170Till5

• dtw 73nb
• dtw 320b
• nyc 320b
• nyc 220b
• sea 220b
• atl 717b
• dtw 717b

David Puddy

Good to see the NYC and SEA 220b slots. Too bad a lot of that fleet is parked. C'mon Pratt & Whitney - fix the dang issue already!!!!!!!!!!!!!

captkdobbs

A carryover from the DL AE thread: on the June AE, the plug was able to change bases. That just goes to show that, if you get an aircraft that is in several bases, you may be able to move around the system fairly quickly. Maybe not to the senior bases on senior airframes, but at least you wont necessarily be stuck if awarded your #10 choice.

Mr Rumbold

Are people still able to bid the 757/67 fleet during training even if they don't get the chance during their initial bid??

170Till5

1-2 year seat lock with your new hire award. You can bid it, but won’t get it until seat lock is up

FangsF15

To put a little more meat on the bone, all 'full course' Category Freezes (aka Seat Locks) are 2 years, including for New Hires. Also, we call the 757/767 category "7ER".

However, after 1 year, you can be awarded a change in equipment to another base if you are unable to be awarded that new base in your current equipment in a given posting. The balance of your existing category freeze will be added to the category freeze resulting from the new position award. For example, let's say you get the 220 in indoc (which is not based in LAX or ATL), you can break the seat lock after 1 year to go to the 7ER in LAX or ATL, but you would not be able to go to the 7ER in NYC because the 220 is already in NYC and is junior enough to hold it. Also, since the 73 and 320 are in every base, if you get that in indoc you almost ceartainly won't be able to break the seat lock until 2 years (unless somehow, your seniority could not hold a specific base on the 73/320 at 1 year. But since the plug in every base on the 73/320 has been here less than a year, you are very likely able to be awarded the simple base change). You can change bases on the same equipment at any time availability and seniority allows.

SO, if you are desperate to get the 7ER category after 1 year instead of 2, you might consider bidding the 220 or 717. Just realize you effectively have to change bases to somewhere the 220 or 717 is not based in order to do that.

Also, keep in mind the time from award to conversion can be an additional 2-3-4 months, meaning in most cases you effectively will be stuck in your original category for 15ish months minimum.

FL370esq

Valid point by Fangs but also keep in mind that Crew Resources can release you (and has released pilots in the past) from a category freeze when they deem it appropriate for their needs. Ergo, if you really want a category, bid it even if you still have a freeze. Who knows? They might actually just award it. They most likely won't but 100% of those pilots not asking for an AE don't get an AE. Good luck!

FangsF15

Great point. Make them say “no”.

Flippinheck

Fangs, do you have any idea which fleet has the longest break after INDOC? Just had a new baby and trying to see if there are any training delays at all that I could take into consideration prior to bidding for new hire base/equipment.

FangsF15

I think the NH fleets are caught up on both training and OE.

Someone recently through Indoc correct me if things have changed, but you are sure to get one week off between Indoc and training ("to study"/do the CBT's). Training is scheduled in seniority order, so if your last 4 SSN is low (i.e. 0000 is most junior), you might get a little extra time, but probably not much more than an additional week or so ( so maybe 2 weeks total). Again, maybe some folks can chime in with recent timing examples.

FWIW, I wouldn't expect that there is enough of a difference to impact your decision/preference. Choose based on other factors.

And in case you haven't been reading every post or otherwise been told, base change bids (called an AE, for Advance Entitlement) are happening once per month, and pretty much every NH has been able to successfully bid for a base change on their NH equipment within a couple months, and in some cases by the time you start OE - meaning there is a chance you may never have to commute depending on your specific situation. If it were me, I'd recommend primarily considering equipment over base, unless your preferred base is offered straight away on something you can be happy flying for 2 years. As always, YMMV and there are no guarantees. Congrats and welcome aboard!