Airline Pilot Central Forums - Vacancy bid 14-07

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Quote:

Originally Posted by gettinbumped (Post 1596395)

Really? Because they just announced they are investing more capital in the A320, changing a 777 line to an A320 line for in house Maint in SFO, and increased the life at UAL for the A320 to 2025. We will be first to paperless, and first with reconfigured cabins with the wifi/streaming TV content.

Here's the thing.... The 757 still kicks it's butt to fly. Much more fun. So I'm not an Airbus apologist. It'll do fine EWR west. BOS, not so much. TV screens in the cabin are all fine and good, but that technology is giving way. Even Virgin's CEO admitted they wouldn't have put TV's in the seats if today's tech had been available when they ordered their fleet. It's heavy and expensive. Sure the 737's are shiny and new..... and cramped. Simple math, there is more width in the A320 passenger cabin than the 737 or 757. And I'm pretty sure you don't want to talk about the cockpit comfort. If what you say is true, and they break all the time (it's not and they don't), I'm REALLY comfortable up there waiting for it to be fixed!

Cheap and plasticy? Yes. Goofy avionics? Yes. Reliable as a Boeing? Well, depends. More reliable than the 747, that's for sure! But much of that has to do with how much $$ UAL has decided to invest in them over the years. I haven't noticed any appreciable difference in the A320 reliability vs the 757/767 when I was on that. But it's a nice airplane, VERY comfortable, quiet, capable, and pleasant to fly. And it's here until 2025 which is a good thing for ALL of us

Great post especially the last sentence! Commuted home on the bus yesterday and thought how much more comfortable it is and quieter than the guppy.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dvhighdrive88 (Post 1596276)

Yes, but Godfather, forgive me for my trespasses for I have sinned....

It's still not a GUPPY.

FIFY

Just brought a jumbo guppy (900ER) up from Florida yesterday. Too underpowered to top the clouds/turbulence as we watched the Fifis climb right out of it. Of course, we beat them on landing distance as they made the early turnoff based on a reasonable approach speed. We, on the other hand, took the last high speed since we had a target speed not unlike a orbital re-entry vehicle.

I disdain shortsighted management and the lack of foresight to see the 737 is at the end of its engineering life.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave Fitzgerald (Post 1596498)

That would be nice if it were true. I'll have to disagree. We somehow managed to get the company to pay 787/767 rates for the 777 and 747-400.

And last time I looked, the 787 is a wide body, so is the 767.

Agree. The 747 and 777 should have been much higher payrates, but there was an effort to shackle those rates down to match the "big 767-400".

Now that SLI is done we need to break out the 747,777, and A-350s back to the premium pay they deserve.

Just look at the rates in C2000, where 747-400 Captains made over $300 per hour.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave Fitzgerald (Post 1596498)

It sounds nice to say that over and over again but it simply isn't true when you compare us to Delta. We are basically one year behind Delta on the pay scales and anyway you look at it the 747 and 777 are commensurate pay wise. What is different is our 787 is higher.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Freddriver5 (Post 1596528)

A major selling point for Boeing throughout the years has been economics on the 737 - it is lighter, costs less to operate, less to maintain, and has lower fuel costs than the A320. That said the bus is more comfortable and quieter except of course for the hydraulic pumps they seem to have mounted right under the floor.

Given the average US passenger is looking for the cheapest fare possible, they are getting what they paid for. Since all three of the largest US airlines will be flying both, it's not much of a worry to me which one they chose.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toddnel (Post 1596578)

the hydraulic pumps they seem to have mounted right under the floor.

Which you only hear if the FO forgets to flip a switch :rolleyes:

Quote:

Originally Posted by JetBlast77 (Post 1596587)

Which you only hear if the FO forgets to flip a switch :rolleyes:

Is that what it is? I always wondered what caused that. Delta must either always forget or they must have a different procedure because it always sounds like someone's in the belly changing tires.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toddnel (Post 1596603)

Is that what it is? I always wondered what caused that. Delta must either always forget or they must have a different procedure because it always sounds like someone's in the belly changing tires.

FWIW, it's actually a PTU (power transfer unit) that you are hearing. It connects the two main hyd systems (no fluid transfer) so one side can automatically power the other when differential system pressure exists. That's why it sounds like a chainsaw as it instantly cuts in/out repeatedly when one system has slightly less pressure as a result of an engine being shut down.

And yes, it seems many Airbus operators have different procedures to deal with it during single engine taxi or parking.

Any updates on the training pipeline and how the this latest bid will or will not effect the new hires flowing thru?

Quote:

Originally Posted by MPAdriver (Post 1596606)

Any updates on the training pipeline and how the this latest bid will or will not effect the new hires flowing thru?

No real effect on new-hires.

The training pipeline remains the bottleneck and UAL is trying to put as many new-hires on line as possible. (The fact that the pool is not being drained speaks for itself.) In addition, I believe this bid is simply a re-bid for vacancies that were not filled from a prior bid and had to be advertised again with new effective dates.