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On 8/22/2002 8:52:34 PM
I know Mark Kirkpatrick said there was going to be a proffer for around 200 f/a's. I saw on the web site AA saying 15 to 20 people. Which seems way to low.
I looked through both bid sheets for the proffer. I guess it will be done outside the bid run. Does anyone know for how many the proffer actually went for.
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Reality turned out to be different from what we expected. The proffer was announced by HI6 early yesterday (8/21) for 30 to be trained for domestic. These 30 will start the new AA base alongside the LLC base here in STL. The training will run from 9/3 to 9/21 and the first LLC FA can therefore work an AA cabin in Sept, triggering the merging of the seniority lists on Oct 1, putting us on the bottom. No further training dates have been announced.
Beth Mack, our STL head honcho, says there are discussions going on between AA and APFA about the legality of us flying AA equipment out of here. I understand IOR will initially staff the flights. Someone who knows someone who knows someone told me we'll never see these flights again, but I doubt that. It only makes sense to crew the flights from the point of origin rather than deadhead people in from other bases.
My guess is it will be several months before they start training us for international. They have to have enough people to start a base, and what will they do with those first ones trained?
Even if they do announce international training soon, it looks like it will be at least a few months before the new AA STL base (let's call it STA) grows beyond the original 30. They will fly availability for the balance of Sept and are supposed to actually have their own bid sheet for October. It probably will consist of 3 or 4 lines on AA equipment which passes through STL. The STL isn't being cut by any more than any other hub; just the people. So I expect to see a lot more AA metal coming through here.
It's kind of fun to imagine such a small base. There might be only 3 or 4 reserves, doing 1 on 3 off reserve rotation. There will probably be one available line, with a single plotter greedily grabbing all the open time for himself. Of course, STA will have to have its own HIBOARD, and I have already offered my services as the first licensed trip trader.
And I wonder if STA will get its own representative on the APFA board?
MK