Westcoastpilot5

Have a class date coming up, and I'm interested in QOL of 777 reserve vs NB lineholder in SFO.

I live less than an hour from the airport and at previous airlines really don't mind sitting reserve if the utilization is low. Usually I'd prefer more days at home (whether they are scheduled, or on reserve but not getting called into work). I see that 777 SFO tends to go very junior in class drops which I assume is due to most people commuting to 18 days of global reserve to SFO for a lengthy amount of time before getting a base transfer.

Whatever I choose I'd like to stay on for a bit since I'm not interested in going back to training. I know the conservative/ historic advise would be to take the NB slot and enjoy the seniority ride....but any opinions for a Local SFO guy who wants QOL and days off (scheduled or non-utilized on reserve?). I always hear how good of QOL the wide body flying is - but wondering if that's only at a senior level. Sorry in advance if this type of question has already been answered but I usually see the advise geared towards guys commuting to SFO from other areas of the country, rather than for a local like myself.

Brickfire

The corollary to that historic advice is that you can bid NB to 777 any time you want but you can't do the reverse.

Reserve living in base isn't an awful thing. Course you can bid reserve on a NB as well. And the Matrix is starting to make 777 FO lineholder less than a year in EWR & SFO. (My personal guess is that is an artifact of insane hiring and will not persist through multiple bids ... but who knows)

CQKSNT

A friend of mine was hired back in July and asked me these same questions. Many said “don’t bid WB, you’ll be stuck commuting to reserve minimum 2 years and won’t have a line for 5 years if you stay on it.” He went 777, was on reserve 1 month, got a line his 2nd month, and can drop his trips at will. Takeaway: gather as much DATA (not opinions) as you can and make your own decision.

jetlag q

what’s his trips look like ? How many days off?

XHooker

As a local there's not too much risk to bidding WB as a new hire. However, those who think they'll spend two years fresh out of TK commuting to a line might be in for some bad surprises. This is a very unstable time for long haul flying. IF Russian overflight returns, there will be significant reshuffling of WB assets. Pilots who are getting lines on the SFO 777 a few months out of indoc might soon find themselves commuting to reserve until they bid off. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

bmrd

How long to hold 737 Captain in IAH?

FriendlyPilot

Right now as soon as you get 1 year with the company and 500 hours. Last bid had unfilled vacancies. With 100 planes coming in 2023 and 100+ every year after that for the next 5 its not likely every pilots finishing their 1st year can hold Captain.

They want to hire 10,000 pilots in the next 4 years.

JFS 3

Not the person you were asking, but like him, a friend of mine was a July '22 hire and went SFO 777. For Feb he has four domestic trips. 18 days off. Not bad, being a WB lineholder with 18 days off, only three months after finishing OE.

FlyingIsLife

Hey, newbie here...Two questions: 1) how are a/c & base assigned (last-4 SSN, reverse order like Delta/FDX, or age oldest to youngest like AA)? 2) if an MCO 737 isn't available in a class, how long before someone could transfer? Thanks.

JTwift

1) Age.

2) We don't know yet. the base opens in May. Maybe quick. Maybe not.