Seniority. It’s the rank among peers “that rules an airline pilot’s life,” says Paul Templeton, a pilot employment expert and retired airline captain. “Seniority determines almost everything you do — what crew base you’re assigned to, what equipment you’ll fly, and your monthly schedule.”
Seniority — The Key to Career Advancement
Key Takeaways:
- Seniority is the fundamental ranking system for airline pilots, dictating nearly all career aspects, including crew base, aircraft assignments, and monthly schedules.
- The system ensures fairness by awarding opportunities based on length of service rather than merit, and includes various types such as relative, captain/first officer, aircraft, and base seniority.
- Pilots strategically leverage different types of seniority to achieve personal earnings and quality of life goals, making the early accumulation and retention of seniority at a major airline crucial due to its high value.
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