Fedex Seat Bid

[flycrjs]

Most recent bid posting at Fedex:

"Due to scheduled Airbus deliveries and pilot retirements in FY05 it is necessary to post for 15 Memphis Airbus Captains."

Future Bids / Hiring
Crew requirements driven by the FY05 Business Plan are not expected to be known until the early-to-mid April timeframe.
Once completed, we will be in a position to assess the impact on crew staffing.

Looks like the rumors of 50 widebody Captains isn't quite true. Anyone hear any more on the numbers of pilots being trained this spring?

 

[AlbieF15]

I am going to say something here, but before I do I will remind you I LIKE my company and LIKE my job.

Everyone loves to repeat the good news. The numbers from conversations in the late 90s like "7000 by 2006", "hiring 300 this year", etc etc.

Since I've been on the property, I've seen an aggressive cost cutting mindset that has eliminated a chief pilot slot as well as a bunch of flight admins specialists. Ramps and MX and decimated with early retirements and other cost cutting consolidations. The company continues to "optimize" lines reducing trips and making the existing trips harder, longer, and more difficult. The "perk" lines for commuters of double deadheads continue to shrink, likely in attempt to control costs (like commercial airline tickets). The trends now are cost cutting and margin cost control/improvement, not top line growth. I've said this before and gotten PMs that say "why so down on FDX....quit raining on the parade...etc". I am not saying FDX is bad, only that the paradigm of hiring models has changed and basing what we think will happen in the next 24 months on what has happened in the last 5 years may be wrong. So far, the "official" word seems to be we'll hire 30-50 folks. Of course, I wish it were 300-500 (or more), but bantering about on the message boards and throwing out every "I heard a guy in training say..." comment won't change what corporate REALLY does hire.

I know several poolies. One is at AWA, and another is already at JetBlue. I suspect a few more will get SWA calls. I am NOT saying they should pass on FDX. I am saying they should base their future advancement here on the most pragmatic of estimates, not on rumors or stories about guys hired just prior to the 450 or so hired in the postal contract wave. Some of these folks will have some serious decisions to make with life long consequences and tradeoffs. They need to weigh their decisions very carefully...

Good luck to all in any case...and I'd love to eat these words by watching FDX scoop up 200+ this year. Time will tell...

 

[FlyBoeingJets]

I'm glad you are honest Albie.

I wonder how long it will take to get off the panel in the 727. It may be a few years in this environment.

More importantly I wonder how long it will take to get a decent schedule as a 727 FO or MD11 FO.

My crystal ball says about 5 years. No flames please, I'm just guessing.

 

[Huck]

I ain't going anywhere, but I'm not as high as I was in April 2002 at my interview, when I met a guy in the cafeteria that had been on the property 8 months and was training on the Mighty Dog for a MEM slot.

Speaking about interviews, one of the two captains in my face-to-face just passed away, Billy Flanagan. A really nice guy and he hired me. God rest him.

 

[PurpleInMEM]

Finally some honesty...

Great to FINALLY hear some honesty coming from inside the barbed wire.

Bids and hiring are the least of our problems. I've been saying this for months...more trouble is lurking around the corner. Be prepared.

...maybe I hit the lotto...

 

[switchbiatch]

Like said in the past we got to many people shooting ourselves in the foot; they will draft no matter what cause all they see is the bling bling. If something is going to change we need more people to act like they are in a union of 4200 not a union of one. It's contract time and it isn't going to be easy, I wonder if furlough rumors and getting rid of a/c will be in the future for us. Just my tired 2 pesos.

 

[Browntothebone]

I think that both FedEx and UPS might be using postal contract rumors to their advantage as possible leverage during current contract negotiations.

 

[sandman2122]

Bingo!

I think you're right "Brownboner" . Rumors seem to travel like wildfire and I ain't believing nuthin from the Chief Pilot or hearsay that floats like "sewer fog" around the A.O.C. - one source of information works for me - my union. Gotz to go fishin.

 

[TonyC]

Meetin' at the Park Vista - - Sunday at 2PM - - BE THERE!

 

[Goose17]

hmm, not so bleak

I share the same current stagnation woes in progression that Albie does. I am happy to have a job, but fully expected to be off the beloved 727 panel by now. It is really a thankless job some times.

I disagree with the doom and gloom forcast, however. The retirement numbers are incredible! Let say that FedEx doesn't grow one i-oda. We will still be propelled up the ranks over the next 10 years. I have posted the numbers before, but we have a very large percentage of our guy retiring over the next 10-15 years. That alone will shoot us up the list, not to mention any growth. How about the international growth. Asia?

Yes, I am currently disappointed, but it is all relative. There are many guys on the street - I must remind myself of that. I, like anyone else wants to move up fast. Lord knows I could seriously use the cash. It just hasn't happened. Mark my words though, when the ball starts rolling, it aint' gunna stop.

Give it 3-5 years, I think we will all be pleasantly surprised.

Just my humble opinion.