I'd like to think that the company put some thought into this...BAT snapshot shows 10 guys movin' in on top of me, and 9 guys senior to me retiring for a net loss of one on the monthly bid list...or is this just a coincidence?
Anyone know why there are more BAT names showing beyond the first 40?

 

The awarding process will be as follows (example is for Captain position, but First Officer will be identical):
 Sort all Captain bids in system-wide seniority order and make a BAT award to the senior-most xx, where xx is from the table below (40 for this first BAT award.)
 To meet manpower planning needs, the company may make BAT awards from the list of volunteers who were not awarded in the step above, in seniority order on a category basis (for example, from IAD76T to IAD756).
 If manpower planning needs still exist, the company may make involuntary BAT awards, in inverse seniority order on a category basis

 

Are you on the 756 in EWR?

 

2 questions: First, if a current 76T pilot wants to move over to the 756 via the BAT agreement, do they just bid it on the monthly bid or is this a seperate process? Second, if one is awarded 756 from 76T, how long is the training and whats involved? Thanks.

 

You probably already got your answer, but since this thread is about the BAT I thought it wouldn't hurt to have this info here. BAT bids are independent of Monthly Preferencing and Vacancy Bids. They will be offered as shown below plus more at the discretion of the company.




I just completed the training on Wednesday. Going from 76T to 756 requires 6 days: 2 days travel, 1 day ground school, 1 day 757 sim, and 2 days 767-400 sim. Going from 756 to 76T is 4 days with 2 days travel, 1 day ground school and 1 day of sim work. All training is done in Denver.


On a separate note . . .




As to those who think the BAT is a violation of the UPA I would like to make two short points:

1) The 756 and 76T fleets have been ok'd to become one by the FAA once the requisite equipment changes have been made. The only changes necessary to make them one fleet are speed tapes in UAL PS 757s (the 767 56k machines already have the speed tapes), the addition of TakeOff Config buttons and Sterile Cockpit buttons in the 76T planes, and the addition of new upgraded ACARS software in the 756 fleet.

2) The BAT bids do NOT represent laterals or vacancies. They simply allow 757 and 767 pilots to fly the company flying that their seniority allows in the base they are in.



Allowing New York 757 pilots to fly 757s out of Newark or JFK is NOT a violation of the UPA nor does the changing of ACARs, speed tapes, and config buttons imply that the two fleets should remain separate. The 756 and 76T are clearly the same fleet, and the BAT is simply a means to allow pilots in their SAME FLEET, SEAT, and DOMICILE to fly what they want in their SAME FLEET, SEAT, and DOMICILE until 2 years from today when the 756 and 76T fleets are able to meet the FAA requirements for being merged. The BAT is a temporary solution to a temporary problem occuring in ONE FLEET.

 

They shouldn't place arbitrary limits (eg. 18/month) on our ability to transfer.

 

BAT

Something use in the Major Leagues to hit a small white ball covered in leather.

A blood sucking (or insect/fruit eating) flying rodent.

 

So what happens at the end of the year or whenever the fleets are combined? Will a bunch of senior guys slide into the 756 and displace a bunch of junior pilots into different equipment?

 

Possibly, but I think it would depend more on how many planes are left and how much flying. Also depends on volume of equipment bids to other fleets and how fast guys bid off vs. taking a bump.

For now, they can't really increase the BAT bids because there is a real possibility that one side will become short handed. Like that's been a problem in the past...then they would junior man into the other fleet potentially increasing training costs and I don't see that happening either.

 

Combining the two groups of bidders in a base will have absolutely no impact on the total number of positions. In fact, the 76T in JFK is understaffed by 20 or more pilots so if they were to combine next month the result would be a net increase in 756 positions in EWR.

The plan is to retire older 757s and 3 class 767s over the next 2 years. Those retirements will hit the bases where the flying is predominantly domestic. DEN, LAX, SFO, and to some extent DCA. Total 756/76T flying in EWR should remain the same or possibly even increase while IAH has seen some decline already, but will likely not see much further eroding based on what the planning department has said so far. Meantime, I expect that as vacancy bids come out the pool of senior most FOs looking for their first Captain bid will come heavily out of the 777 and 756 ranks and so too retirements on the UAL side will include many 76T Captains. In other words, my less than perfect Crystal Ball shows a picture wherein no 756 pilots get bumped which is why the company is willing to train 18 a month going forward and also why the company didn't open the BAT to a single wholesale open ended offer to switch. By controlling the stream of movement, they can keep the total supply of 756+76T pilots at or about what they need with the exception of bases like DEN and LAX. As an example of the shift that is occuring just look at DCA where the number of 76T FOs has gone from 240 or so down to 120 or less already (taking into account the BAT awards and laterals already handed out). If not for the BAT in DCA there would have been massive displacements already and that would have freed up dozens of Captain's and FOs to bump anywhere in the system they wanted. All in all, it looks to me like the BAT is one more tool the company has to shelter them from displacements in the 756/76T Fleet.

That opinion plus a buck might buy you a coffee at a cheap diner, but hopefully something in there is useful to someone.



I couldn't agree more. Although practically speaking nearly everyone that wanted a BAT already has been awarded the move, and I suspect that by summertime anyone that wanted to move will have been given the opportunity. Could be wrong on that and of course it wouldn't be a new thing . . . me being wrong