I read today, that the L-UA vacancy bid will be in May or June for Sept Is that normal timing?

That's normal. Sounds like completely different bidding systems; it'll be interesting to see which one survives.
I prefer the LUAL method; when things start moving, there are vacancy bids every month or so.

Vacancy bids every month? Seems like a good method, if youre growing like gang busters..Has it been that way since the 90s. Once awarded a bid, are you locked in or until a training date is assigned?

With age 65, the combined airline will lose ~40 pilots/month.

Locked in. When I was recalled in 2007, I was awarded a 75/76 to IAD. I didn't clear my bid screen from 2002 and I was subsequently awarded a 75/76 to LAX. Fortunately, I was on mil leave. The award executed but I was eventually able to get another IAD 75/76 slot prior to coming off of mil leave. (I was on mil leave for almost a year after recall).

Slammer,

It does have some nice features;

The training dates cover a smaller window (2-3 months) allowing pilots to time equipment bids during months they wish to avoid training (like summer or a holiday).

The junior guys do not have to worry about being bumped about each bid. Once you get a BES award it is yours to keep unless the company needs to surplus pilots off that BES. That does not occur very often, and uses a completely separate process.

In the mid and late 90's they posted vacancies bids almost every month. One could bid equipment in one base, and the following month lateral to another.

They require less patience and provide more frequent options.

Of course this is all predicated on having vacancies, which is what really matters most...

SP

Dec 13th will be here before we know it! 9 months to go!

Dec 13th? Is that when guys start retiring or when Smallsak announces that they've reached a new grievance settlement with P(oS)ierce for a new extra-contractual agreement for CAL PS for 2012 since we won't have a JCBA by then?

Uh, BS. Loss of scope was in 2003. Announcement to park the guppies was in 2008, immediately after CAL balked the first time Tilton tried to merge.

RJs were used as a placeholder. Many of the former UAL 737 routes went to RJ and back to 737 (CAL) pretty quickly after the merger was finalized. FLL for example.

KC

Keep repeating inaccurate BS, even with contradictory factual data to refute it, and the dimwits among us will start to believe it, and will then parrot it out as fact. Kind of like WMD and the Al Qaeda / Saddam Hussein connection.

And someone wondered why so many guys have left this forum.

Where is Dexim, Catan and dumbfounded?