How do domicile transfer bids at United work? Annually? As needed?
Thanks.
I'll assume that you're referring to a 'lateral.' As in lateral transfer to a different domicile on the same equipment.
As D Bo pointed out, there's a 36 month seat lock. This seat lock is for equipment. There are a few ways to train on new equipment during those 36 months, but they're not the normal way that people change equipment, so let's just say that you will be able to get on different equipment once your seat lock is up.
As far as equipment bids go, they're pretty much monthly. Here's the current vacancy bids, which should close on the 20th of this month for December training (I'm hoping that the formatting works out):
CAPTAIN 400 CAP LAX 12
777 CAP SFO 8
SEA 3
767 CAP DEN 2
SFO 6
SEA 4
320 CAP DCA 8
DEN 7
300 CAP DCA 2
ORD 8
TTL 60
FIRST OFFICER 400 F/O LAX 12 777 F/O SFO 15 767 F/O DCA 8 DEN 4 LAX 2 320 F/O DCA 10 LAX 2 TTL 53
TOTAL CAP VACANCIES: 60
TOTAL F/O VACANCIES: 53
TOTAL VACANCIES: 113
For United, the bids are monthly right now due to all of the retirements. They came out monthly from the time I was hired in June 2000 until after 9/11. The bids have been smaller and sporadic over the last few years, but now it's back to monthly for at least the last year.
Now, to get to your original question on laterals. I'll use myself as an example of what not to do.
In order to bid for a new position or domicile, you have to fill out a BIDREQ sheet on Unimatic (ancient computer system currently used by United). When a vacancy bid comes out, the computer goes through the seniority list filling vacancies.
In my case, I had a bunch of equipment and domiciles in my BIDREQ screen before being furloughed - I was on the A320 out of LAX when furloughed. In spite of being furloughed and recalled, they did NOT clear my BIDREQ screen (DOH!).
When I returned from furlough (well, I'm on mil leave until 2009, but return to UAL on paper), I got a 767 to IAD. That works well, since I'm on military orders in the DC area. Unfortunately, I had a 767 to LAX on my BIDREQ screen. So, as you can guess, I got awarded a 767 to LAX back in Feb for a June date. So if I were active, I'd have lateraled from IAD to LAX in June. I now have a 767 to IAD in my BIDREQ screen and I expect to be awarded that before I return to UAL, since I won't be returning for quite a while.
Long winded answer, but hopefully that illustrates the process fairly well.
I gotta say, it's nice to get questions about United rather than reading the standard slams on the company. Good luck to all of those that want to fly for United, and good luck to those that don't. Let's hope that we can all work for the company that's a good fit for each of us.
