General Information and Troubleshooting
DALSEN IS NOT WORKING AS EXPECTED, WHAT SHOULD I DO?
For openasapp login and subscription issues, please refer to the next few questions. Otherwise, please ensure that your six digit employee number is correctly entered in the gray cell labeled "EMPLOYEE NUMBER" on the Home page, and check for updates using the menu at the upper right corner of the app. If your question isn't addressed or corrected by one of the FAQ on this page, please reach out to me by email. Include your employee number and a screenshot of the error for faster resolution.
WHAT IS OPENASAPP? DO I NEED A LOGIN TO ACCESS DALSEN?
Openasapp is a program that allowed me to convert DALSEN from a spreadsheet I developed into the distributable format you can view on your Apple or Android device. You do not need a login, but software updates from openasapp have occasionally resulted in users being directed to a login page when opening DALSEN. If you are unable to X out of this page, follow the link on this website.
WHY IS MY SENIORITY INFORMATION NOT VISIBLE?
Subscribers can see seniority information on any page so long as their six digit employee number is correctly entered in the cell labeled "EMPLOYEE NUMBER" on the Home page. Once this is entered, users can select other variables in the gray cells, and view resulting data in the blue cells. Pilots who haven't subscribed and aren't currently listed on this month's seniority list as on leave or New Hire (NBC) can still view some selectable data on each page - "Subscribe for data" will appear in cells when a subscription is required.
I ALREADY SUBSCRIBED; WHY DO I STILL SEE "SUBSCRIBE FOR DATA" IN CERTAIN CELLS?
Your subscription is tied to your employee number, which must be manually input into the DALSEN database. I'll do this as quickly as I can, but unfortunately there will be a slight delay - anywhere from a few hours to a day if I'm flying. If you still don't have access a few days after subscribing, please check for updates in DALSEN by clicking the three dots in the upper right corner and select "Check for Updates" (internet connection required); if still not successful, email to confirm your employee number has been correctly uploaded.
HOW DO I CANCEL AUTOMATIC RENEWALS?
If you do not wish for PayPal to rewnew your subscription annually, you can opt out on PayPal's website, under "Recurring Payments." Alternatively, you can email dalseniority@gmail.com and I will cancel future renewals.
HOW OFTEN IS DALSEN UPDATED?
At minimum, DALSEN is updated with the release of new Seniority and Category Lists at the beginning of each bid period and with the release of AE results. There are also periodic updates made to assign categories to New Hires still listed as "NBCNEWB," which are pulled from weekly emails from the MEC or, when available, projected category lists. A post will be made on the DALSEN Facebook Group when these are completed.
Home Page FAQs
HOW DO I KNOW THIS DATA IS CURRENT?
The cells at the top of the Home page reflect when the database was last updated, with either the Seniority List or with data pertaining to conversions (i.e., Projected Categories list, Conversions report, hiring data, etc.). There will be some lag time between when such information is published and when I can update the database, but I will do so as quickly as possible, and will send an update through openasapp and on the DALSEN Facebook Group when completed. Recent changes to the app are listed in the "News" cell on the Info tab.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TOTAL, ACTIVE, AND FORECAST COUNTS?
When Total is selected, Current Overall Seniority will display the pilot’s seniority and percentage on the Current Seniority List; selecting Active will show seniority and percentage of among pilots not on leave, listed as New Hires or Supervisors on the seniority list; selecting Forecast will show position based reported New Hires totals and mandatory retirements as of the current date.
Current Category & Seniority calculations are unaffected by the Pilot Count selection, but Projected Category & Seniority is changed as follows: selecting Total will show the projected number of pilots (accounting for conversions and retirements) in category on the first day of the selected bid period, including known New Hire awards; selecting Active removes any pilots awarded MBL, CBL, and KLOA awards; selecting Forecast adds projected SLIs, as well as expected New Hires in FO categories as projected on the most recent staffing forecast.
HOW ARE SENIORITY IN CATEGORY PROJECTIONS CALCULATED?
Numbers for the Current Bid Period are pulled directly from the Seniority List, and the Categories List is the primary source of information for next month's bid period. Data from future bid periods pulled from any and all projected conversions reports add to and subtract from these numbers as they are made available. Scheduled retirements and ongoing hiring data (for narrowbody FO categories) re also incorporated. As outlined in the answer to the previous question, these projections can change depending on Pilot Count selection.
