastly different (guys flying both statements).

Much fewer pushbacks (ground ops pre departure/pushback are 90% of the B.S.) but you have more support with each departure. Every plane has 2-3 mechanics jump on it at arrival time. N/b vs w/b? "It's a completely different airline." Most guys like it, a lot love it, and maybe 10% don't care for it. Buddy kept flying n/b domestic. I kept pushing him to bid w/b. After 12 yrs as a n/b Captain he bid w/b international. His opinion? "If I'd known it was this good I would have done it years ago."

If you're going to get stuck in one job,in one aircraft, the Airbus is a better place to get stuck. Yeah it's got a degree of weirdness and 'WTF' that you have to get used to but it's more comfortable which IMO is the tie breaker - 737 = better airplane, Airbus = better job.

 

and I'll add for others who are listening, EWR 320 is about to have a displacement to about 70 pilots per seat.......so I'd forecast that it'd be much more senior than 90% ....compounded by no vacancy in sight. Not looking good for da Brick City bus drivers.

 

Really? I must have missed the NPDM.

 

I suppose the only thing official is from Flight Crew resources, stating that there will be no more originating LGA pairing for the Airbus in the April 2025 bid month.

Airbus growth will continue to be in ORD, DEN, and IAH.

The number of crews based in EWR perhaps is just unofficial info gathered from conversations with Chielf Pilots or LCA's but given the above confirmed statement.....sort of makes sense.

 

Yed, that’s correct. There are no announced displacements.