RP Gigs

[kev994]

I’m looking at making the switch to big red in the near future, hoping to get a RP gig. Whats the lifestyle difference between 777 and 787? I’ll have a decent military pension so a couple bucks in year 3 doesn’t make a difference to me but if I can bid a schedule sooner or one has less working days than the other that would make a big difference to me. Thanks!
Edit: Bidding YYZ

[fixnfly]

The 777 does all the gravy flying in the summer time. Athens, Rome and Barcelona during peak travel season. The 787/330 takes over those routes in the winter. The 787 also does south america flying which used to be done by the 777, so the routes change often. Do you live in YYZ? It could be a year or two on reserve as a lot of NB FOs are bidding the RP spot to get out of the awful lifestyle with narrow body flying, even though it's a downgrade. You may not even have the option to bid RP in your groundschool unless more spots open up as there's not much growth right now. They tend to be the top choices in PIT class since it's a free bid and a great way to get familiar with the company, so unless you draw for one of the first picks in your class, you're may not get a position off the hop. Lots of people who want the RP spot and get assigned a NB position can usually bid over in less than a year, so you're not stuck. My recommendation is to bid the 787RP spot if you can since there will be a lot of growth over the next few years and you will go up in seniority holding a block much faster than the 777. Plus there's more variety on the 787 compared to the 777.

[altiplano]

Not many 777/787 RP spots going to new hires going forward, read none. Too many mat leave returns coming back to work part time in the back seat.

You can expect to join as a NB FO with a 30 month freeze before you will be allowed to bid down in position.

A down bid to RP after that will penalize you with another 36 month freeze too, just as you hit formula pay you'd take a pay cut.

They're really trying to disincentivize people bidding down and create a more regular progression so we don't see people coming in as 777 FOs anymore.

RP is a waste too, hopefully they just get rid of the position altogether.

[kev994]

Not many 777/787 RP spots going to new hires going forward, read none. Too many mat leave returns coming back to work part time in the back seat.

You can expect to join as a NB FO with a 30 month freeze before you will be allowed to bid down in position.

A down bid to RP after that will penalize you with another 36 month freeze too, just as you hit formula pay you'd take a pay cut.

They're really trying to disincentivize people bidding down and create a more regular progression so we don't see people coming in as 777 FOs anymore.

RP is a waste too, hopefully they just get rid of the position altogether.

Thanks for the reality check. My current job isn’t so bad that I want to risk a 100% chance of NB, I’ll maybe wait and see if it picks up as y’all get ready for the additional 787s.

[itaserb]

Not many 777/787 RP spots going to new hires going forward, read none. Too many mat leave returns coming back to work part time in the back seat.

You can expect to join as a NB FO with a 30 month freeze before you will be allowed to bid down in position.

A down bid to RP after that will penalize you with another 36 month freeze too, just as you hit formula pay you'd take a pay cut.

They're really trying to disincentivize people bidding down and create a more regular progression so we don't see people coming in as 777 FOs anymore.

RP is a waste too, hopefully they just get rid of the position altogether.

Correct me if I'm wrong...If you end up on NB you can transfer to a different position within your 30 month freeze, however it must come with a base change.

[itsgrosswhatinet]

I’ll maybe wait and see if it picks up as y’all get ready for the additional 787s.

People who didn't wait will move ahead of you from NB FO into RP positions, as is already happening.

[altiplano]

Not many 777/787 RP spots going to new hires going forward, read none. Too many mat leave returns coming back to work part time in the back seat.

You can expect to join as a NB FO with a 30 month freeze before you will be allowed to bid down in position.

A down bid to RP after that will penalize you with another 36 month freeze too, just as you hit formula pay you'd take a pay cut.

They're really trying to disincentivize people bidding down and create a more regular progression so we don't see people coming in as 777 FOs anymore.

RP is a waste too, hopefully they just get rid of the position altogether.

Correct me if I'm wrong...If you end up on NB you can transfer to a different position within your 30 month freeze, however it must come with a base change.

Some guys work the system and try that. You riak getting stuck commuting for an unknown period though, probably sitting 18 days on junior reserve in another city. Apparently that hasn't been working out well for some guys that are getting fired for not sorting out their full reserve days in base.

Plus by the time you get the position awarded you're 6 months or a year in, and then you train in another 6 months or year, then you're frozen again for 2 or 3 years and stuck from going anywhere... 787 FO opens up with the deliveries? You're frozen. NB CA schedules and pay look better with daily guarantee started? You're frozen.

Whatever though... if that's what people want...

