legs/day at SWA?

[a319stud]

a few questions for those at swa. how many legs/day do you guys average? how many equivelant flight hours do you average/month? is it common to have a lighter final day so the commute is easier home? thanks

 

[StopNTSing]

Hey General, why don't you field this one?

 

[Daddy]

1) Depends...I avg 3/day...did 5 once....once...TX based guys do 5+ all the time though
2) Flight hours depends as well...usually avg 6 or so per day
3) Trips vary but commuting home at the end of a PM trip is rare...if you fly an AM trip, you'll get home but you'll have to commute up the night prior to your start day

 

[bluestreaking]

I average 3-4 legs a day, and awarded a schedule of around 80 hours per month with 18 days off. I usually pick-up after that, so now I'm scheduled for 98 hours and 16 days off.

 

[Donald]

My last trip I had was a 4 day
Day 1 PHX - LAS
LAS - PDX

Day 2 PDX - MDW
MDW - FLL

Day 3 FLL - MDW
MDW - AUS

Day 4 AUS - SAN
SAN - OAK
OAK - RNO
RNO - LAS
LAS - PHX
Some people prefer long hauls with few legs, some prefer short hauls with multiple legs. This trip as you can see was a mix due to the last day. Seniority, of course, helps you get what you want, but its usually not too hard to trade out of a trip you don't want.

 

[General Lee]

I'd be happy to field this question. According to my friends there, they "work like dogs, but are paid well." Remember, Southwest has very productive trips, which can be good and bad. Some trips have a few legs per day, some have a lot of Intra California or Texas with maybe 5 to 6 legs a day. I am sure some of the trips are commutable, just like every airline has. Good luck at Southwest, and you might also hit Lubbock, Midland/Odessa, Amarillo, and Harlingen along the way. Those places are probably fantastic.

Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[RollinOnMy22sYo]

as opposed to 1 leg to Lagos, Nigeria, with a 36 hour layover.

 

[Donald]

The General was actually pretty acurate. Although I am PHX based and I've been at SWA for 3.5 years, I still have not even seen AMA, Harlingen, or Corpus. I've had one quick turn at Midland and one overnight so far at Lubbock, and El Paso. As far as my average hours, I pick-up as much as I can because my wife doesn't seem to know the meaning of the word budget. Luckily, she doesn't seem to mind me never being home so I push my hours pretty close to the limit. I average 80 - 90 hours per month with an occasional month over 90.

 

[General Lee]

as opposed to 1 leg to Lagos, Nigeria, with a 36 hour layover.

A lot better chance of getting crappy LBB/MAF/AMA/JRL layovers than a 4 times a week layover in Lagos. Also, because of security reasons, you can bet the Lagos hotel will be the best in the country. Do you really need to leave a 5 star or a 4 star hotel? In Paris, Munich, Milan, Buenos Aires, and Athens, yes. In Lagos, NO.

And thank gawd I am too senior for Lagos, which starts this December.


Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[General Lee]

The General was actually pretty acurate. Although I am PHX based and I've been at SWA for 3.5 years, I still have not even seen AMA, Harlingen, or Corpus. I've had one quick turn at Midland and one overnight so far at Lubbock, and El Paso. As far as my average hours, I pick-up as much as I can because my wife doesn't seem to know the meaning of the word budget. Luckily, she doesn't seem to mind me never being home so I push my hours pretty close to the limit. I average 80 - 90 hours per month with an occasional month over 90.

Thanks for the response. Wow. Have fun.


Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[MJG]

What did poor LBB ever do to you to deserve so much hate?????

 

[CA1900]

Do you really need to leave a 5 star or a 4 star hotel?

I pondered that from my Executive Suite in the Hilton Carillon Park in St. Petersburg last week. Right before I went down to the pool.

 

[GuppyWN]

I also pondered that before I walked out my patio door banged my wife in MY pool.

Lighten up CA1900. I didn't hire on because of the hotels and neither did you.

Gup

 

[General Lee]

I also pondered that before I walked out my patio door banged my wife in MY pool.

Lighten up CA1900. I didn't hire on because of the hotels and neither did you.

