I’m sure Hannah will respond but the short answer is EVERYTHING AT THE AIRLINES IS BASED ON SENIORITY. When you’re a newhire you’ll be asked your base preferences but you’ll be assigned a base where the airline needs you and your seniority within the class. EWR is traditionally a junior base and that’s where most newhires start. If there were openings elsewhere it again would go based on seniority in the class.
Throughout the year airlines post vacancies or have Vacancy bids. All pilots can bid for available slots (airplanes, seats and bases) but what you get awarded is based on your seniority. So to get to the base YOU want there a) needs to be a slot (you can’t push someone out) and b) needs to be no one senior to you that wants that slot. Make sense?
Greg,
The first day of indoc you will see a list of available bids. For example 12 IAH 737, 15 EWR 737, 6 SFO 320, 2 SFO 756. Then you will have a class seniority schoolyard pick. The most senior person gets the first pick all the way down to the last most junior person. You get a choic of what is left by the time it gets to you.
If Cleveland is your first choice and it is not in the list, you would need to start at one of these available bases first, and then put in a transfer later on. There are monthly base transfers and vacancy bids every so often that you could bid for an open spot in the base. Again, both of these run on seniority as well. If there are more senior people wanting Cleveland, they will get it before you as a junior person. However, there is so much movement right now, and most people are getting the bases of their choice within a very reasonable amount of time.
I just want to say how great it is for you to explain the calendar codes. My now 24 year old started for United late August or early September last year. He sends me his schedules but getting him to define the codes is difficult haha. Thank you so much.