[Launchpad1]

Plus by the time you get the position awarded you're 6 months or a year in, and then you train in another 6 months or year, then you're frozen again for 2 or 3 years and stuck from going anywhere... 787 FO opens up with the deliveries? You're frozen. NB CA schedules and pay look better with daily guarantee started? You're frozen

Just to clarify, if you're awarded any position under 20.05.05 (training on a different aircraft type with a base transfer) you are not frozen for 3 years. The only freeze that applies in this circumstance is the 30 month freeze starting at the close of the CMSC review in which you were awarded that position. So in this case you could bid from NB FO to WB RP and be frozen for 30 months not 3 years.

[Man_in_the_sky]

Not many 777/787 RP spots going to new hires going forward, read none. Too many mat leave returns coming back to work part time in the back seat.

You can expect to join as a NB FO with a 30 month freeze before you will be allowed to bid down in position.

A down bid to RP after that will penalize you with another 36 month freeze too, just as you hit formula pay you'd take a pay cut.

They're really trying to disincentivize people bidding down and create a more regular progression so we don't see people coming in as 777 FOs anymore.

RP is a waste too, hopefully they just get rid of the position altogether.

Thanks for the reality check. My current job isn’t so bad that I want to risk a 100% chance of NB, I’ll maybe wait and see if it picks up as y’all get ready for the additional 787s.

Waiting for something to get better while not on property is not a wise move honestly.

get your number and wait it out. It sucks, but seniority is everything. We’re all numbers, might at well get a better one asap.

[flying4dollars]

Not many 777/787 RP spots going to new hires going forward, read none. Too many mat leave returns coming back to work part time in the back seat.

You can expect to join as a NB FO with a 30 month freeze before you will be allowed to bid down in position.

A down bid to RP after that will penalize you with another 36 month freeze too, just as you hit formula pay you'd take a pay cut.

They're really trying to disincentivize people bidding down and create a more regular progression so we don't see people coming in as 777 FOs anymore.

RP is a waste too, hopefully they just get rid of the position altogether.

Thanks for the reality check. My current job isn’t so bad that I want to risk a 100% chance of NB, I’ll maybe wait and see if it picks up as y’all get ready for the additional 787s.

Waiting for a WB position at AC is a terrible plan of action. There are no guarantees of this. Most of the positions offered in PIT courses lately and for the future will be NB. If your goal is AC, you are wasting precious seniority numbers for something that may never happen for you. Are you prepared to sacrifice this as well as other benefits that higher seniority gets you?

[altiplano]

Plus by the time you get the position awarded you're 6 months or a year in, and then you train in another 6 months or year, then you're frozen again for 2 or 3 years and stuck from going anywhere... 787 FO opens up with the deliveries? You're frozen. NB CA schedules and pay look better with daily guarantee started? You're frozen

Just to clarify, if you're awarded any position under 20.05.05 (training on a different aircraft type with a base transfer) you are not frozen for 3 years. The only freeze that applies in this circumstance is the 30 month freeze starting at the close of the CMSC review in which you were awarded that position. So in this case you could bid from NB FO to WB RP and be frozen for 30 months not 3 years.

If you are awarded a downbid after your 30 month freeze it's a new 36 month freeze. If you play a game and bid another base to get a downbid during your initial 30 month freeze it's a new 30 month freeze.

[altiplano]

Not many 777/787 RP spots going to new hires going forward, read none. Too many mat leave returns coming back to work part time in the back seat.

You can expect to join as a NB FO with a 30 month freeze before you will be allowed to bid down in position.

A down bid to RP after that will penalize you with another 36 month freeze too, just as you hit formula pay you'd take a pay cut.

They're really trying to disincentivize people bidding down and create a more regular progression so we don't see people coming in as 777 FOs anymore.

RP is a waste too, hopefully they just get rid of the position altogether.

Thanks for the reality check. My current job isn’t so bad that I want to risk a 100% chance of NB, I’ll maybe wait and see if it picks up as y’all get ready for the additional 787s.

Waiting for a WB position at AC is a terrible plan of action. There are no guarantees of this. Most of the positions offered in PIT courses lately and for the future will be NB. If your goal is AC, you are wasting precious seniority numbers for something that may never happen for you. Are you prepared to sacrifice this as well as other benefits that higher seniority gets you?

Right? Seniority 101.

[Launchpad1]

If you play a game and bid another base to get a downbid during your initial 30 month freeze it's a new 30 month freeze.

It's not 'a game' if you genuinely want to change base. Other than that though yes you are correct.

[altiplano]

If you play a game and bid another base to get a downbid during your initial 30 month freeze it's a new 30 month freeze.

It's not 'a game' if you genuinely want to change base. Other than that though yes you are correct.

Read what I wrote again - bid another base to get a downbid - that's what I said. Not - bid another base to get the base.

There are junior guys bidding away from their home base just so they can fly this or that plane or in some cases it's just so they can get a position a couple bids earlier. Then they get stuck commuting, no vacancies in the base and they're SOL for who knows how long...