If Age 65 goes forward, how will that affect CAL's hiring or retirements?

[General Lee]

I keep hearing about all of this hiring at CAL and all of the new planes, but I wonder how many senior guys do you have age 59 and below? How would that affect the rapid upgrades there? How many guys do you have close to retiring? We lost 2300 captains in 18 months at Delta, and have around 300 senior guys over 55. We do expect our own expansion too. Just wondering.


Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[jetjockey#1]

I am not sure how many, specific numbers, but the total number is quite high. That's about the only good thing here at CAL. If the seniority movement was to change, even slightly, we would rapidly become the unhappiest pilot work in the industry. This contract is absolutely terrible, so, as long as there is movement we'll put up with it, for example: attending recurrent ground school on our own time, that's right two days from our off time to complete recurrent......plus 4 hours of CBT.

So to answer your question, if the age 60 rule was to change today, it would be devastating, between the Bscale up to year 6 for FOs, PBS, and no work rules, a 5-7 year career FO here at CAL would be a nightmare.

Let's just hope things stay the way they are now, and the few don't change the current rule, that's right THE FEW.

 

[Andy]

RocketBob had posted this on another thread in Dec 06:

Here's what I could find for CAL's retirement numbers

2007: 313
2008: 241
2009: 215
2010: 209
2011: 218
2012: 218
2013: 191
2014: 202
2015: 171
2016: 189
2017: 180
2018: 179
2019: 151
2020: 146
2021: 151
2022: 150
2023: 178
2024: 125
2025: 135
2026: 103
2027: 82
2028: 88
2029: 85
2030: 58
2031: 29
2032: 19
2033: 8

 

[Furloughed80]

So to answer your question, if the age 60 rule was to change today, it would be devastating, between the Bscale up to year 6 for FOs, PBS, and no work rules, a 5-7 year career FO here at CAL would be a nightmare.

What would a 5-7 year career as an FO be like at other legacies......a wet dream?

 

[calfo]

attending recurrent ground school on our own time, that's right two days from our off time to complete recurrent......plus 4 hours of CBT.

Huh? Not that I'm a fan of this contract, but I got 7:12 for my three days of training - sounds like you need to put in a pay claim.

What really bites is when the 300 efis breaks down and you spend an extra day in iah on your own dime.

 

[geshields]

I believe it will put just a small dent in the hiring. I don't think it will be the catastrophe that most make it out to be. We can all remember back to the days of the 727 Flight Engineer position with over 60 guys. How many times a month did they call in sick? How many were out on LTD or STD? The percentages were quite high. And how many guys want to fly 85-90 hrs per month after 60.

All the guys I have flown with that are within 3 years of retirement have a ton of sick time accrued because they needed it for their bridge medical. Now with Age 65 they will not need that 500-800 hr sick bank..why not use it..

Also, I can't complain much. I may be a 2 yr FO going to CA on the next bid..

 

[Pocono Pilot]

It certainly affected my decision to turn down a CAL job offer.

I can't imagine working there with that pay, lousy work rules, no insurance for 6-months, Preferential Bidding Systems, etc. Now that everyone else is hiring, I decided to wait for a better deal to come around, especially considering the Age 60 rule is about to be upended within the month. No thanks CAL.

The worst part that sealed the deal for me was that nothing is going to change there until next contract which is a long way away. Most people I talked to said that a new contract wouldn't be agreed upon until 2010-2012 time frame. My sponsor told me that CAL management tried very recently to extend the contract. I think the management likes the arrangement and isn't willing to change it anytime soon.

Just my 2 cents. Please no more nasty PMs from CAL pilots (FLY CONTINENTAL). I could get health benefits from Home Depot on day one. What is wrong with this picture? Am I going to get flamed again for deciding NOT to work under these conditions and telling CAL "no thanks"? Maybe more people should do what I did!

 

[Dorkpilot]

Retirement

I think guys would much more likely continue to work to 65 if they have lost their pension ie NWA Delta UAL US or never had a B-Plan like SWA/Blue.

If they have a frozen B plan like AA CAL, they will start seeing a deminishing return if they work past 62 due to their life expectancy charts. They guys I have talked to that want to work past 60 have mentioned this and said 61.5-62 is the optimum time to retire. So in that respect, CAL is the better choice.

 

[Falconjet]

I keep hearing about all of this hiring at CAL and all of the new planes, but I wonder how many senior guys do you have age 59 and below? How would that affect the rapid upgrades there? How many guys do you have close to retiring? We lost 2300 captains in 18 months at Delta, and have around 300 senior guys over 55. We do expect our own expansion too. Just wondering.


Bye Bye--General Lee

You looking for a job GL?

 

[catIIIc]

The retirments will definately slow down but with 5-7% mainline growth expected every year I don't think hiring will stop neither will the movement. Now another terrorist attack or 100/bl oil anything goes but those thing effect everyone else.

And Ponco, I am glad you made your decision not to come here but to think that age 60 changing will not effect hiring at other airlines you are about to get big wake up call. DAL, CAL, SWA, are really the only airlines that are currently growing with airplanes on order, and FED EX and UPS are growing also but if Age 60 changes their hiring will slow down also so I am glad you are happy at express because you will be there for a long time. Most people go their entire careers without ever getting an interview with a Major Airline, you got one and turned them down good luck getting a second one.