For Doug- Upgrade

Doug, any idea on how long until you can upgrade? Would you be upgrading to captain in the current equipment or to FO in a new equipment?

[Doug Taylor]

Uhh, I dunno!

Too lazy to train on anything else for an FO seat and considering if I could hold captain on something, I'd be uber junior and see Mrs. Taylor even less.

Not in my game plan.

[JC1188]

So Doug, if you wanted to upgrade to Captain on your current aircraft, you could just put in the request and do it since you been with the company for a certain amount of time now?

[FL270]

Upgrade has nothing to do with how long a person has been with the company. It is all about seniority. If your seniority allows you to hold a position, you can bid for it regardless of time on property, with a few minor caveats.

In other words, Doug could put in an ATL 777 CA bid tomorrow. If there was a vacancy in that seat and nobody senior to Doug wanted it, he'd get it.

If you have 8000 pilots in a company, you have 8000 reasons people bid the way they do. Some people want to be captain ASAP. Some people commute, and choose the position that makes that work the best. Some people would rather fly international FO than domestic captain or vice-versa. Some people want to work a lot and others want to work as little as possible. Some people only want warm-weather layovers.

Clear as mud, right?

[FlyChicaga]

If it wasn't for most majors having a 1000 turbine 121 PIC requirement, I'd hang on as one of the most senior FOs rather than upgrade. 21 days off, day trips, living in base, doesn't sound so bad! Only problem is can't get paid enough staying a regional FO.

[8LegDay]

What are the upgrades looking like at XJT?

[FlyChicaga]

Around 4 years right now. Probably will increase as time goes on, unless we have some major expansion out west.