Lifeisgood

Could someone, please, tell me how many pilots did Eagle hire after the April 15th class?
Any idea how many of them were/might be sent to NYC?
Thx.

What

If you are a current Eagle pilot you could go look in the latest flow plan, or the seniority list in the Union's website. I would be willing to assist you in gathering the info.

What

15 to be exact as they have cut the class sizes as they try to finish FOQ. I believe in June they will try to double class sizes. Out of 16 spots in the last two classes one person was a no show. And yes RJ people are stupid for coming to Eagle, I am stupid for not leaving and we don't have many resumes on file.

*Most of the April 29th will be in NY, not sure what was assigned on the class that started yesterday.

Lifeisgood

Thank you for being a class act. I am not an Eagle pilot.
I am trying to get a feel for seniority progression for the NYC EMB FO category.
Say if you were hired towards the top of April 15th class when would you think you could become a lineholder?

I know it all depends, but would you guess 3-6 months on reserve or more?

What

This is hard to predict for Eagle at any base and any equipment.

Just like all the regionals, our lines are often dependent on how much the major airline allocates to us. At Eagle, AMR will adjust lines dependent on staffing. For example if staffing is low in NY but they want to increase the flying often they will just increase line in MIA or ORD if their staffing is more suitable at those bases and they don't want to TDY people. Currently we are seeing a co-domicile (LGA-JFK) that has been up and running for a few months and an increase in flying on the CRJ aircraft in NY as RAH replaces them in ORD.

Currently NY is the most junior domicile in the system and you will likely see a line there sooner.

Today Eagle is staffed with around 200-300 more FO than required to fly the current aircraft. Last year in the spring we had a displacement bid that sent 100 captains to first officers, those individuals that were displaced have now been given the opportunity to upgrade. Since FOQ will be completed in the next month we will see the last number of ATR pilots whom had been displaced finish training and return to the line as well as the new hires who have been sent home return to the school house and complete training. If the flow continues (no known reason for it to stop) there will be more upgrades that will continue to open FO positions in some of the other bases and making NY even more junior. So someone hired in the last month will attain a line soonest in NY or be able to transfer to one of the other eagle bases in a short period of time.

I suspect that we will continue to have uncertainty at Eagle for the next few months as in two months all of the Eagle flow pilots with numbers on the AA seniority list make it to AA, after if AMR begins hiring at AA then Eagle pilots will occupy 20 spots or 50% of the classes at AA. What a lot of people don't account for is that numbered guys whom are currently flowing are not the most senior pilots at AE. In 1997 Eagle combined 4 airlines to create the current Eagle.... blah, blah, blah, long story short the seniority numbers of AE pilots in the AA seniority list was NOT assigned based on seniority but on who had bid the jet captain positions first (not exactly sure how that all went). But anyway pilots had the options to stay at eagle or flow... long story sort again, some of the guys flowing today are actually in the 200-400 numbers in seniority. After those guys flow, the 824 takes place and this will start with the most senior pilot at Eagle who was never given a number at AA. The intriguing part is that there is a large number of pilots who are atop of the list that are in their mid 50's who are now questioning whether they should go or stay. SO i'd expect to things to continue gloomy at Eagle in the meantime.

The writing is on the wall, the contract will call for a pay and longevity cost cut to match the most competitive regionals (lowest cost) whom are composed of at least 150 aircraft and other requirements. SO this would include Pinnacle and RAH. Also currently we are being told that pinnacle is the new future as far as pay... This is being said at Expressjet and RAH with SKW soon to follow due to the Delta contract. Anyway, many of the senior pilots who before were set on staying are now considering their options.

You might here some voices here on APC discuss how senior they are how they will ride this ship to the ground but that is much different from what you hear when you go have dinner with a senior captain or chat in the cockpit. Most of the guys are on the fence about what they are going to do.

The first half of the flow guys with numbers went at close to 50% and we were expecting a much lower rate out of this group. The other half of these guys are younger and junior at AE so we could see a higher number flow as well.

I know I spilled more than what you asked but it is hard to say when someone will hold a line in NY, every airline has multiple factors and it will be unpredictable for any airline for the near future. There is a reason SKW and EXpressjet are not hiring when their manning is tight. THis fall there will be more shifting in the regionals as smaller airframes leave the fleets.

PilotJ3

I agree in some things with you, but you have to add that NYC is junior now, but they don't have that many lines. Next month they have 59 lines and I would be # 63 in NYC (I was hired in 2010), I would be in RSV for the month of june in the EMB.

Since they are not hiring into the CRJ I would say that it will take at least two to three years for a new hire to be a line holder in NYC.

Also it depends how senior are the senior FOs in NYC, because if they upgrade it will be better for the jr guys.

I think most of the SJU guys went between NYC and MIA, usually being so senior they might be upgrading soon. We will see...

At least if Lifeisgood gets NYC and he lives in New York, he would not work as much like in ORD and DFW.

What

Part of that issue is how NY saw ERJs leave and CRJ coming in without ERJ pilots being able to bid the CRJ. If we park the 135, whom are based in NY for the most part then we could likely see those senior guys displace to the CRJ or hold an upgrade. SO that part might not be a factor as things shake out, it is a valid point... thanks for bringing it up

labbats

Sorry to go off topic, but I saw an Expressjet CRJ200 in Fargo going to Dallas the other week. It was painted the exact same as Eagle planes and had the red/blue chicken on the tail, not the blue/blue of American Connection planes. What's that all about?

I'm out of the loop apparently. Why is Expressjet flying CRJs to Dallas for American? I knew about the Chatauqua flying out of ORD and the new LAX bump but this is news to me. Seems Eagle is being replaced before our eyes. Divesting indeed.

bretthull

Been flying out of DFW since February, it was announced the same time as the LAX deal.

snippercr

Yup, the company currently called "American Eagle Airlines" is being wound down. Expect first group of 500 furloughs end of summer, another 1000 by winter and the last revenue flight sometime mid 2014. RJPilot has all the deets. Hit him up.