New Pilot Bid

[BoeingBoy]

If any of the non-pilots are interested, there's a new pilot bid out with an August 1 effective date. No real changes - in fact the number of "primary lines" doesn't change anywhere.

It just fills 38 vacancies and removes reserve slots in an equal amount - thus the "headcount" goes down by 38.

The vacancies are created by the net of:

Retirements - 11 (9 regular & 2 early)
Medical (LTD) - 12
Resignation, termination, deceased, etc - 3
LOA - 20
offset by Return to Line - 8

Jim

 

[ClueByFour]

I'm suprised that one can't see a pulldown in PIT flying based on this bid, given the posturing over the last year.

 

[USA320Pilot]

Clue:

The PIT pull down is already relected in previous bids. The August bid is status quo and is basically the same as June and July.

The projected PIT reduction should occur in October and the pilot bid should be released in about two months to reflect that flying. However, a bid can be cancelled at any point and the upcoming business plan changes will have a dramatic effect on upcoming staffing.

Expect PIT flying to be transferred to BOS, LGA, DCA, IAD and possibly westward.

Respectfully,

USa320Pilot

 

[BoeingBoy]

Changes in PIT are minor & all reflect reserve staffing changes:

A330 F/O +1
75/75I -1 C/O, +1 F/O
75/76D -1 C/O
737 -2 C/O
A320 -5 C/O

Staffing changes by base (again, only affect reserve levels):

CLT -18
DCA -9
LGA -1
PHL 0
PIT -7
BOS -3

Jim

 

[BoeingBoy]

"However, a bid can be cancelled at any point and the upcoming business plan changes will have a dramatic effect on upcoming staffing."

USA320Pilot,

You are technically correct. However, with a closing date of May 2 (and awards posted late May 3), the first training necessitated by this bid will be as early as mid-May. The longer you go beyond that, the more training will have been accomplished with it's corresponding cost (lost productivity, hotel rooms, etc). Canceling a bid too far along in this process wastes a lot of money.

Jim

PS - an October bid (if there is one) will be out no later than late July as long as there are not changes to the normal monthly bidding timeline.

 

[funguy2]

I would suspect than any changes would be reflected in September... US Airways might as well hang-on at PIT through the summer, and do any kind of big pullout in September, when loads are typically very light (i.e. cause reaccomodations to the smallest amount of people).

Is there any Sept info available? Or is this a two-month long bid (and included with August)? I really do not have any knowledge of how these things work at US Airways.

 

[BoeingBoy]

funguy,

The way these bids come out is this.

We on the ALPA bid committee partake in a conference call, usually the day before a new bid comes out. During that call - with the folks in RIDC that put the bid together - we find out what is in the bid.

So the short answer is no - not a my lowly level. Obviously, the planning for the bid starts well before we on the committee get involved. Normally a bid is marketing driven - what flights are to be in what markets. Of course in times like these where stratigic decisions affect everything, that really starts the process rolling.

Jim

ps - in this case (the August bid), it came out about a month earlier than it had to. Normally this is an indication that plans are pretty well set for the affected month. Of course, we are in different times.