ok guys, are we going to lga/jfk or no? Where would they displace from? MSP, DTW? Are we going to get a new contract TA the week of June 21st? Are we going to be involved in any DCI aquisition/mergers? Lastly why is it exactly that you think we are not hiring/upgrading right now because we all know we need too.
1. Yeah, but I don't see a base happening. We don't have the people for it. They'll have to DH people in and out or use transition flights to make it happen. What that will likely do is reduce the efficiency of the pairings and kill days off for the mid to senior guys. See MG's latest memo, and that's EXACTLY what they think is gonna happen this summer. Reserve guys will likely see their standard 8-9 days off a month. Use that extension refusal if you've still got it....
2. Don't think there will be a displacement. At this point ALL the bases are short, including ATL. Look at open time for June. 1500 hours for CAs and 1300 for FOs. Borrowing from Peter to pay Paul has already been done. There's nothing left to borrow. Plus, opening a base means you'll need RESERVES there. So, you're looking at similar numbers for a base in LGA/JFK as we have in ATL. So, you're looking at displacing 160+ pilots right there. That ain't gonna be cheap. Granted some would probably bid it and save the company some $$$, but if I'm gonna shift bases, I'm gonna make 'em pay me for it. MSP's block hours went back up, so closing that doesn't seem as viable now. They've also been covering most of the IND flying out of there. MEM is staying about the same, but our reserves have been getting shipped pretty much everywhere except MSP. We seem to be the "go to" guys for the ATL flying, too. DTW has been being pumped up with TDYs to cover the increase in hours. For once, I think the company was SMART with that. If we lose block hours in DTW, they're pretty much where they need to be. Displace guys out of DTW, and then you're short staffed again.
3. Don't know, but honestly I'm a little leery of having one of the negotiators removed, esp since it was the guy on reserve. From talking to him, he was digging in on some reserve rules, and it kinda rubbed the wrong way with some people. If that's true, that makes me a "not happy" camper. Just means I may as well go ahead and lay down in the middle of the road for the bus to hit me....again.
4. I doubt it. The Comair rumor is always there, but we don't have the $$$ for a merger, and frankly, neither do any of the other DCI carriers. Could it be done with some Delta $$$ and a shotgun? Yeah, but why would Delta want to waste money on something like that.
5. Wes and I discussed this yesterday, and he pretty much covered it. By the time anyone we hired got to the line, it'd be too late. Assuming we interviewed people next week, call it a class date next Monday. Three weeks of ground school, and they're into FTDs and orals on June 21st. Sims would start June 28th and run till about June 12th (barring any completely screwed up training scheduling issues). Checkrides for the rest of that week, with FAM flights going, we'll call it the 19th till the 22nd. So, they'd be starting OE and the earliest on July 26th. Done with OE frist/second week of August, once again, at the earliest, and able to bid for....September, when our hours will likely drop again.
Basically, the company waited too long to hire. Take that time frame, the compound it with pulling some of the MEM check airman off the line to run sims/checkrides/orals, and we don't have the staffing to hire. Ironic, isn't it?
