Boneman

I'd love to be there on the day they tell you you have to retire at 65 (of course I'll be 95 then, collecting my Social Security and Medicare that you are paying for now and will still be paying for then).

Sonny Crockett

I am waiting to see what the MOTHER OF ALL BIDS on the CAL side look like?

SKMarz

I suspect the mother of all bids on either side will be a long time coming. It would be great to be wrong.

EWRflyr

Well, this was one of the jobs openings posted on the internal website when I looked at it back in November or December.

EWRflyr

My feeling is the closest we will get to a MOB is something along the lines of regularly-timed bids with 100-150 vacancies, if we are lucky. I'm not going to hold my breath for anything like 250+ openings. The company will operate as lean as they can, I believe, until a December 2012 or January 2013 bid which will then factor in Age 65. Only then will the have a handle on what they HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO PLAN FOR. Wouldn't be surprised if they try to make it through two more summers of "the best staffed airline ever" with the current pilot ranks.

I hope I am wrong. I hope that FTDT/rest rule changes due out this summer and actual GROWTH of mainline flying at some point plus a new contract with improved work rules will dictate bringing our United brethren back. Again, I am not holding my breath though.

skippy

yes-- u know ive applied to over 40 united jobs-- interviewed at 6 ( mostly for those staff flight ops rep ones) guess the ual stink continues-- im good enough to fly planes, but not do other petty things.

anyway -- yes , my understanding is the job has been filled and they are just evaluating their needs and capabilities--- training at tk by summer seems pretty feasible and likely

skippy

i think they are going to be behind the curve--- think about it-- the 65 guys are just hanging on to see if they get any goodies or a payout-- those who are above 60 and have tons of sick time will go out on medical , collect pay and too, wait to see if they get any retirement or JCBA goodies-- happens all the time where peopel deplete their sick bank-- have a few thousand hours? awesome 900 or so a year will work out great---
you have to ramp up training to prepare and allow people to rebid and replace them as they go to training.

So yes i think by summer we shoudl begin seeing signs of movement- just not on the JCBA-- national is too worried about LASERS than our JCBA

dvhighdrive88

Skippy...

That is disappointing that you didn't get a leg up for the staff ops job due to furlough status.

The United stigma is alive and well. I recently interviewed at two of the handful of airlines hiring right now and both ended in bizarre circumstances, I believe directly attributable to my furlough status.

Its sucks to be furloughed and for some this is their second, third even fourth trip to the bread line...but what sucks the most is being penalized because you are associated with a particular airline.

I think the tide is finally turning with Age 65 and many of the Barbie jet crowd won't know the pain and degradation multiple or lengthy furloughs bring. This has been a hard, hard time since 9/11. These pilots are scarred for life and it won't be hard to pick them out in the Ops...they'll be the ones looking distant wondering what happened to their careers and where the years drained away (or do all pilots do that??? lol!)

But let's not moan and whine too much here. We are expected to compartmentalize and deal with it. Most will never know how hard it is to watch your career and proud efforts crumble with a single letter knowing you will face years of wading through crummy jobs and insensitive treatment.

I often wonder how our two and three timers face that realization again and again...

What the hell is wrong with us? We can't love airplanes that much...?

dvhighdrive88

But hey, let's stay positive about developments at TK. Movement at the school house is usually a good thing.

dosbo

[QUOTE=dvhighdrive88;936488]Skippy...

That is disappointing that you didn't get a leg up for the staff ops job due to furlough status.

The United stigma is alive and well. I recently interviewed at two of the handful of airlines hiring right now and both ended in bizarre circumstances, I believe directly attributable to my furlough status.

Its sucks to be furloughed and for some this is their second, third even fourth trip to the bread line...but what sucks the most is being penalized because you are associated with a particular airline.

I think the tide is finally turning with Age 65 and many of the Barbie jet crowd won't know the pain and degradation multiple or lengthy furloughs bring. This has been a hard, hard time since 9/11. These pilots are scarred for life and it won't be hard to pick them out in the Ops...they'll be the ones looking distant wondering what happened to their careers and where the years drained away (or do all pilots do that??? lol!)

But let's not moan and whine too much here. We are expected to compartmentalize and deal with it. Most will never know how hard it is to watch your career and proud efforts crumble with a single letter knowing you will face years of wading through crummy jobs and insensitive treatment.

I often wonder how our two and three timers face that realization again and again...

What the hell is wrong with us? We can't love airplanes that much...?[/QUOTE]

I'm sure once we did love airplanes that much.

Just go look at the threads with the young starry eyed kids that love flying so much they are willing to take out up to $100,000 in loans to be a pilot. Then they are willing to fly for meager wages with the hope of someday making a decent living.

Problem is it's a disease that you don't know you have until it has cost you your youth, savings, retirement, family time, dignity, and many other things. Then you end up with that hollowed out distant look in your eyes wondering what happened, and how did I get here.