Probe,
You get what I'm saying. My Delta buds have had some crazy years going between bases and airplanes. Now it's more stabile over there because the company did the same. We are getting to that point after this bid and it will help for base/staffing normalization.

 

It's an easy train of thought to follow.

If the company gets it act together on the staffing and basing side sooner than later, then maybe the employees can plan their lives a bit better and communicate more effectively to family members what is going on and what they can reasonably expect.

Whenever we run a big bid I try and run it by the family. Every so often we talk about the prospect of commuting to a higher paying airplane, but that is quickly dismissed.

But, as an IAH based pilot who has been based here since 1996 our family has roots here now. It would be a major disruption in our lives to be displaced. I have one kid going into senior year of high school and if I were displaced that would drastically affect lots of things.

The company's lack of proactive planning and timely/accurate communications to the pilots is to blame for much of our uncompetitive routing of pilots. We get all of this talk about saving money here and there, and fuel this and that. How about the company run the place like a business? Put its resources (people and equipment) where they are needed and tell the pilots what we can expect?

I know plans change, but that should only happen about once every 4 years or so.

Attrition is a big part of what is going on, but......when a pilot retires it really creates 2 to 3 other training cycles somewhere else to backfill it. We have too many bases and equipment types for this to be a 1 for 1 game.

 

Just yanking your chain. No offense intended. But in reality, it is the truth. I currently own two houses, that I haven't lived in for 7 and 12 years respectively. I bought both thinking, yeah, I will stay here a while. One lasted a year, the other 3 years.

But I agree with you. 3.5 major carriers, and it should be more stable than in the past. I hope. But I am not buying another &%$#cking house for United.

 

Baseball;
We all have our "situations". The reality is nobody on Wanker drive cares. Hopefully your choices will work out. But they might not.

20 years ago, a 30 year airline pilot told me to buy an RV and live in it. I wish I would have taken his advice.

 

I'd have to say a retirement creates more than 2-3 training cycles.

For example: 787/747/777 captain retire. 757/767 captain moves up. Airbus or 73 moves to 757/767, 777 FO takes a 73 or bus upgrade, 757/767 FO goes to 777, 73 or bus FO goes to 757/767 and a new hire is needed in training to backfill. That's 6 training cycles per retirement and probably pretty much on par with what's been happening lately.
And that doesn't even take into account we are training about 3 new hires per 1 retirement this year.

It took a long time for delta to get the planes and crews in the places they wanted, and it continues to change. My buddy just took a new lax 717 spot. I am hoping for a time in the near future United acquires a large batch of used Airbus or 737-500/700 aircraft to take back domestic regional flying.

 

I find it hard to believe that you would be forced to leave the IAH base. If you have been based there since 1996 you can easily hold Airbus Captain, 777 FO or 787 FO. Lots of DEN pilots were forced to move to different seats to stay in the same base.

You can too. No one is forcing you to move out of base.

 

I hear ya man. The prolonged pain upon pain gets us all and we are fatigued from change and merger stuff. I wouldn't buy another house either but think of the retirement egg your building, JK.

 

Yes Andy Houston is doing bad...you might wanna call Forbes and tell them

Houston named America's No. 1 city by national mag: Oil bust no matter - CultureMap Houston

and while you're at it advise Siemens against this move..what are they thinking don't they realize that Houston is in a depression as per the knowledgeable expertise of Andy from APC...

Siemens announces expansion in Houston | News - Home

Face it...Houston is not losing any flying...IAH is losing 737 flying to other bases...other bases will fly the routes that were part of the IAH flying...period.

 

As a soon to be new-hire (class date on 4/28) wanting to eventually move to IAH, can anyone offer any advice as to what fleet to bid between the 737, 320 or 757/767? From what I am gathering, it seems like that best bet would be the 320?

 

Correct...320