Prepare yourselves… 2023 AEs
03-26-2023, 08:28 AM
#1791
Can’t find crew pickup
Joined APC: Jun 2021
Posts: 2,306
Anyone not already bidding an A position isn’t going to magically change their mind due to some QOL items. Especially when most FOs with 3-4 years of seniority can already easily make what a Captain made under the old contract.
They’re waiting until they can hold partial weekends or until kids get a little older etc. Or they’re wanting to try out some widebody international flying first. I suspect that the trips/schedules on the narrowbodies are going to remain somewhat brutal as regionals continue their collapse. We’ll just get paid a little more for them. And I don’t think pay is the issue for why many FOs who can hold a CA seat aren’t bidding it.
I’ve talked to very few FOs who have been holding out that are all of a sudden clamoring to upgrade. But I have talked to many who are speculating that this will be the case. I just don’t see it.
Upgrades will trend more senior when the music starts to slow. That could be this year (economy) or next year (staffing reaching more of an equilibrium). Right now no one is worried about going back to 90% and giving up every shred of QOL they have for a few sheckles more.
ALL THAT BEING SAID… I think the reason we’re seeing such junior pilots bid for / be awarded CA positions is because they haven’t tasted good QOL yet and are acclimated to the routine as a junior FO. Why not get paid more for the same routine? And personally I haven’t seen a vast difference in QOL between 90% and 65% as a narrowbody FO. Trips are all kind of the same based on what I bid for. I have dubious success in getting some days off I want, but otherwise not much difference.
They’re waiting until they can hold partial weekends or until kids get a little older etc. Or they’re wanting to try out some widebody international flying first. I suspect that the trips/schedules on the narrowbodies are going to remain somewhat brutal as regionals continue their collapse. We’ll just get paid a little more for them. And I don’t think pay is the issue for why many FOs who can hold a CA seat aren’t bidding it.
I’ve talked to very few FOs who have been holding out that are all of a sudden clamoring to upgrade. But I have talked to many who are speculating that this will be the case. I just don’t see it.
Upgrades will trend more senior when the music starts to slow. That could be this year (economy) or next year (staffing reaching more of an equilibrium). Right now no one is worried about going back to 90% and giving up every shred of QOL they have for a few sheckles more.
ALL THAT BEING SAID… I think the reason we’re seeing such junior pilots bid for / be awarded CA positions is because they haven’t tasted good QOL yet and are acclimated to the routine as a junior FO. Why not get paid more for the same routine? And personally I haven’t seen a vast difference in QOL between 90% and 65% as a narrowbody FO. Trips are all kind of the same based on what I bid for. I have dubious success in getting some days off I want, but otherwise not much difference.
03-26-2023, 08:53 AM
#1792
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jul 2008
Posts: 5,041
Feeding at the GS trough is driving this too. With the current hiring, that is going to slow down at some point. When that happens I see people moving over because they can’t get GS #5 anymore and now they can make more $$ as a junior CA. As someone else mentioned, the reserve improvements can also make it much easier to stomach a long time on reserve.
When kids out of house, I will upgrade immediately……maybe. Trip buys are addictive. Get paid to do nothing. Lol.
03-26-2023, 10:00 AM
#1793
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Mar 2016
Posts: 375
Anyone not already bidding an A position isn’t going to magically change their mind due to some QOL items. Especially when most FOs with 3-4 years of seniority can already easily make what a Captain made under the old contract.
They’re waiting until they can hold partial weekends or until kids get a little older etc. Or they’re wanting to try out some widebody international flying first. I suspect that the trips/schedules on the narrowbodies are going to remain somewhat brutal as regionals continue their collapse. We’ll just get paid a little more for them. And I don’t think pay is the issue for why many FOs who can hold a CA seat aren’t bidding it.
I’ve talked to very few FOs who have been holding out that are all of a sudden clamoring to upgrade. But I have talked to many who are speculating that this will be the case. I just don’t see it.
Upgrades will trend more senior when the music starts to slow. That could be this year (economy) or next year (staffing reaching more of an equilibrium). Right now no one is worried about going back to 90% and giving up every shred of QOL they have for a few sheckles more.
ALL THAT BEING SAID… I think the reason we’re seeing such junior pilots bid for / be awarded CA positions is because they haven’t tasted good QOL yet and are acclimated to the routine as a junior FO. Why not get paid more for the same routine? And personally I haven’t seen a vast difference in QOL between 90% and 65% as a narrowbody FO. Trips are all kind of the same based on what I bid for. I have dubious success in getting some days off I want, but otherwise not much difference.
They’re waiting until they can hold partial weekends or until kids get a little older etc. Or they’re wanting to try out some widebody international flying first. I suspect that the trips/schedules on the narrowbodies are going to remain somewhat brutal as regionals continue their collapse. We’ll just get paid a little more for them. And I don’t think pay is the issue for why many FOs who can hold a CA seat aren’t bidding it.
I’ve talked to very few FOs who have been holding out that are all of a sudden clamoring to upgrade. But I have talked to many who are speculating that this will be the case. I just don’t see it.
Upgrades will trend more senior when the music starts to slow. That could be this year (economy) or next year (staffing reaching more of an equilibrium). Right now no one is worried about going back to 90% and giving up every shred of QOL they have for a few sheckles more.
ALL THAT BEING SAID… I think the reason we’re seeing such junior pilots bid for / be awarded CA positions is because they haven’t tasted good QOL yet and are acclimated to the routine as a junior FO. Why not get paid more for the same routine? And personally I haven’t seen a vast difference in QOL between 90% and 65% as a narrowbody FO. Trips are all kind of the same based on what I bid for. I have dubious success in getting some days off I want, but otherwise not much difference.
But, you hit the nail on the head with your other points.
03-26-2023, 10:39 AM
#1797
Can’t find crew pickup
Joined APC: Jun 2021
Posts: 2,306
This. I don’t even need GS #5. I just do a 2 day out and back GS for extra 21. That’s about 25 percent more hours than 80 hour line. 717 captain only pays 30 percent more. Everything else in ATL, I’m a weekend worker. No bueno with kids in travel sports.
When kids out of house, I will upgrade immediately……maybe. Trip buys are addictive. Get paid to do nothing. Lol.
When kids out of house, I will upgrade immediately……maybe. Trip buys are addictive. Get paid to do nothing. Lol.
03-26-2023, 11:06 AM
#1799
New Hire
Joined APC: Jan 2015
Position: Concourse A
Posts: 786
This. I don’t even need GS #5. I just do a 2 day out and back GS for extra 21. That’s about 25 percent more hours than 80 hour line. 717 captain only pays 30 percent more. Everything else in ATL, I’m a weekend worker. No bueno with kids in travel sports.
When kids out of house, I will upgrade immediately……maybe. Trip buys are addictive. Get paid to do nothing. Lol.
When kids out of house, I will upgrade immediately……maybe. Trip buys are addictive. Get paid to do nothing. Lol.
this 100%….
I bid good trips at 18% drop half of them if lca swaps out and pick up broken easy trips. Weekends off with younger fam is a must. Money and qol are fantastic. I like to see what if looks like on the A side, but what I see isn’t worth marginally more for a lot more pain.
03-26-2023, 11:30 AM
#1800
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jul 2008
Posts: 5,041
This is why I bid LCA trips with qualifiers. They usually don’t drop the trip because it’s usually not a bad trip. Some months, I don’t get any LCA trips.
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