Alaska/Virgin arbitration

Soooooo...about that Alaska/Virgin Arbitration...

Yesterday, Alaska's great idea to outsource de-icing blew up in their faces. IDS didn't have crews/trucks ready...sent airplanes out with "clean" statements and they weren't clean...aircraft waiting 1.5-2hrs at SEA for parking...and flights being held/cancelled into SEA due to the catastrophe.
#winningseattle
 
So I heard AS might be lowering their application minimums. Any truth to that rumot?

I haven't heard that. In fact since they started sitting in on Virgins hiring process the degree has now become a requirement for VX. I think AS still has quite a few guys on the resume stack for now, or so I've been told..
 
There really aren't many combustion trucks out there with 800 mile range. Unless you mean tractors (the truck kind... not the farm kind)?

My 2015 F-150 has the bigger tank. 36 gallons I️ believe. It says a hair over 800 miles DTE after fillup. Just nice when you’re off to the deer lease or somewhere away from gas stations.
 
I haven't heard that. In fact since they started sitting in on Virgins hiring process the degree has now become a requirement for VX. I think AS still has quite a few guys on the resume stack for now, or so I've been told..
That’s kinda what I figured.
 
That’s kinda what I figured.

I've already flown with multiple captains at QX that have gotten the TBNT from AS, both inside and outside of the guaranteed interview program. That is another indication of them not really hurting much in the recruiting dept...

I have also met quite a few that don't even have their app in with AS, nor will they use their guaranteed interview as they have no interest in staying AAG. Lots of guys aiming right for the "Top 4".
 
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I am interested to know as a whole, how the VX pilot group feels about this merger. I know they just got a decent pay raise, but now they have OO flying DAL-LGA and other routes that must scare that pilot group with regards to scope. Also how safe is the NYC base going to be once the merger is complete? @Cherokee_Cruiser ??
 
I've already flown with multiple captains at QX that have gotten the TBNT from AS, both inside and outside of the guaranteed interview program. That is another indication of them not really hurting much in the recruiting dept...

I have also met quite a few that don't even have their app in with AS, nor will they use their guaranteed interview as they have no interest in staying AAG. Lots of guys aiming right for the "Top 4".
I don’t understand that. Even if you don’t want to stay there for a whole career it’s still got to be better than QX. I know I’d be happy at AS, but not everything is about money.
 
I don’t understand that. Even if you don’t want to stay there for a whole career it’s still got to be better than QX. I know I’d be happy at AS, but not everything is about money.

There are some guys that have just had enough of the management model there and don't think it will be any different at AS. The GEG based guys I flown with are young, a handful were younger than me and have options. I don't blame them for aiming high while they are comfortable living in base for the moment at QX
 
I don’t understand that. Even if you don’t want to stay there for a whole career it’s still got to be better than QX. I know I’d be happy at AS, but not everything is about money.
Because QX is the "test ground" for what new tricks AAG has up their sleeves. Or being sick of all the koolaide that you're basically water boarded with...or the constant threat of having your job outsourced. (ie...Alaska rampers being fired to bring in Menzies, "SkyWest will only be flying 3-5 jets for Alaska", or our latest fiasco with IDS...they managed to hit a QX plane today)
 
Because QX is the "test ground" for what new tricks AAG has up their sleeves. Or being sick of all the koolaide that you're basically water boarded with...or the constant threat of having your job outsourced. (ie...Alaska rampers being fired to bring in Menzies, "SkyWest will only be flying 3-5 jets for Alaska", or our latest fiasco with IDS...they managed to hit a QX plane today)
I understand that. But at least they’d be making more money while doing the same job. But I’ll be the first to admit I’m not in the know about airline politics. After all I’m a Slaaaab FO ;). I really do hope it gets better at AAG.
 
I've already flown with multiple captains at QX that have gotten the TBNT from AS, both inside and outside of the guaranteed interview program. That is another indication of them not really hurting much in the recruiting dept...

I have also met quite a few that don't even have their app in with AS, nor will they use their guaranteed interview as they have no interest in staying AAG. Lots of guys aiming right for the "Top 4".

IMO, that's not surprising. Hiring a QXer means they have to replace that QX CA with a QX FO by upgrading him, hire a new QX FO to replace that FO who moved up. Or go off the street and hire a AS newhire FO, and keep QX guys where they are. I know they are suppose to guarantee a certain amount of newhires to QX, but I don't know what the reality / actual practice of that is. As for the chasing only the big 4, I don't blame them one bit!

I am interested to know as a whole, how the VX pilot group feels about this merger. I know they just got a decent pay raise, but now they have OO flying DAL-LGA and other routes that must scare that pilot group with regards to scope. Also how safe is the NYC base going to be once the merger is complete? @Cherokee_Cruiser ??

It's tough to say. I'm not impressed so far. No scope is a huge issue and with this decision we won't have any until the next set of negotiations for a new contract in 2020. The NYC flight attendant base already closed. There is nothing official for the NYC pilot base, but IMHO it won't last long term. AAG has already said that like the 737s better for transcon than the 320s. In NY, we have a mixture of 737/320s doing different routes SEA/PDX/SAN on 737s and SFO/LAX/LAS on 320s. Unless they put all that on one fleet and base those routes for a NYC base, I don't see much hope.
 
IMO, that's not surprising. Hiring a QXer means they have to replace that QX CA with a QX FO by upgrading him, hire a new QX FO to replace that FO who moved up. Or go off the street and hire a AS newhire FO, and keep QX guys where they are.

That's not how it works though. Airways was obsessed with that logic for a while in the late 2000s. In the end it doesn't matter. If the parent company (AS) doesn't hire the guy from the WO (QX) somebody else will, especially in this environment, and you'll have to have two training events anyways to cover the captain that left and the new FO being hired. There are actually more benefits to take the pilot from the WO because you get access to all of their employment records, which is something that is illegal if the company isn't the same.
 
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