National Type Rating Seniority

[Center_Mid]

I was reading a post at another website about seniority systems. Some of the airline folks thought that a national seniority system wouldn't work, but some thought that the idea had merit. That got me 'a thinkin'...

Would it make any sense to compromise and create a kind of national, type-rating seniority system? For example, if a B737-700 captain were to get furloughed, his type-rating seniority could allow him to either bump a lower time -700 captain at another airline, wait for a recall as a captain at his own airline, or be at the top of the waiting list for any -700 spots that open up in any other airline. Or, he could start at the bottom with another company in another type. It would have to be based upon hours in the type.

Would something like this be workable? It wouldn't be as broad as a "date of hire" national seniority system, since a senior pilot could only bump someone in the same type and at the same level (a 2,600 type-hour FO could not bump a 2,500 type-hour captain). It just seems like a cryin' shame that a furloughee must either wait for a recall or start over somewhere else at the bottom.

Actually, reading this, it looks too complicated...

 

[Mr_Creepy]

It's complicated but what isn't?

I like the idea. I don't think it will ever happen but I still like it.

 

[derg]

Just some problems that I see with it being that SWA trains a 737-700 with a certain group of procedures whereas CAL trains a 737-700 pilot differently as well but these two pilots have to somehow form a consensus.

Plus, we all have different contracts that you'd have to circumnavigate. One thing may have been legal at American, but may be a contractual violation at United.

I went thru a lot of psychological testing (three seperate MMPI's and a visit with a psychologist) before getting the nod at Delta, so I can't see an airline completely giving up the ability to completely control who flies their toys.

 

[stuckingfk]

[ QUOTE ]
so I can't see an airline completely giving up the ability to completely control who flies their toys.

[/ QUOTE ]

I totally agree with that.

Also, it is completely unfair and ridiculus. The money spent on training different companies pilots after their airline hit the crapper would be a horrendous. Why penalize a pilot that CHOSE to work for a better company? Why should a pilot be booted out of a job because he was hired 2 weeks (or 2 years) later than some other pilot? To put it simply, it will never happen because of these reasons.

 

[derg]

Heck, if we had that list in place, since a lot of post-1998 UAL new hires were getting awarded international 777 first officer, I'd have big UAL LAX 777 FO in a second. And then probably scampered away to AWA A320 FO when things got turbulent at UAL. Maybe fly a little AA 737-800 out to MIA in the wintertime for the Carribean operations?

Summer in UAL transpacific, and winter domestically at AWA on the A320.