Swa - etops certification

[GIZMONC]

Can anyone tell me the status of the ETOPS program at SWA? I know a ETOPS Manager was posted in DEC 2010 so I am sure she/he was hired shortly there after. Now the 800's are online at SWA and they come ETOPS ready but what about the certification with the FAA. Anyone know first hand whats going on how far along is SWA in this process. Bottom line how far away is SWA from launching service to HAWAII?

 

[Secret Squirrel]

That have hosted a ton of pizza parties but the FAA has not sent the approval letter. They can't even code share with an airline they bought two years ago.

 

[General Lee]

A SWA Capt in ATL told me it is on indefinite hold. He stated "we were too late to the Hawaii game anyway." Then he said because of their lack of a required reservation system(?), SWA wouldn't be flying any INTL routes until at least 2015. The current INTL routes would be flown by Airtran, since they have what is needed, supposedly.


Bye Bye---General Lee

 

[N1atEcon]

My sisters boyfriends aunt was getting her hair done and the lady two chairs down was overheard saying exactly what the jaded Delta guy just posted.

 

[PBRstreetgang]

My sisters boyfriends aunt was getting her hair done and the lady two chairs down was overheard saying exactly what the jaded Delta guy just posted.

The jaded Delta guy is really a pimply faced teenager living in her moms basement, eating Dominos and Code Red Mt Dew, while pulling on the chin whiskers of real pilots.

 

[Holy Shiite]

Yup, how many posts does the gen have? This guy is a shill, probably a lawyer for ford and Harrison or a ************************* management puke. He is all over these boards spewing his crap and anti-pilot sentiment. His goal is to try and create dissention and adversity. See for yourself and just look at the history of posts. He probably gets paid by the post. Complete POSER.

 

[ImbracableCrunk]

I've heard the the SWA FAs have something in their contract that prevents Hawaii flying. The company will need to fix that, as well.

 

[scoreboardII]

No, the FA's rejected the first international contrac offer, they are back at the table negotiating. And doing a much better job than the pilots, as usual, they realize international should come with more pay and benefits.

 

[redflyer65]

Voting closes tomorrow for the FAs. Hawaii is still in the works but Class II Nav is first. It will take a year to train the pilots on that and it's already begun. ETOPS training to follow that. But I'm sure the General knows more about it than I do...

 

[SWA Bubba]

No, the FA's rejected the first international contrac offer, they are back at the table negotiating. And doing a much better job than the pilots, as usual, they realize international should come with more pay and benefits.

Their new Side Letter has nearly exactly the same provisions as the pilots voted in: ADG means "Southwest Day" (except a single duty period), 15% override for red-eyes, passport provisions, etc. It also has the same temporary carve-out for NW South America being "near-international" for 36 months. The only thing that's really different is a couple bucks more ($2 or $3 for 'A') per trip for FAs who are proficient bilingually.

Bubba

 

[GIZMONC]

Is it just me or does GENERAL LEE suffer from " small man syndrome" ? Seems nothing of any value is posted by him and if some one posts something he has to put his TWO CENTS worth in there. Lets take a VOTE, how many members on here have put " GENERAL LEE" on IGNORE ?

 

[scoreboardII]

General Lee This message is hidden because General Lee is on your ignore list.

 

[Secret Squirrel]

Well I guess they are starting to get some stuff finished. Maybe etops is not far behind.

By TERRY MAXON
TERRY MAXON The Dallas Morning News Staff Writer
[email protected]
Published: 17 September 2012 09:11 PM
Southwest Airlines Co. and AirTran Airways will connect their networks in the first quarter of 2013, allowing passengers to buy a single ticket and travel on both airlines, Southwest chairman and chief executive Gary Kelly said Monday.

That means that for the first time, a customer can start a flight in a Southwest city and connect to an international flight departing from an AirTran city, Kelly said at the Boyd Group International’s annual forecast conference in Dallas.

