FedExBusBoy

However, look on the bright side. According to the FCIF, these are "extremely exciting times for FedEx Flight Ops".....

USNFDX

Do you work for FedEx?

Dadof6

Are you sure that's "not smart enough to bid it," or do ya mean "smart enough to not bid it"?

Daniel Larusso

Facetiously slanted towards the latter....

skypine27

Yeah, that cracked me up too. They sure are exciting. For management.

Albief15

And poolies. I suspect a few will get call in a couple months...

Huck

It used to be that 106 new captains meant 106 new hires.

I guess with the over-60 crowd coming back in greater numbers it means less than that, right Albie?

SNIZ

I predict more than half these FDA slots (both locations and both seats) will go unfilled. We'll see....

ERJ Jay

Were there any sample CDG pairings posted for the non-vips authorized?

Albief15

I honestly have no earthly idea.

Any growth is good. Practice bid might give a hint of of the outcome, but those can be inaccurate to the point of being useless. I thought LAST time I might be able to hold 727 captain--my question was if I should go at 100% or wait. In fact, I wasn't even close. The last guy on the 727 list moved down what...maybe 20 guys? I sit at the high 3500s in seniority, about 100 numbers out from the junior MEM captain.

Some questions I can think of that probably won't be answered until the bid really closes...

How many WB Captains will bid to a Paris Domicile taking NB pay? Before you scoff, none other that Scott Shwartz, Block 3 rep, said he was interested in doing just that when we chatted over lunch (actually--he patiently listened to me b!tch about the (at the time) 3 month STV provisions...). Was he serious, or patronizing? Are there more like him? Hmmm.... Guess we'll see....

How many SFS guys will do HKG. MEC leadership says " 'bout all of 'em". SFS guys say "not a one of us..." Again--the REAL numbers will show in November. Anything prior to that is just talk.

How many glass babies on the A300 and MD11 right seat who don't want to suffer the 727 will jump on the left seat of the MEM 757? Are there any who will do Paris at a captain, even with the (often discussed) questionable financial advantage?

Are there any 727 captains who'd jump on the 757 for the odd STV (voluntary) and perhaps "slightly" better seniority in another seat, or just the "heck of it--I want to do something different" factor?

How many senior SFS FOs will try Paris in the left seat? Would an SFS captain take a huge pay hit (paycut, cost of living, and no expat exemption) to live the exotic life in Paris? I doubt it--but who knows...

Finally--how many senior A300 and 727 FOs will decide THIS is the time to go ahead and grab that upgrade.

How many 727 Captain vacancy slots will FedEx fill vice letting stay open? This single factor is probably the one that will most effect me personally.

So--until the bid closes, I got no trash talkin' to do. My standing bid is frozen, and I won't be playing games with it or sending false signals. I'd probably do the left seat domestically at any percentage, but won't do overseas at ANY percentage...like probably 95% of the crew force.

For those taking bets or pooling....I'll throw out my bets...worth less than the time it takes to read them.

JR 757 MEM--April/May 2001 Hire....3400ish
JR 757 CDG-- Sep 2002 Hire. All slots filled
JR 757 CDG--unfilled. 7 empty slots

MEM 727 Captain....Aug 2001 hire...about 30 numbers in front of me!

HKG A300 Capt--June 2000 hire. SFS guy laterally moving.
HKG A300 F/O--unfilled. 18 empty slots

ANC/LAX MD11 captain--no significant change in seniority

Party on--we'll discuss over coffee, beer, or beverage in hand in November!