Seniority is complicated
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- Опубликовано: 4 фев 2025
- Airline pilot seniority can be complicated to discuss. At most United States airlines, seniority is determined the age of those in the new hire class. Seniority determines multiple things at the airline that greatly affect quality of life.
This is just an update to see how I work my seniority in way that works best for me and my family.
DFW resident here currently home based flying the triple for one of the major cargo carriers. I’m sure aa is a great company to work for but I often get asked why I haven’t made the jump. For me I flew regionals and had to commute to work and had to play the seniority game in order to get to the base I wanted. That extra time away from family and being stressed just to get to work was a huge wake up call in the QOL i wanted out of my job. I was fortunate enough to get hired at a place that flies the triple with home basing and great benefits. At some point in flying the airlines everyone will find what they want if they can just get through the door. Great videos! Fly safe!
Quick! what protections do you lose for your pri flight controls when in secondary mode!😂
“Great question Darren”… man Darren asks some great questions, does he Darren?
Love your videos! The detail is so informative for me as I am starting training in a major after 24 years flying in the Air Force. More detail the better and keep them coming!
Thank you for making these videos. Your content helps demystify the industry to those of us just starting.
Thank you. This is why I make them. To tell it like it is and clear things up.
I really wish I went after my dream to become an airline pilot. Great video. Thanks for sharing
Yes, in total agreement. It went from a dream deferred to watching my friends enjoying the thing they loved as I loved watching them.
Me to
Fascinating video as always. Interesting listening to you talk about new hires getting time on wide bodies. I see lots of young pilots in the flight deck on United's 767's. I guess many senior pilots have realized those routes on that plane just aren't worth the effort.
Great t-shirt.
I need that shirt for my wife. She still talks about her time working at Blockbuster in High School.
Love the shirt!
@d3kingg387 What was intention?
Thanks for the video! You mentioned briefly about some employees being "inactive". Regarding seniority, are they removed from the seniority rankings during their inactivity? If so, when they return, are they reworked back into the list as if they were never inactive?
They stay on the list but inactive. Their seniority increases while they are away.
Great video Darren! I absolutely love your content! Quick question: if you’re a Captain on a smaller airframe such as the Airbus and want to transfer to the wide body fleet do you have to take a reduction in rank and fly as a First Officer then work your way back up to a Captain on the wide body?
No. You can go straight from Airbus Captain to 787 Captain at most US Airlines
The oldest in my class was 60 and youngest was 26.
Not easy explaining seniority to a person that doesn’t have a job that’s based on seniority. I’m retired from a large transit system based in a big city. Great job was union. Nights, weekends and holidays and base. Trying to explain to ppl why I did or didn’t have to work some days was a pain in the neck
Hey man great video a question popped up in my head while watching a cockpit takeoff video with atc audio, it might be a little stupid but how exactly do the both the pilots in the cockpit communicate with each other, in that video the atc was giving instructions to others throughout the takeoff roll, I figured that would be highly distracting and difficult to hear V1 and rotate commands. So do the pilots just tune out the atc and do pilots also communicate each other through the headphones or just directly like a normal conversation?
@@rohitbhargav6669 you learn pretty quickly to filter out communications that aren’t intended for you
As @adamk6009 stated you get used to hearing your call sign and count number quickly and ignoring everything else.
Hello Darren, Another great video and I got a clearer picture of the landscape now. I can see the pros and cons of going back to Airbus and how it works for you on the 777 at this time.
How old are you and do see yourself working until your 65? I remember the last video of you saying they barely worked being senior captain. As always... good on you!!
Thank you. Currently 47. I will work until it no longer makes sense for QOL or financially. Might be 62...might be 65. Once I am done flying I will likely be done flying. If I work until 65 I will have 35 years of flying behind me...that is enough.
Very informational. Thanks for sharing.
Hey Darren! I understand now how important seniority really is in the us, but let’s say you have been flying for 30 years and now fly as a captain for Emirates on the B777. If you were to move to the us and want to change to American or United and still fly the 777, would you be able to? Or would you have to start all over again?
They would start from the bottom. Seniority is per airline. They would get zero preference on aircraft or base
You seem to have a pretty good gig regardless of your seniority. Did you work at Blockbuster when you were young? How can you forget Blockbuster? I miss going there and perusing the titles.
Never worked there but enjoyed the hunt for the movie of the night.
How old were you when you started at the regional? And how old were you when you had your first kid?
30 First regional. 33 first kid.
Question: Does the airline pick which type of plane you fly coming in, or do you pick?
Varies. Normally pilot picks from what is currently open
From what your describing, it sounds like if your a captain on either a wide body or narrow body and you want to switch , they have to back to being a first officer?…is that correct?, or once your a captain you get to stay as captain?
Not at all...you can go anywhere your seniority can hold. A narrow body First Officer can go straight to Widebody Captain if their seniority can hold it. No such thing at MOST US Airlines (every one I know of is this way) as once a Captain always a Captain.
@@geekontheflightdeck thank you
One lesson, move up to mainline carriers asap.
That’s a lesson for you. Of living up to mainline means destroying QOL and possibly family. Is itit worth it?
what does mainline carriers mean in aviation, is it the same thing as major airlines?
Mainline= Major airline. The name on the side on the plane is the same as the actual airline and tickets being sold
How did you get rid of your stutter
I speak much slower than I THINK I should and in a "fake" voice. In my head I am talking incredibly slowly...in reality I am speaking at a normal rate. I use a different voice than my normal one to help my brain understand to speak slower. The voice and rate I use with my family is entirely different than what you hear in my videos. Understand I often have MULTIPLE takes for these videos...especially voice overs. Pacing and practice. Listening to myself on my videos has really helped me as well. Maybe try practicing in front of a camera...it's odd...but worked for me....most of the time. Sometimes it still comes back no matter what. For me I think much faster than I talk.
Sorry if you explained this, but is seniority based on hours flown or years at the company?
Years at the company
Years at company in the United States at most airlines
Great tee, hahaha
Thanks for a great video Darren!! Hey how senior are day trips on the 737 Boston FO side?
Generally speaking day trips are a top 10% seniority thing. Thank you for the kind words
Not sure if I’m understanding this. You’re 9049 in company wide seniority. Your seniority for DFW FO 777 is based on the same company wide list, and while maintaining the same order remove everyone else not in this smaller group and see where you stand? So theoretically you could be top 100 company wide then switch to a new type and base location and likely be at the top in your new group? Regardless of experience in a new plane and location
Correct. My company wide number....9049...is used in whatever seat I want. Let's say they have a new base open up in the Marquette, Michigan (MQT). No one wants to live there...it goes junior. If I transfer bases and am the most senior FO to bid...then I am the number 1 FO in MQT even though I am number 9049 overall. Then you see what's going on up there and are number 9010 and number 180 in Des Moines....you steal my thunder and bid to be FO in MQT...now you are number one. There are multiple statuses (Base/Seat/Aircraft) in the company. The company seniority number is used to place you on THAT list. That list could have 100 pilots...or 700 pilots.
Based on the last vacancy bid, it’s so depressing to see how little of long haul opportunities we have at AA. We are a glorified regional with good paychecks.