Hedley

Unfilled captain vacancies are a bigger deal when bids were more sporadic, but we’re running frequent vacancies now. The new strategy is to take captains where ever they can and build flying through those hubs. They don’t expect to fill all of the vacancies, nor do they really need to. They are casting with a wide net. It is my understanding that the training pipeline is full right now, so evidently they are getting enough. Perhaps an instructor working at TK could chime in if I’m wrong. It might not be the most efficient way to operate, but if they are training NB captains as fast as they can it seems to be working.

guppie

Bring on the prem-O.

Gonna get fat stacks. 💰

AxlF16

🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄

banned

Some just fail to read the room sometimes

ThumbsUp

This is a joke, right?

iahflyr

Exactly…..

guppie

haha. Yes, but it sure riled some folks. 😝

BrianHackett

Maybe they can keep growing IAH to over 1,000 CAs? We can call it the Supreme Guppy Headquarters, or maybe Guppy Central Command.

However, consider the large number of junior post Covid CA upgrades that have been on reserve or awarded continuous 90 hour months with 13 days off now find themselves seniorish on the widebody fleets, holding 20 days off. A slight loss of pay (maybe) but a huge QOL increase. How many of them have had the opportunity to downgrade to a widebody? The answer = 0, still seat locked.
The most junior CA seat locks start ending this summer. I might assume many are unhappy due to our QWL issues. Even if it's a small number it will be another headache for CR.
The upgrades surely will keep happening but the downgrades may start w/ 2 year seat locks ending.

Anyways, not our problem to solve.

Hedley

I was on the 777 prior to covid. Based on just flying your 80 hr line, the difference between WBFO and NBCA was in the ballpark of $40k per year. My point of view was that the extra dollars weren’t worth three extra days per month, and LOTS more work. I bid 737 CA during the pandemic displacements over concerns of what the pandemic would do to long haul flying. I was right about it not being worth it. My seat lock has expired and the only thing keeping me on the 737 is how much better I feel not flying all night. I’m just not wired to handle it, however now that I’m senior enough to bid the flying seat and potentially buddy bid with LCA’s, I keep considering going back every bid.

The company’s problem filling vacancies where they want them is only partially due to poor reserve rules. There is a huge percentage of people who could upgrade into a solid line who just don’t want to. They can either game the system and actually earn more as WBFO, or the difference in pay isn’t worth giving up seniority to hop the trash can. Being a captain just isn’t that big of a deal, it’s about dollars per day and time with your family.

KSwift76

If junior folk can't understand that senior folks have sat RSV for generally much longer under much worse conditions( and dealt with it) than the current crop of Jr folks, who are only on reserve for a couple of months while making more than I made @ year 6 with an ability to upgrade in 1 year then.... I'm not sure what to say. Most pilots hired post merger will spend the vast majority of their career as line holders (until the next black swan event). I'm sorry but I don't feel bad for anyone hired in the last 3 years with fast upgrades and 1 or 2 mo that on reserve while making more than I made up until year 6 or 7. That's not to say I don't want some better RSV rules... I just don't want to give the farm away for it. I will be on RSV shen I make WB Captain. There is always the balance of the 2 Qs. Quality of life vs. Quantity of paycheck. The answer is somewhere in the middle. What a time to be an airline pilot!😁💰

Also, commuting is a choice. I choose not to commute. Don't want to spend any additional negotiating capital on that either. I probably wouldn't be living where I do were it not for my job. That is my sacrifice. Now pay me my money and give me better work rules.😁💰