HOW DO YOU KNOW THE CONVERSION DATES FOR AWARDED CATEGORIES?
Conversion dates are pulled from the results of Advance Entitlements, including any published Projected Category Lists. As you know, actual training and conversions dates may, and often do, change! To account for this, the monthly Categories List takes precedence over AE Projected Conversions; moreover, once an AE conversion window is closed, the outstanding conversions are removed and anything not projected on the Conversions Report or Category List are considered cancelled.
MY DISPLAYED NEXT/FUTURE CATEGORY AND/OR CONVERSION DATE IS INCORRECT; CAN YOU CHANGE IT?
Yes. You know the particulars of your situation better than I do - for example, if you know when you'll be returning from leave, you can tell me what category you're planning to return to and I can slot you into the database manually. Please email dalseniority@gmail.com if this applies to you. If your incorrect status is merely due to an error on a Crew Resources document, the same procedure applies (although I may follow up to determine if the error is widespread).
WHY ARE YOUR PROJECTIONS DIFFERENT FROM THOSE I'VE SEEN THROUGH OTHER SOURCES?
While I don't know how ALPA or other individuals determine their projections, DALSEN's database is built from the current Seniority List, Projected Categories List, and all reports listing projected conversions (AE or otherwise) that are made available. This method has its limitations, as some pilots are not always captured in these sources (examples: pre-65 retirements, pilots going on/returning from leaves, delayed/cancelled conversions, etc.). As such, while DALSEN projections aim to be representative of all the information line pilots have at their disposal, they should not be considered 100% accurate.
WHY CAN'T I SELECT A BID PERIOD PAST _____?
As these numbers are based on published projected conversions, the dropdown menu is limited to the bid period that latest pending conversion is scheduled to take place.
WHY IS ONE OR MORE OF THE SENIORITY IN CATEGORY CELLS BLANK?
So long as you have correctly entered your six digit employee number, this generally means you are not projected to be in a biddable category for the depicted bid period - this includes pilots on leave or in supervisory positions, and New Hires. When "Active" count is selected, Projected Seniority will display if the pilot has been awarded an MBL, CBL, or KLOA for the selected month. Non-subscribers are limited to viewing next month's projections.
Future Seniority FAQs
HOW A PILOT'S PROJECTED SENIORITY CALCULATED?
Projected Seniority Number is calculated by subtracting the retirements scheduled to occur on or before the first day of the selected bid period. If selecting a date other than the max retirement age (65), retirements are interpolated across a length of time determined by the user's selected Average Retirement Age. Ensure six digit employee number is correctly entered on the Home screen to populate data for this page.
HOW IS THE PROJECTED TOTAL CALCULATED?
If selecting "Current Total" or "Custom Selection," the appropriate total will be fixed regardless of Month and Year selections. Otherwise, the projected total is calculated by determining how many pilots will be added and subtracted to the total on the most current seniority list. Retirements are subtracted based on the selected Average Retirement Age, and New Hires are added based on the selected Calculation Method - either a fixed number per month, or a replacement of the mandatory retirements scheduled to take place by the selected date. Data explaining the total will be displayed at the bottom of the page.
WHAT IS DESCRIBED IN THE "CURRENT SENIORITY OF CRYSTAL BALL SELECTIONS" CELL?
Subscribers who have selected a category and percentage on the Crystal Ball page will see the required seniority and percentage of the pilot who currently holds that spot. This allows pilots to project when they might be able to hold a certain category and percentage based on more personal predictions. As with the Crystal Ball, these projections are not a guarantee.
WHAT CAN NON-SUBSCRIBERS SEE ON THIS PAGE?
For selected months, non-subscribers can see projections when Average Retirement Age is set to the FAA maximum (65) and the Hires Calculation Method is set to "Current Total" or "Custom Selection."
Crystal Ball FAQs
WHAT IS THE CRYSTAL BALL?
The Seniority in Category calculator on the Crystal Ball page allows pilots to see where they sit in a selected category for either the current bid period or at the end of the farthest reaching open conversion window. Selecting a Target Percentage will calculate an Approximate Able To Hold Date for the selected category at that percentage. Ensure six digit employee number is correctly entered on the Home screen to populate data for this page.
HOW ARE THE APPROXIMATE ABLE TO HOLD DATES CALCULATED?
