Alaska News?

[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.