AMR - Dallas Base - Very senior or what?

[Flybywire44]

Philly is not that bad—it's what you make of it.

I've spent a couple years living in Downtown Philly and 40 minutes Southwest in the country side. The people are remarkably kinder than NYC and it's kind of cool living where the United States formed it's roots.

The city of Philadelphia, like US Airways, has reach rock bottom—and it's solid.

 

[SVA_402]

How senior does the LaPaz/Santa Cruz trip go? Does it lay over in Santa Cruz?

 

[aa73]

That trip tends to go somewhat senior. However I've seen it in open time plenty of times for both the FO and FB.

VVI is flown by the regulars who love that, ahem, style of trip... it is a 23:00ish departure from MIA-LPB and then a tag leg to VVI arriving around 8am. 3 man operation. On the next day it flies straight back from VVI-MIA and the FB deadheads back (flt time is less than 8hrs.)

Never done it and never plan on doing it: way too much work, what with having to don O2 masks for landing in LPB as well as the walkaround - all that after an all nighter? Ugh! However, the VVI layover is quite nice from what I'm told.

 

[Blueridgeflyer]

I just hit 40 and am flying at NJA as 7yr FO. Always wanted to fly at AA since the formative years at Atlantic Coast. We currently live in Dallas (and love it) however I'm beginning to wonder should I try my hand at AA again after 14 years? Is that FO scale going to change for new hires after the merger is completed? Don't mind commuting to MIA or NYC for a year.

 

[aa73]

Blueridge if you live in DFW and NJ isn't cutting it for you, I'd say go for it. The retirements alone at this place absolutely skyrocket starting around 2015, in fact I believe AA/US has the highest planned retirements out of all the US airlines for the next 15 years.

Throw in (competent) airline management that plans on GROWING this place and finally taking advantage of the opportunities a stagnant AA has, and I think this place will once again become a good place to hang your hat. It sounds like we should start hiring sometime later this year. The morale here is SLOWLY changing.

Regarding pay, once the merger is complete we will start working on a JCBA which should bring new hire pay up to par with DL/UA, amongst other improvements.

We are finally starting to see light at the end of the tunnel here and it is not a train. I feel cautiously optimistic about the new AA, so does Wall St and most of the airline analysts. It's about time, the past 10yrs have absolutely sucked.

PS I would be glad to help a fellow Blue Ridger!

73
ACA '98-'00

 

[LaGarbage Man]

PS I would be glad to help a fellow Blue Ridger!

73
ACA '98-'00

Ditto again

The Garbage Man
ACA '97-06'

 

[DCAA320]

Philly is not that bad—it's what you make of it.

I've spent a couple years living in Downtown Philly and 40 minutes Southwest in the country side. The people are remarkably kinder than NYC and it's kind of cool living where the United States formed it's roots.

The city of Philadelphia, like US Airways, has reach rock bottom—and it's solid.

Clearly your bar is set quite low. I pick up trash everyday from these filthy locals. Then again my other houses are in LAS and SAN.

 

[Blueridgeflyer]

aa73 & LaGarbage Man thank you both kindly. I might hit you both up once I get my stuff in order. It would be fulfilling a career dream albeit later than I would have preferred since I rode IDE down. NJA is a fine outfit in it's own right but morale is in the toilet since we were served Section 6 with concessionary overtures. I'm looking to possibly make a move out of here.

 

[pilotnbr1]

Is the AA SFO base done?

 

[aa73]

Yep... closed last year.

 

[cbrown1]

Yep... closed last year.

One would hope both BOS for us air and Sfo for AA would open back up.

 

[SVA_402]

Thanks for the info on Bolivia trips. What seniority are trips to Santiago/Buenos Aires out of MIA?

 

[Flybywire44]

Clearly your bar is set quite low. I pick up trash everyday from these filthy locals. Then again my other houses are in LAS and SAN.

Well, you are correct there. I live in University City and its amazing what lack of pride there is at times in keeping the sidewalks clean.

 

[aa73]

Thanks for the info on Bolivia trips. What seniority are trips to Santiago/Buenos Aires out of MIA?

SUPER Senior.. With a Capital "S".

MIA-EZE is all 777 now, 3 flts a day. The plum is the 1030am departure - day trip down, day trip back. I think both F/Os on that trip can hold CA anywhere in the system.

MIA-SCL is a 763, 2 flts a day, also very senior even though they are both double red eyes. SCL is an awesome city, so is MVD, another very senior 763 trip.

MIA-Europe is also at the top of the list. CDG, MAD and BCN on the 763, with LHR on the 777.

Basically, any trip that goes to Europe or deep south out of MIA is very senior. For some reason, that type of flying appeals to a lot of folks. And they are all senior to me which is just fine by me... as long as they stay off the Caribbean I'm a happy camper.

Quite simply, my long term philosophy as an airline pilot is that the more senior, and older, I get, the more body-friendly flying I plan on doing. The way it SHOULD work is that you do all the long haul, int'l flying when you're young, and when you are near retirement you simply do domestic turns or staying on your own body clock, sleeping in your own bed every night.

Instead, it seems to be the other way around - you start off doing the easy flying when young, and the incredibly hard flying when nearing retirement. It is completely lopsided, and maybe explains why US airline pilots may have a shorter life span after retirement.

In my last few years, I plan on simply being a narrowbody CA flying domestic turns or easy 2 day domestic trips. All that 14hr long haul "super seniority" crap will definitely take its toll on you at that age. I guess I've already started that process by only flying same-time-zone stuff (Caribbean.)

 

[xrated]

Well, you are correct there. I live in University City and its amazing what lack of pride there is at times in keeping the sidewalks clean.

Not to mention in UC, you have to be concerned with verbal assaults and threats from John Bernard.