jetBlue March 8th/9th Interview Session

[Fins Up]

The target for the August bid is 82 hours. Reserve is running longer than expected. Also they make the 190 guys sit airport standby for 6 hours with no pay and no per diem. The scheduling guide says this shall be done for irregular ops, but it seems to have become standard practice. The 320 fleet does not do this duty.

You're right about the per diem. Since you're not traveling away from base, you don' get any.

Correct me if I'm wrong but only the folks on reserve do airport standby, so your reserve guarrantee is what you're getting paid.

I don't know how much it happens, but 320 guys do do airport standby from time to time. (Hehe, I said do do.)

 

[RideandDrive]

Oh I forgot. You get your 75 hour. Reserves are the ones doing the standby. The staffing for reserve is 30-40% of the pilots.


No per diem. Eating in the airport is on your own dime.

 

[Falconjet]

2wheelz and FalconJet, could you explain your logic to me? If both airplanes are growing in numbers then advancement opportunity should be available for both as well, admittedly not equal in number. Given the recent slowed growth plan I'm reasonably confidant that none of our group will see upgrade in less than 2 years, so the aircraft lock is immaterial. Seniority and the use of that seniority will be the only determinant to upgrade. Let's assume we all bid captain at first available. It will come down to how many numbers are lost to those of us that elect to wait for a 'Bus class. My best intel tells me that there will be 10 new hires/month for July (the first class I was offered) and August going into the E-190. With a September 'Bus class being offered that means I will lose 20 numbers, perhaps 25 if they start another E-190 class before the 'Bus class begins. Even if, in 2 to 5 years, upgrades are held down to 5/month (which I highly doubt) we're talking a 4 month difference in upgrade time. The pay difference over a minimum of 2 years more than makes up for the lost 4 months. And if you stretch the upgrade time out to 5 years the difference is even more glaring, but let's confine the discussion to 2 years as that's when the airplane lock expires.

There are lots more variables, of course.

Vastly: I added the emphasis to your quote. I will try to explain my logic. I'm not that familiar with jetBlue, but I would imagine that you guys bid for your lines, vacation and upgrades in seniority order. Think 5 years down the road, not just the 2 year seat lock. Seniority is everything.

You have no idea how long you will be in the pool if you defer a class date because it is in the "wrong" aircraft. Objective number one should be get on the property, then worry about what seat you are in. I was in a pool for over 2 years. Didn't expect it to be that long, but that is what happened. You have no idea how long you might have to wait.

Each pilot that gets hired ahead of you will ALWAYS bid for upgrade, vacation and monthly lines AHEAD of you. They will ALWAYS be furloughed AFTER you. Think about that. You only have so many years to work in the 121 world (be it till 60 or 65 or whatever) so every month you wait is one less month at the top of your earnings potential (one less month as a Captain at the end of your career).

One of those "50" pilots (and it could turn out to be a bunch more, that is the point) might be the one who decides to camp out on the line that overnights in your home town for their entire career. How big would those "50" numbers be then?

I just can't imagine anyone delaying a start date just to get on a particular aircraft, at jetBlue or FedEx for that matter. That is your perogative if they give you the choice, but it will cost you dearly in the long run.

I don't mean to sound harsh, just trying to encourage folks with the choice to consider all the angles before defering a class date to wait for a different aircraft or domicile.

Good luck with your choice.

FJ

 

[Truckdriver]

So if 30 of the March guys in the pool take the Aug 190 classes that will leave only around 20. If they are going to run 5-6 320 classes this fall then most of the March guys should be in class by Sep or Oct. Guys from the May interviews could expect to be in class by Oct or Nov on the 320 and possibly Sep on the 190 if they run 2-3 190 classes in Sep. I sure hope that lifeguard was right about the number of 190 classes and the number of 320 classes. I sure wish they had that 190 out West because that would change my outlook on which airplane I would take.

 

[pilotgolfer]

Has anyone heard from Bernice yet for an August Class? The email I got last week said they were going to put 26 people thru class on the 190 in August.

Scott

 

[Runninman]

B6 Class Update

Hello,

Runninman here. Interviewed March 8th. Placed in pool first week of May. Just missed May 10th 320 class. In June, was offered 190 with class dates of Aug 2, 16 or 30. Was told that class sizes were 11, 11, 8 respectively. Also was told, possibly a 320 class could go in Sept (no dates, just a possibility). I chose the 30 Aug class date with the option of a 320 class date if it opens up in Sept. If the 320 class goes into Oct, I'll just stick with the 190 on Aug 30. I hope this helps.

Rman

 

[Enterprise]

I was in the January interview group and went to class in mid-march for the 320. It looks like for me that reserve is going to last somewhere in the 6 month range because I am going to miss getting a line before the bus slow down in September. The E-190 guys are probably going to get lines either next month or September so their overtime might make a significant dent in the pay differential for the first year. Things are really starting to roll over there. We truly are getting to point that if we do not get any more bus orders that y'all are going to be at the cut off point for A-320 CA and seniority might mean more.

 

[Propblast]

Got an e-mail tonight re: E-190 class offering in Aug. with the option to wait it out for an A-320 class - I decided to wait. Feel free to critique my decision (I'm sure someone would anyway) but it's based on my own personal situation so your critique will be pretty much meaningless ;-).

-PB

 

[Snoopy Mendoza]

FWIW: RUMOR...

Others I have spoken to have heard rumors and some have have Emails that detail A320 new hire classes starting in Aug and then 2 A320 new hire classes a month for the remainder of 2006.

I hope this is correct. But lots of information pulling in opposite directions doesn't help.
Later...:beer:

 

[projectguy]

Hello All,

Got my email from Bernice today with the invite for E190: Aug2 -11 Aug16 -11 orAug30 -8. Nothing specific about A320. No decision tonight.
Projectguy

ps Hey 2Wheelz, congratulations on the next step. Have fun in IOE.