Nuts and Bolts: The January '11 Bid

In January '11 we have:
320 total pairings
182 on the CRJ700
138 on the CRJ200

Pairing lengths include:
102 Locals
67 Two-Day Trips
33 Three-Day Trips
112 Four-Day Trips
6 Five-Day Trips

In December '10 we had:
413 total pairings
246 on the CRJ700
167 on the CRJ200

Pairing lengths included:
195 Locals
98 Two-Day Trips
24 Three-Day Trips
96 Four-Day Trips

The addition on IAH flying is interesting and scary. If we see any bit of normalcy return it will be after February. I think MSP and IAH are little to blame, the seasonal slump is really beginning to be more and more obvious thanks to the way the airlines have responded to the recession. You can even see flight frequencies match peak travel times of the day(s). Notice the first part of January has more flying than the latter. It is just good business in my opinion and not the transition's effect. It is supply and demand over emphasized and it sucks for flight crews. I wouldn't be surprised to see the February pairings the same as January's only with the block hours lower. You won't see any 23+ hour four day trips in February, if my prediction is right. Either way all we can do is stick it out and see. 

Whoa! December 11th, 2010

New year, new flying, new strategy. I just started looking at the pairings for January and I'm still geeking out. Lots of things to think about. My wife recently got a job so my strategy is going to be totally different now, bidding release/report times and fewer pairings throughout the month. This is going to get really crazy. :)