Answering questions afterward, Kelly said the ability to sell tickets for flights of both airlines should boost fare revenue by millions of dollars.

“I think the question becomes what happens to the fees associated with some of the itineraries, so I don’t think we’ll realize quite that much,” Kelly said. “But yeah, there’s a lot of itineraries that we’re going to be able to turn on, and we’re bound to get some incremental traffic in there. It’s not hard to predict that we’ll get hundreds of millions of dollars.”

AirTran now charges a number of fees that Southwest does not, most notably for checked bags. Dallas-based Southwest lets the first two checked bags fly at no charge, while AirTran charges $20 for the first bag and $25 for the second.

Kelly indicated that airline officials must decide how to handle the issue of charging fees on flights, though he said Southwest will not begin charging bag fees. “The net effect of the revenue in passengers vs. the fees, it could be an offset. All that remains to be seen,” he said.

Southwest acquired AirTran in May 2011 and received a single operating certificate covering both airlines this March. However, the two airlines have remained separate brands and operations.

Kelly said the target is to connect the two carriers’ networks in the first quarter.

“We’re very much on track. We had some technical challenges that have been overcome, so I feel pretty confident about that time line,” he said.

In addition to letting AirTran sell tickets to Southwest-only cities, the linkup will let Southwest passengers buy tickets to AirTran’s non-U.S. destinations, including several cities in Mexico, Jamaica, Bermuda, the Bahamas and Aruba.

However, Southwest’s reservation system does not have the capability to handle international itineraries. Therefore, Kelly said, international bookings will be handled on the AirTran reservations systems website until Southwest has a new reservation system in place.

Southwest has begun absorbing AirTran’s fleet and workers into Southwest, a process that will take several years.

 

[General Lee]

My sisters boyfriends aunt was getting her hair done and the lady two chairs down was overheard saying exactly what the jaded Delta guy just posted.

That's funny, your guy "Whatajoke" posted this when I asked him about it in the "Delta" thread (page 3):


"True story. We've been profitable for 40 straight years without ETOPS. I think we can limp thru 3 more. We've got tons of irons in the fire and that one came out. I think it's a smart move considering are fleet and other near intl options. I think it's good that Gary was able to tap the breaks on such a high profile decision if proper infrastructure is not in place."



I guess the main deal here is that NOT EVERYONE WANTS TO BE A CORNDOG. Every airline has it's ups and downs, even yours. That AT merger has turned into a cluster, with plenty of discontent. Let's hope it all mellows out eventually. Cheers!




Bye Bye---General Lee

 

[Dash Power]

That's funny, your guy "Whatajoke" posted this when I asked him about it in the "Delta" thread (page 3)


The SWA Captain I talked to in ATL (looked exhausted by the way, said he was going on to Norfolk, Tampa, Columbus, and Nashville that day) said a few other things that sounded plausible. He also mentioned the "drafting" of pilots in SEA who THOUGHT they were done, but still had time on their 6.5 trip minimum for the day, and had to do a turn to Paine Field to ferry a 737? He said they used to put those on the open time board and pay guys a bunch of money to do it, but now they were just assigning it, for no extra pay if it fell within the minimum guarantee. He and his FO said that was a bummer.

Well, unlike General Lee, it looks like their not in Mom's basement this morning wasting their precious life living on FI.

Oh and your Mom says your Mac and Cheese is ready!!

 

[igneousy2]

A SWA Capt in ATL told me it is on indefinite hold. He stated "we were too late to the Hawaii game anyway." Then he said because of their lack of a required reservation system(?), SWA wouldn't be flying any INTL routes until at least 2015. The current INTL routes would be flown by Airtran, since they have what is needed, supposedly.


Bye Bye---General Lee

The reservation system is a seperate issue.

ETOPS requires much closer part tracking than SWA's system currently allows which is what is holding up the process...at least that was what my super-model girlfriend's agent told me, he's a SWA frequent flyer so he shoud know.