Gup

I thought I banged your wife in YOUR pool? And, your house was more like a Motel 6. Maybe Lagos would be an improvement for you. When you come back from your 6 LBB turns in a 3 day you probably fall asleep in your own pool. (pool of drool)



Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[SWA/FO]

General got jumped and de-flowered in LBB (here is a picture of that moment ) . And there was a pool of something else all over his back, which made him look like this . The other Delta dudes looked like this all at General's expense. Now he hates LBB.

He has trouble sleeping, without the use of drugs. Now he wishes he worked for Fed Ex or UPS since he can't sleep when the rest of the World is.

We fly 8 legs a day, everyday and are only paid for 2 of them.

 

[Benhuntn]

Last month I flew 4 three days each day was two long haul legs. I was paid for 97 trips. I blocked 72 hrs. This month I have all 3-4 leg trips. Pay for the month is 104 trips and the block is 81. I sort for max pay per day. You can sort trips for max pay per hr. They have more deadheads but I would rather fly up front not in the back. I never pick up extra but I am willing to fly JA's.

 

[BobbyB]

These are official stats from the month of May. Average for hard lines across the system:

Average work days: 13.47
Average Duty Day: 8.64 hours
Block hours per day: 6.03 hours
Average pairing length: 2.99 days
Trips for pay (TFP) per hard line: 96.88
TFP per work day: 7.19
TFP per duty hour: .83
Block Hour per duty hour: .697
Block hours per hard line: 81.23
Reserves per hard line: .11
Pilots per plane: 10.69

Don't have legs per day info but I'd guess it to be slightly less than 4 on average. Lots of 3 and 4 leg days, not that many 5 or 6 leg days. Just a guess.

 

[ivauir]

I thought I banged your wife in YOUR pool? And, your house was more like a Motel 6. Maybe Lagos would be an improvement for you. When you come back from your 6 LBB turns in a 3 day you probably fall asleep in your own pool. (pool of drool)



Bye Bye--General Lee

Another thread for "The General" to show case the class taste and accuracy that has become his hallmark.

 

[Tejas-Jet]

I work it...do lots of "horse trading" during the month.. This month....122 TFP=71 hrs of block.

I occasinally do a LBB/AMA/MAF layover but this month I don't have any layovers there. This month I will see LAS/LAX/SEA/ALB/FLL...the usual...

My 3 day trips this month average 8-13 legs for the entire trip....depending on which trip I am flying. Having been a part of the "legacy tradition" of 3.5-4 hours of sit around and do nothing time during the day ( for no pay)....I just wanna get it done....and that works for me here...

 

[General Lee]

Another thread for "The General" to show case the class taste and accuracy that has become his hallmark.

List something that I said that could not be true? Could a DAL based pilot do 6 LBB turns in 3 days? Probably. I state that Southwest does multiple leg days with 25 minute turns in one type of plane and that makes you mad. It's true. And, there is a chance you could fly to LBB, MAF, AMA, or HRL. You just hate that I am right. I have also stated you have great pay, nice stews, and good management for now. But, productivity=fatigue sometimes, unless you are 25 years old and READY TO GO!

Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[redflyer65]

Who cares about LBB if your making 198/hr. with 17+ days off a month?

I wouldn't.

 

[General Lee]

Who cares about LBB if your making 198/hr. with 17+ days off a month?

I wouldn't.

How long will it take someone to make that above? Don't throw in overtime etc.... We at Delta can make $300 an hour as Captains with inverse assignments.... How long, in reality, could it take you to make $198 an hour (without overtime) in today's Southwest? (Starting in the next class) By that time the legacies will make the same, and the variety of routes and planes will be better. All of the legacies that took pay cuts will recoup some or most of what was lost within the next few years. Maybe not all of it, but a good chunk, and without having to fly one plane, domestically only, with multiple legs standard per day.

Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[Hose A. Jiminez]

Enough about Lubbock. Its a great college town with lots of talent. You have to know where to go.

Productivity does not cause fatigue so much as INACTIVITY causes it. ie a leg to a hub, few hrs on the ground another leg or so.

Duty day is what its all about and ours are in line with everyone elses.

