schwifty

I'm on mobile and a little drunk (so can't check the seniority list), but I'd wager good money no 2021 hires will be awarded anything on this AE.

TegridyFarms

That’s cool and a huge step for DL, but I’ll second what you said. Previous airline did it and they were generally a ways off from what actually was posted when the final bid came out. I’ll believe it when I am sitting in school for whatever plane I bid.

NuGuy

Hardly. At NWA, there was a big book and a PDF online (20 years ago...think about that) that not only had everyone who was bidding each category, but which number preference it sat on their card.

It changed things absolutely zero. People are going to bid what they're going to bid.

Buck Rogers

If you read the UAL forums, they say the mock bids are nothing like the end results. Of course, that is the APC forum and about 3 or 4 vocal minority that are perennially butt hurt about something. I have seen/ analyzed UAL mock bids on 5 ish runs on 3 different vacancy awards(AE's) and they were pretty accurate. On a scale of what Delta has now of best guess and .... BWYWWWYB, with nothing but a WAG would rank about a 3 or 4....the UAL mock bids would be about a 8-9. So, no not perfect, but way more insightful than the way Delta does it.

BTW.... UAL does a mock bid each morning(M-F) that the bid is open. (so maybe 8 ish mocks per vacancy award)
It is also a good thing so manpower/pilots can QC something that might not look right due to a misunderstanding /FU'ed bid as opposed to quibbling with management on trying to get an award changed after the fact. I see it as a win/win

I'll give an example. A typically coveted position, 777FO had been having unfilled vacancy openings, also 737 captain unfilled. About 2 years ago they ran 100 vacancies for SFO 777FO and the vast majority went unfilled. Numerous vacancy awards from then to now all with unfilled 777FO spots in SFO. Their most recent VA had a posting of 50 SFO777FO...one would expect the vast majority to be unfilled(as previously). But no, the mock bids were showing they were filling ALL of the SFO777FO spots and Secondary bids(backfill) of an additional 15. The total filled was all of the openings 50 +15 more...for a total of 65. How can that insight be a bad thing?If one only bids BWYWWWYB the things might not change, however I think the vast majority would view it as at least interesting information and worth a gander. TBH I was only looking at a couple of individual in a couple of BES and the end results were not far off from the mock. Might there be some categories with bigger variances? Sure. But still better that what DAL has and you didn't have to bargain for it.

If a person thinks mocks are worthless....don't look. But I'll bet dollars to doughnuts ,even those most critical of the mocks, will be analyzing them if they are contemplating a move(or probably even if they aren't just in case).

Caveat. Since they run a lot of vacancies at UAL and have been doing mock bids longer, there is probably less deviation than the first time at DAL, if the whole mock bid comes to fruition. It would be much better to have multiple runs (ala UAL) vice just 1 where there are apt to be bigger swings after just 1 snapshot.

Tropical

Sounds like Bob figured out a way to stop the CA awards to first year pilots, which is something my management buddies say the 4th floor has been very concerned about.

Yes, it will turn the AE process into an auction and raise seniority for all desirable positions when people see what they "could" hold.

Yeah, but that was 20 years ago. Now we are living in the era of instant gratification, entitlement, and FOMO.

FangsF15

This crap is getting so tiresome.

tripled

also seemed to reaffirm the intent to run monthly bids. So yes this one might go sr but the (so far imaginary) July and August and September bids may trend jr again as the pilot group adjusts to ‘regular, predictable’ Ae movement.

I assume the company hopes that smaller bids will entice sr pilots to bid captain. Guess we’ll all find out this fall!

tripled

agree. New posters seem to show up every 6-12 months and then blow up the civility. It’s as if they crave an audience to watch (read?) them verbally spar with strangers.

on topic: maybe it’s time to wonder how Senior 330 FO goes, or 7er FO, or even 320FO- some of those guys may be making bank with gs#6 and 10 days still left in the bid month.

Jaww

I am an 8ish year captain. Got my bid on the last MOAB. Free agent. Not going anywhere because of life events that will conflict, though I am happy to stay. I am on the 717, which, minus the pay difference, I love. Hard to watch that $30-40k go unrealized.

I say all of this because I think reality is about to set in and I will be glad I can hold a captain position and I am where I am. I was thinking it was going to trend more junior and I was going to miss the boat for awhile. Now I think the boat is gone and things have normalized. At least I have a chair. 717 will usually be junior and my number is where it has traditionally been. 320 and 73 junior A’s may be disappointed in the slide to the right.

m3113n1a1

I think you're right. I see captain awards normalizing at around 75% systemwide aside from maybe the occasional NYC anomalies like we used to have.