There are a few variations on how seniority is determined when you start with an airline, and also how it carries through your career.
On the start date, some airlines do seniority in order of past experience or your ability on the initial course with the airline, others by date of birth and some by alphabetical order.
On promotion to Captain, some airlines will have a separate list for "command seniority" where first to command will have the higher seniority, also known as "seniority in rank". Other airlines will just have the same seniority number the whole way through.
To non airline people it may sound like a strange system, but it works! It is important to many of us as we believe that it is the fairest system and helps prevent favouritism for promotion (assuming you have the ability) and aircraft type changes etc. However there are those that do not agree with the system.
Last edited by bombshell; 14th Oct 2004 at 02:34.