I personally am less tired after six 50min legs than I am after two 3 to 4 hour legs.

 

[SWA/FO]

in one type of plane and that makes you mad.

Yeah, most people at real airlines fly multiple types of planes.

How long, in reality, could it take you to make $198 an hour (without overtime) in today's Southwest?

We dont do hourly....TFP. 1 TFP (Trips for Pay) = 243 miles... aprox 35-48 minutes. When I upgrade at 6 years (very soon) it will be 164.26 per trip (TFP). Convert to hourly = 1.2 * 164.26 = 197.11 per hour. All this is under our current contract, this will get better (and yeah, I believe so)

yeah boyyyyyyyyyyyeeeeeeeeeeeee. imp:

 

[redflyer65]

THAT'S what I'm talking about....

Delta 12yr 737 CA, 151/hr.
Delta 12yr 777 CA, 188/hr.


How long to upgrade at Delta?

The SWA trips are way more efficient. No 36 hour layovers. When your at work you work hard and get paid very well. You can translate that 36 hour layover to time at home. I have nothing against Delta, to each their own.

 

[328dude]

What is the upgrade at Delta anyway? 10-12 years? Gee, the water is still blue over the atlantic after all those years of monitoring the autopilot and sharing bunk beds.

 

[General Lee]

THAT'S what I'm talking about....

Delta 12yr 737 CA, 151/hr.
Delta 12yr 777 CA, 188/hr.


How long to upgrade at Delta?

The SWA trips are way more efficient. No 36 hour layovers. When your at work you work hard and get paid very well. You can translate that 36 hour layover to time at home. I have nothing against Delta, to each their own.

I guess going through BK did something to us, since before BK our 777 Captains were making $315 an hour. How long is upgrade at DL? Right now it is about 9-10 years, thanks to 5 years having furloughed pilots and downsizing. Now things are coming back, with new planes coming (good rumors) and hiring (currently 50 a month). Will it go down from 9-10 years? I bet it will. But that 5 year zero growth time period is hard to get away from, and had it not happened it would have been less. We had guys getting Orlando Delta Express 737-200 Captain within one year before 9-11. That really did screw us up, and a few other airlines.

So, I guess upgrade is now at 9-10 year guys that are on the property. Guys getting hired now will probably be less as long as they don't have a 5 year stoppage of growth like we did.


Also, you are forgetting that our current 12 year 737 Captains got a check from our BK claim sale for about $350,000. One check, and after taxes and filling their 2006/2007 401Ks, they probably got $200,000 in cash. And, our pension payment is due soon, probably another $100,000. Can you add that to our lower wages? We also get an 11% raise each month thanks to those 401Ks being full and the company still having to contribute 11% (9% for the DC fund and 2% matching for our 401K)---so we also have an 11% raise to that same pay rate. Please add that and see how that goes.



Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[Quimby]

do I hear 5 pages? 6 maybe?

 

[General Lee]

What is the upgrade at Delta anyway? 10-12 years? Gee, the water is still blue over the atlantic after all those years of monitoring the autopilot and sharing bunk beds.

We already know you guys get naked in the cockpit for new stews...... And for newhires at DL it will be less than the 9-10 years now at DL (thanks to no growth for 5 years after 9-11).

Yeah, the water is still blue over the atlantic, and the babes still walk near the Arc de Triumph in Paris. Are Lubbock, Armadillo, Midland, and Harlingen still holes?


Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[General Lee]

Yeah, most people at real airlines fly multiple types of planes.



We dont do hourly....TFP. 1 TFP (Trips for Pay) = 243 miles... aprox 35-48 minutes. When I upgrade at 6 years (very soon) it will be 164.26 per trip (TFP). Convert to hourly = 1.2 * 164.26 = 197.11 per hour. All this is under our current contract, this will get better (and yeah, I believe so)

yeah boyyyyyyyyyyyeeeeeeeeeeeee. imp:

I got a BK claim sale check for $180,000, and will get another one for $100,000 soon for the pension dump, plus an 11% raise on those Delta rates. Add that up boyyyyyeeeeee.


Bye Bye--General Lee