Southwest Suspending hiring through 2024....

[Roger Roger]

Was wondering same.

I was thinking he’s said medical something previously

 

[roundout]

I used to think we had the most interesting personalities.

Then I met some in my SO’s sphere. Think of pilot personalities on steroids, but unshackled by the requirement to maintain a medical.

I was talking to one dude over a dinner at one of her things, and I couldn’t tell if he was an all-star, pro-league troll (we can usually smell our own), but this guy was for reals. Every crackpot conspiracy theory you can think of came out of this guy.

I assiduously avoid those gatherings now. They are so whack that it locks me up Windows BSOD style, and it takes me about 48 hours to reflash my BIOS and reboot.

I know a dude who is still angry about the Gummint Motors (tm) bailout in 2009, and it gets way weirder than that.

 

[alaskadrifter]

I’m trying to decide if commuting 2 legs to a line is worse than 1 leg to reserve. Although once off probation I could probably get away with long call at home for Seattle….

As someone who was in a somewhat similar situation I’d say a one leg commute hands down. Have you tried using the “set condition pattern” for reserve days yet? You ought to be able to build a commutable schedule that way. Also the new aggressive pick up rules should help commuting reserves know what they are doing.

 

[Roger Roger]

As someone who was in a somewhat similar situation I’d say a one leg commute hands down. Have you tried using the “set condition pattern” for reserve days yet? You ought to be able to build a commutable schedule that way. Also the new aggressive pick up rules should help commuting reserves know what they are doing.

They don’t have most of my class as “eligible” in pbs yet. So most of us haven’t gotten results on the first 2 PBS bids despite being online. But yeah, I have a standing reserve bid with set condition to do big chunks of days on. Looking forward to aggressive pickup at -1 (don’t really care about the +1 but I guess that could help too?).

 

[alaskadrifter]

They don’t have most of my class as “eligible” in pbs yet. So most of us haven’t gotten results on the first 2 PBS bids. But yeah, I have a standing reserve bid with set condition to do big chunks of days on. Looking forward to aggressive pickup at -1 (don’t really care about the +1 but I guess that could help too?).

Do you still get the 10 hours? Nice thing about starting off LCR is earliest show is 2pm day one. Setting 4-5 on with a minimum of 4 should be do able.

 

[Roger Roger]

Do you still get the 10 hours? Nice thing about starting off LCR is earliest show is 2pm day one. Setting 4-5 on with a minimum of 4 should be do able.

According to the union podcast, even ineligible bidders are supposed to get paid.
Yeah the 1400 show time, ability to be non contactible at times, and the 1000 release on the last day make the suck a little less on long call

 

[JDean3204]

Pretty much what I expected. The days off split between reserve and a line seems pretty big to me, but I’m new to all of this. Reserve is changing with PBS too, so unknown how that is going to affect the calculus.

For now I think I’m going to stash a pillow and blanket in the SEA bag room for those quiet room naps…

If the coverage is good, which I’m not sure about SFO, you can trade days around pretty easily after awards on crew access. I’ve been doing that to sneak a partial weekend in here and there.

 

[JDean3204]

@Roger Roger just out of curiosity, what is your ultimate goal base wise? SEA or ANC? I’m guessing decent frequency to both from JNU? Plus hopping on the freighter either direction when it fly’s through. Just curious

 

[Roger Roger]

@Roger Roger just out of curiosity, what is your ultimate goal base wise? SEA or ANC? I’m guessing decent frequency to both from JNU? Plus hopping on the freighter either direction when it fly’s through. Just curious

SEA. Bigger base, more junior, more SE flying easier to get commutable trips and overnights at home.

Freighter is a good back pocket option but I’m noticing they tend to cancel last minute at random. At least the late night one that I want to take to catch the 6 am SFO flights

 

[JDean3204]

SEA. Bigger base, more junior, more SE flying easier to get commutable trips and overnights at home

Right on, well hopefully you see it soon man, hope you’re atleast enjoying the job a bit. I know the commute can drag. Especially the freighter to catch the early flight to SFO… Meanwhile I’m over here throwing a fit when I have to wake up at 2:30am to make an 8am show. Humbled.

 

[ClearedForOption]

And I was bumped from the flight. By my own company. Weight restriction cap. This forced me to do a bag-drag-sprint through BOS to beg AA for a flight home, who obliged happily.

Check your email, it's only gonna get worse.

 

[DE727UPS]

Two leg commutes violate one of the cardinal rules of commuting:

1) No more than 1 leg
2) No limited service cities
3) No more than one time zone
4) No off-line commutes
5) No commute +>1:00 drive

You can probably get away with breaking one in the short term, but long term, you will be a miserable puppy.

I broke all of those during my career. All in one trip, even. Mostly we had tickets to work but sometimes I'd pick up a trip that was otherwise a good deal that didn't have tickets. My commute would have been a nightmare for many. And it was for me at times. But a lot of that has to do with what you're used to. I didn't know anything else. My base choices were SDF, ONT, ANC, and MIA. I lived in rural WA. I had a condo to sit reserve in LA area and spent half my month there but no way I was going to be a CA resident after living is a state with no income taxes.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

BNA will have 680 pilots by August, including quite a few new hires. When hiring starts up again keep that in mind if you call middle Tennessee home.

 

[killbilly]

Check your email, it's only gonna get worse.

Yeah. Saw that. Wasn’t happy.

 

[Cherokee_Cruiser]

Maybe at the moment. But…

Given today’s pay rates and DC percentages, I’m willing to bet in ten years you will see more punch out early who have been financially conservative. If you have a few million in retirement, a paid off mortgage and no ex wife/husband that hates you, enjoying 3-5 more years of no work sounds appealing.

When you get 20-21 days off, it already is no work. For $450k. Just IMO.

 

[Cherokee_Cruiser]

Check your email, it's only gonna get worse.

What happened?

 

[///AMG]

When you get 20-21 days off, it already is no work. For $450k. Just IMO.

I mean to be fair, it is possible to make those 10-11 remaining days pretty crappy, depending on what happens. Maybe a 2 Thai spicy for folks our age, but I bet that is a full on 5 for old guys (and gals). Obviously there are the super senior folks who never spend a night away from home, but I fly with plenty of 3 digit seniority guys who are still grinding away. In fairness (again), they don't seem to mind it.

 

[Cherokee_Cruiser]

I mean to be fair, it is possible to make those 10-11 remaining days pretty crappy, depending on what happens. Maybe a 2 Thai spicy for folks our age, but I bet that is a full on 5 for old guys (and gals). Obviously there are the super senior folks who never spend a night away from home, but I fly with plenty of 3 digit seniority guys who are still grinding away. In fairness (again), they don't seem to mind it.

At 30+ yr seniority? They can pick decent 10-11 days of work.

 

[///AMG]

At 30+ yr seniority? They can pick decent 10-11 days of work.

They can but do they? For some reason they are on trips with me

Also, this kinda assumes all the 60+ crowd has that type of seniority at that age. If I flew to 65, I'd have 26 years seniority. Plenty of other guys who just had bad timing, and ended up here later/older than they would have wanted to.

 

[Skåning]

Plenty of other guys who just had bad timing, and ended up here later/older than they would have wanted to.

I think they just tended to hire older folks too. VX hired younger. I’ve only flown with a handful of FOs younger than me, and I’m no spring chicken at 37