Originally Posted by wmupilot85

Playing devils advocate....that's just minimum numbers. That means there will/should not be any downgrades. Nothing stops the company from doing upgrades with this position notice.

Originally Posted by skigambia

Tony, that mentality is so short sighted that it forced me off the side lines to comment.
While it's true that pilots have always ate their young, we are entering into unprecedented times. We no longer have a lengthy list of young candidates, eager to be consumed. If we can't attract new pilots, the pain that is normally felt by the newly minted, junior, pilots will begin to work its way up the list. Let's not forget, two pilots are required for all flights. Without a steady stream of new hires, upgrades that put more cushion underneath existing captains, move long over due first officers into the left seat, and advance those suffering on reserve to line holder status, won't happen. In fact, the opposite is more likely, i.e. displacements and further stagnation.
Our company is situated horribly right now. We have a very senior, expensive, pilot group, we don't have any money, don't offer a flow or preferrential interview, can't offer a quick time off reserve, not even to mention upgrades. All of our competitors can offer some, and or, all of the above. We need something to make us an attractive option, and pay is about the only card we can play, and that might not even work.
Now is not the time to get puffy chested. The union is here to represent the pilots, but you've got to be kidding me when you say that it should not help the company. All of our QOL will improve if we are able to attract new pilots, and last I checked I've never received a pay check signed by ALPA. The health, viability and success of this company matter to me.
Try to see the forest through the trees.

Originally Posted by PeezDog

Lower upgrade times and they will come. Regardless of pay if all regionals are about the same. Raising first year pay won't attract anyone here if they're just going to sit on reserve forever. Just ask Endeavor. Upgrades help us and them

Originally Posted by ThreeStripe

And just how do we get those few hundred old fart lifers to vacate their cushy left seats so we can upgrade? They are what is screwing up the works. What's more is they know it and don't give a damn.

Originally Posted by PeezDog

Lower upgrade times and they will come. Regardless of pay if all regionals are about the same. Raising first year pay won't attract anyone here if they're just going to sit on reserve forever. Just ask Endeavor. Upgrades help us and them

Originally Posted by Wynncore

Unfortunately, the only way upgrades happen is through growth and very high attrition rates (as you know). Currently we have zero growth, and attrition, while high, clearly isn't high enough to have any upgrades baked into the latest position notice...could this mean that we will be parking more -200s this year? If the Summer schedule really is going to be as brutal as they claim one would think that they would want to start upgrading now so new CA's can hit the line as of June 1 and not be stuck in IOE until July or Aug.

This airline is a dinosaur and is going nowhere...sure, all of this could change, but everywhere you turn to look for anything positive it is all slammed right back in your face.

It was told to us in the ALPA AQP lunch that there are zero RFPs up for bid for dual class (E175/CR7) aircraft this year and that the only good news that can come for us is to continue extending the leases on already old -200s, so that squashes any sort of hope we have to add to our fleet, unless of course we add more -200s/50 seaters. 2015 is not off to a good start for XJT.

Originally Posted by ThreeStripe

And just how do we get those few hundred old fart lifers to vacate their cushy left seats so we can upgrade? They are what is screwing up the works. What's more is they know it and don't give a damn.

Originally Posted by ThreeStripe

My apologies for my earlier post. I overheard something in the crew lounge by one of the above mentioned pilots and it set me off. I will keep it classy from now on.