These dates are determined by finding when you will be as senior as the pilot awarded the selected category and Target Percentage. If, for example, the ATL350A plug at the end of the open conversion window(s) has a projected seniority of 4,000, and you are projected to be 5,000 on the same date, the algorithm finds when 1,000 pilots senior to you are projected to retire. A range of 0-15% of early retirements is calculated, but projections will default to no earlier than month after the end of any open conversion windows, and no later than the user's mandatory retirement month. The algorithm resolves to “Unable (retirement)” if you are projected to turn 65 before reaching the required seniority for the selected category/percentage.
HOW ACCURATE IS THE CRYSTAL BALL?
While I'm very proud of this product, it's called the Crystal Ball for a reason! The formula for the Range of Able to Hold Dates is reactive, not proactive: the number of pilots in a given category is not predicted beyond its AE projected levels, accounting for projected retirements. As the algorithm is a synthesis of the current seniority list and projected conversions, positions for base or category openings can’t be predicted.
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN "CURRENT" AND "PROJECTED" FLEET COMPOSITION OPTIONS?
The "Current" projections are based on the selected aircraft's share of the current overall fleet, whereas "Projected" alters the seniority number required by a factor correspondent to pending orders for the selected aircraft. Fleets with projected increases in overall share should slide forward, and decreases should slide back. No aircraft retirements or returns to service are accounted for in this formula, which is updated quarterly.
WHY DOES TARGET PERCENTAGE MAX OUT BELOW 100%?
If after the conversion window you are projected to be able to hold the selected category, its targets will max out at a lower percentage (for example, if you are projected to be 57% in the selected category at the end of the conversion window the highest Target Percentage you'll be able to select will be 50%). For categories you are "Unable to Hold," the target percentage is capped at 99%. This is because on many fleets the difference between plug and the next most junior pilot in that category can be vast (1,000 or more seniority numbers is not uncommon). These outlier plugs (SLIs, reinstatements, pilots returning from leaves of absence, etc.) can make it seem as though a category may be more in reach than is realistic on an AE; capping percentages at 99% is an attempt to mitigate that.
IS THIS APPROXIMATE RANGE OF ABLE TO HOLD DATES REALISTIC?
If you are projected to reach the required seniority for your selected category and percentage within any open conversion window, the formula will resolve to the month after the latest conversion window (but no later than the pilot's retirement month). The formula is based strictly on published retirement dates, and only predictive of when you will reach a certain seniority number, so even if the Crystal Ball projects you to hold a desired category before the end of an ongoing AE, how surpluses and vacancies are filled cannot be accounted for. As such, please don't accept this projection as a guarantee.
Pay Comparison FAQs
HOW DOES THE PAY COMPARISON WORK?
Pilots can select their Current or Awarded position (if no pending conversion, Awarded defaults to Current position) and compare to one of their choosing, for any year through 2026. Totals are the product of the displayed rate and the selected Monthly Hours, and can be displayed Monthly or Annually as selected by user. No overrides (e.g., LCA), special pays (e.g., international), or per diem are included, nor are taxes, dues, or other deductions removed. Pilots shown to be on leave on the Seniority List will not have a Current Pay Rate; if the user was previously awarded a training bypass or is pay protected at a rate other than their category on the Seniority List, the displayed Rate1 will be incorrect (except for SLIs, see below).
WHAT VARIABLES CAN USERS SELECT?
For Rate1, selecting "Current" will reflect the pilot's position as depicted on this month's seniority list; selecting "Awarded" will reflect the pilot's future-most awarded position. The Rate1 Calendar Year will default to the current year for "Current" and the conversion year, if applicable, for "Awarded;" Rate2 Calendar Year is selectable through 2026, with associated contractual raises, and will change selections for Employee Year as applicable. Pilots can calculate Totals for up to 200 Monthly Hours at each rate, and can toggle between the Monthly and Annual products. All rates are pulled from current PWA tables. If selecting equipment with multiple rates, subscribers can select a specific variant rate, or the average rate of all active variants.
HOW ARE INSTRUCTOR RATES CALCULATED?
DALSEN subscribers can view the best system-wide "what you can hold" rate by selecting one of the "SLI" options in Rate2 Fleet. The highest paying awarded position (excludes SUP or other INS) of a pilot junior to the pilot is returned, although this will max out at 350B if FO is selected in status. The 10% override for widebody instructors will be applied provided there is a junior pilot awarded the same position. Existing SLIs using the Pay Comparison tool should see their calculated instructor pay in Rate1.