Jaww

Yup. Non issue so far. I even snagged one the other day as a commuter. First time I put in for one in almost two years. If it is getting down to (or up to) my seniority level guys must be picky.

Whoopsmybad

I also think what we are missing is that opening FA bases in the long run probably saves the company money. Add that to there is ZERO training cost to do so, it’s a completely different ball game than new pilot bases.

Gone Flying

yup. A couple outliers for sure, but yeah they seemed like they didn’t like having to deal with jumpseaters and that was probably the reason.

kinda like the WB guy who wanted to refuse the JS to a new hire on an observation flight across the Atlantic.

Gone Flying

true. If we consolidated our NB fleet down to 2 like AA and UA have done it would be far more practical, but it would get expensive with our eclectic fleet strategy.

rickair7777

Any reasonably objective observer can see that, it's obvious.

I have a buddy with some black marks, good dude, clean training record, just some youthful indiscretion. Years ago, he would have been stuck at the regionals, he knew it and got out of aviation for many years. Now he's back and is a likely shoo-in at second-tier shops, but I told him to hold off on that until he takes a swing at DL/UA. I kind of expect him to get hired by one or the other. Another buddy had his regional shut down in 2020, did the unemployment/van life thing for a few years and now he has his pick of top and second tier employers.

Are the hiring people with less innate aviation ability? I don't know, hope not (ask a LCA). But they are definitely making allowances for currency, experience, total time, and many traditional whole-person metrics.

Abouttime2fish

I guess I don’t understand why opening a pilot base needs to be more expensive than opening a FA base? Do you need a chief pilot office? I’d say no, put it under the nearest already established base. Do you need a pilot lounge? Nice but not necessary. Do you need a pilot planning area? I’d argue the places that need them, they already exist. So what is the expense??

Gone Flying

I think they do need a pilot lounge but I could be wrong, but the actual expensive parts are

1)the fact that a new category allows every pilot to break an existing seat lock to bid it. But this could be mitigated by opening it with 10 pilots or whatever low number they want.

2) and this is the biggest. Network can’t make up their mind on where to put planes and is looking to chase every last bit of revenue, regardless of operational impact. If we opened BOS320 and got it up to 150 crews, network might decide the 737 makes more sense there next month and boom, huge cost.

untill/unless we get down to 3 or so NB fleet types I don’t see us opening more crew bases under our current management.

170Till5

you do need a pilot lounge - staff, parking, CP, and staffing of reserves for each fleet. That’s why the didn’t open BOS, they were going to make it an Airbus base, but every fleet flying in and out of there now made the reserves staffing too costly to open a base there and have more than one fleet

CBreezy

Also a significant staffing hit. FAs are basically discouraged from calling in sick and often have to find their own replacements when they need off a trip at outstations (so one told me once). Also, if they are considered unreliable, they aren't permitted to be based there anymore (again, so one told me). They can't do that with pilots and would have to have to have adequate reserves to cover any illness or fatigue.

HelloNewnan

New categories trigger moving expenses if they subsequently close the base.