Alaska News?

[wscrj]

From the March Hanger Notes:

"As the ball gets rolling we anticipate a bid cycle which will bring back 10 of our furloughed
pilots in August with classes of six in the ensuing months. Although still in the development phase, it is safe to say that three small system bids are in the works. The exact bid size and dates are still under review with the goal of balancing the bases with projected flying before next summer."

 

[Z_Pilot]

Thanks for the update! Now I can do some rough calculations and see where I fall....

 

[ImbracableCrunk]

This is something else that we should work on in the next contract - bids. You can only change bases when the company feels like issuing a bid? Nah. Get rid of that.

 

[Fubijaakr]

This is something else that we should work on in the next contract - bids. You can only change bases when the company feels like issuing a bid? Nah. Get rid of that.

I agree. The monthly "reduction bid" for retirements and medical leaves is completely bogus. If a position is vacated, especially by a retirement, it should be filled immediately. That would require the Company to bring the furloughs back sooner, irrespective of their "training issues."

 

[CesnaCaptn]

Has anyone heard any recent rumors about when the next bid is coming our or when the effective date will be?

 

[igneousy2]

Has anyone heard any recent rumors about when the next bid is coming our or when the effective date will be?

Flew with ANC LEC rep...showed me an email from KB in crew planning...basically 3 bids effective dates September, DECish and APRish'11. About 20 Captain and 20 FO slots in each bid +/- 1 or 2 (she mentioned exact numbers but I don't remember 18 one month 22 the next etc. about 60 total new positions) ANC and LAX overstaffed by 7 crews each...no reductions, however, 7 crew positions reduced within the year through attrition/no backfill. No mention of what the new position split will be betwen SEA & PDX. New Hires expected Jan/Feb depending on how many furloughees actually return.

This was close to a month ago now...so I'm sure it's all changed.

 

[CesnaCaptn]

I don't really know how to read into this stuff, but doesn't 20 captains and 20 FOs mean 40 open positions per bid? If that's the case, shouldn't most of our invol. furloughs be offered a recall by fall?

Do any contract whizes want to take a stab on when the next bid should come out?

 

[Fubijaakr]

BCP said the first of the three will be posted May 20.

 

[ghostrider16]

I heard they have decided to reduce anchorage around 30 crews over a couple bids, posted soon effective fall winter spring.....They were only going to do the 7 but have decided to do more as of a couple days ago

 

[AK737FO]

The last I heard / saw was a reduction of 5 in LAX and 20 in ANC on a bid coming out 5/20.

 

[ImbracableCrunk]

So is ANC starting to go more senior? I heard the lines there were pretty good. Maybe that was until most of the Hawaii flying went to SEA.

 

[tico]

The last I heard / saw was a reduction of 5 in LAX and 20 in ANC on a bid coming out 5/20.

followed by another reduction of 13-15 in august...total reduction for anc is 30 +cpts & fo's.....good news for the sea crowd

 

[flythere]

I heard the lines there were pretty good. Maybe that was until most of the Hawaii flying went to SEA.

Depends on your definition of good? IF you live in base and like turns, you'd be a happy man!

 

[charlieB]

I feel like a part time FAI resident. I'd be happy to give ANC everything north of SEA. Plus reliability will go up immediately.

 

[CesnaCaptn]

Bid 2011-11 is out. SEA is adding 18 captains and 9 FOs. PDX is adding 5 captains and 4 FOs. ANC is reducing 5 captains and 9 FOs. LAX is staying the same.

It looks like 22 recalls to start this fall.

 

[tico]

Nothing is being added...just shuffling the deck...the MD-80/ETOPS training bubble that caused all the downgrade/furloughs to begin with is taking its own sweet time to exit the system. When it does there will finally be movement, not growth but movement....about 2014 is the estimate

 

[AK737FO]

I agree with you tico - but I think that the real reason for this mess is age 65. Who would have thought that 90% of our "Gummers" would stay? It's a giant 5 year pause button on all of us. Come 2014 they will start to retire (or die) and we will see a huge wave of movement, even with no growth.
I just learned that a "Gummer" has to have a line check every 6 months. That is 4 times the cost / burden on our training department. Why is our management not lobbying the Govt to reduce this training cost?
I think that the company made out like a bandit with this law change. They get to pocket 5 years of pension money from every guy / gal who is dumb enough to fly till they die. That could easily be a half million dollars savings per pilot. Bill and Brad LOVE that!

 

[Fubijaakr]

Just make sure YOU retire at Age 60. After all that WAS the retirement age in effect when YOU started.

You don't want some young guy accusing you of being a hypocrite.

 

[clippyrip]

Just make sure YOU retire at Age 60. After all that WAS the retirement age in effect when YOU started.

You don't want some young guy accusing you of being a hypocrite.

You are missing two small details. We didn't get to enjoy moving up the ladder our entire career because of age 60 and then change the rule when it was our turn to go. Even worse, we got a 5 year pause.

 

[AK737FO]

Don't worry Fubi - If all goes well, I would like to be gone by 57 or 58, but I will be here no later than 60 (and two months) when I hit 30 years with company.
As soon as the retirment says I can punch, I'll punch. If that's 5 years from now, I'm gone. If it's 15 years from now, so be it. What is won't be is anything beyond age 60 (and two months) - so I will milk the system and hold down some poor FO for two months so I can selfishly get a 30 year ALPA pin.
There is just to much hunting to do to keep doing this job 15 days a month!
Clippyrip is right. My generation never got the quick upgrade and the bonus 5 years thrown in at the end. One of my favorite (now retired - early - I might add) Captains went from new hire plumber to FO to Capt at Alaska airlines in less than 1 year. He was still on probation and was a Captain. Now FO's need to look at the top of scale FO wage, cuz that is where they are going to be for a while before they get a Captain seat. Interesting to note that the Top of scale wage ($121) in April 2012 is the same hourly wage that I was earning as an FO in April 2005 - just prior to Kastration. Seven years later, still an FO, still earning the same wage. Funny, I don't remember gas costing $4.25 a gallon in 2005. I don't remember my property taxes being so high in 2005.
The job is still fun. It ain't what it use to be though - and I will gladly step over the side as soon as I can.