Base Seniority to be a Line Holder
12-19-2025 | 06:11 PM
#1
Thread Starter
On Reserve
Joined: Feb 2023
Posts: 21
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Base Seniority to be a Line Holder
Hi ya'll, CJO holder here. Spoke with a bunch of my peers who interviewed with me and we all intend on going to different bases at some point (SFO, LAX, DEN, GUM, etc.) and we were all curious to know how long to hold a line at each base.
Can anybody shed some light on this? Let's just say 737 for each to keep it simple.
TIA
Can anybody shed some light on this? Let's just say 737 for each to keep it simple.
TIA
12-19-2025 | 06:29 PM
#2
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 2,025
Likes: 100
Hi ya'll, CJO holder here. Spoke with a bunch of my peers who interviewed with me and we all intend on going to different bases at some point (SFO, LAX, DEN, GUM, etc.) and we were all curious to know how long to hold a line at each base.
Can anybody shed some light on this? Let's just say 737 for each to keep it simple.
TIA
Can anybody shed some light on this? Let's just say 737 for each to keep it simple.
TIA
12-19-2025 | 06:41 PM
#3
Thread Starter
On Reserve
Joined: Feb 2023
Posts: 21
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12-20-2025 | 01:34 AM
#4
Line Holder
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 1,631
Likes: 80
lots of junior people get lines because reserve has improved, so senior people bid it.
it’s really an impossible thing to answer, though.
12-20-2025 | 06:55 AM
#5
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Joined: Jan 2022
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To the point where in some bases junior guys are forced into a line some months.
12-20-2025 | 08:28 AM
#6
Line Holder
Joined: Jan 2024
Posts: 892
Likes: 151
1) seasonality - more lines summer than winter
2) hire rate - Even in a busy hiring year, there might be 3 months where 800 pilot get hired and 3 months with 100. That could make several months difference getting a line
3) base - big coastal bases quicker than interior hubs quicker than the 737 only outstations
4) senior people bidding reserve (which does happen now)
If everything comes together you could have a line your first month off IOE. Tip a few options against you and it might be a year. This doesn't consider bases where it currently takes significant seniority to even be the plug (eg MCO)
12-20-2025 | 10:52 AM
#7
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 3,599
Likes: 205
From: 787
Hi ya'll, CJO holder here. Spoke with a bunch of my peers who interviewed with me and we all intend on going to different bases at some point (SFO, LAX, DEN, GUM, etc.) and we were all curious to know how long to hold a line at each base.
Can anybody shed some light on this? Let's just say 737 for each to keep it simple.
TIA
Can anybody shed some light on this? Let's just say 737 for each to keep it simple.
TIA
12-20-2025 | 11:37 AM
#8
On Reserve
Joined: Feb 2024
Posts: 77
Likes: 12
Things that will make a difference
1) seasonality - more lines summer than winter
2) hire rate - Even in a busy hiring year, there might be 3 months where 800 pilot get hired and 3 months with 100. That could make several months difference getting a line
3) base - big coastal bases quicker than interior hubs quicker than the 737 only outstations
4) senior people bidding reserve (which does happen now)
If everything comes together you could have a line your first month off IOE. Tip a few options against you and it might be a year. This doesn't consider bases where it currently takes significant seniority to even be the plug (eg MCO)
1) seasonality - more lines summer than winter
2) hire rate - Even in a busy hiring year, there might be 3 months where 800 pilot get hired and 3 months with 100. That could make several months difference getting a line
3) base - big coastal bases quicker than interior hubs quicker than the 737 only outstations
4) senior people bidding reserve (which does happen now)
If everything comes together you could have a line your first month off IOE. Tip a few options against you and it might be a year. This doesn't consider bases where it currently takes significant seniority to even be the plug (eg MCO)
12-20-2025 | 12:28 PM
#9
Line Holder
Joined: Feb 2022
Posts: 587
Likes: 105
From: 73FO
Yes. With all the caveats listed above, in January #184 in base with a18,2XX seniority number has a line, and there’s maybe 5 people below that person on reserve plus maybe a dozen more that have trips on their schedule after the IOE blocked off days so maybe you
can call that a partial line for the first month.
The real question is do you have a better QOL on reserve during a slow month, or chasing a line and getting whatever is left over at the end of the line?
12-20-2025 | 11:31 PM
#10
Line Holder
Joined: Dec 2023
Posts: 451
Likes: 5
Yes. With all the caveats listed above, in January #184 in base with a18,2XX seniority number has a line, and there’s maybe 5 people below that person on reserve plus maybe a dozen more that have trips on their schedule after the IOE blocked off days so maybe you
can call that a partial line for the first month.
The real question is do you have a better QOL on reserve during a slow month, or chasing a line and getting whatever is left over at the end of the line?
can call that a partial line for the first month.
The real question is do you have a better QOL on reserve during a slow month, or chasing a line and getting whatever is left over at the end of the line?
In Unity and Happy Holidays...
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