Later

 

[General Lee]

The reservation system is a seperate issue.

ETOPS requires much closer part tracking than SWA's system currently allows which is what is holding up the process...at least that was what my super-model girlfriend's agent told me, he's a SWA frequent flyer so he shoud know.


Later

You're still way too late to the Hawaii game. When you are ready, it will be even tougher. But, good luck anyway, bra! Mahalo.


Bye Bye---General Lee

 

[Whataburger]

You're still way too late to the Hawaii game. When you are ready, it will be even tougher. But, good luck anyway, bra! Mahalo.


Bye Bye---General Lee

"Mahalo?" LOL! Thank you for what?


Do you have your French, and African, and Polynesian, and Hawaiian mixed up again General Queso?

Azul!

 

[redflyer65]

He's trying to equate us not going to Hawaii with some kind of failure. Yet will have another profitable quarter followed by another 41+ years of profits, with no bankruptcy.

Gary's initiatives are hitting on all cylinders with a few to follow. Full cross country 800s. Six more seats on full 700s. Beginning to link systems with AAI. Getting ready to announce near international. Completing a new reservation system. Hawaii and Alaska to follow later.

 

[General Lee]

"Mahalo?" LOL! Thank you for what?


Do you have your French, and African, and Polynesian, and Hawaiian mixed up again General Queso?

Azul!

Mahalo is Thank you in Hawaiian, something you won't hear from pax for years it seems. Hey, it's good to fold the cards if the boss thinks he doesn't have a good hand. By the time you are ready though, there will probably be 3 total legacies who are a lot financially stronger, AK will have a huge portion of the Hawaiian market, and Allegiant will be all over the smaller market to Hawaii flights. You may have missed the boat, bra!


You know I'm just jokin, right bra? Jambo!



Bye Bye---General Lee

 

[General Lee]

He's trying to equate us not going to Hawaii with some kind of failure. Yet will have another profitable quarter followed by another 41+ years of profits, with no bankruptcy.

Gary's initiatives are hitting on all cylinders with a few to follow. Full cross country 800s. Six more seats on full 700s. Beginning to link systems with AAI. Getting ready to announce near international. Completing a new reservation system. Hawaii and Alaska to follow later.

Setting up and not finishing an ETOPS program is not a failure? How about a waste of time? How about not having a reservation system that can handle INTL flights? Huh? Who didn't figure that out prior to the merger? Was that a failure? Who botched that? How about alienating most of your AT brothers by having a 717 bid AND THEN selling them to another airline? Why have the bid in the first place? If it was contingent on DL and the DL contract allowing the 717s, why not wait for a bid until afterwards? That may not be a failure overall, but rather a huge mess.

Gary's initiatives started with deferring 30 738s. That doesn't mean it is hitting on all cylinders. Then you actually start fare sales, something that you never used to do. Mahalo Bra!


Bye Bye---General Lee

 

[redflyer65]

From the Sudan (For the General)..


Slam Alikum

 

[redflyer65]

Setting up and not finishing an ETOPS program is not a failure? How about a waste of time? How about not having a reservation system that can handle INTL flights? Huh? Who didn't figure that out prior to the merger? Was that a failure? Who botched that? How about alienating most of your AT brothers by having a 717 bid AND THEN selling them to another airline? Why have the bid in the first place? If it was contingent on DL and the DL contract allowing the 717s, why not wait for a bid until afterwards? That may not be a failure overall, but rather a huge mess.

Gary's initiatives started with deferring 30 738s. That doesn't mean it is hitting on all cylinders. Then you actually start fare sales, something that you never used to do. Mahalo Bra!


Bye Bye---General Lee

General,

The bottom line is the bottom line. We are doing great, and Gary is making sure that continues....for all, including the AAI guys. The deferred planes are going to turn into 800 Max's, but you knew that right? Gary is looking ahead to better fuel economy. Delta is looking ahead to operating a 1960 model DC-9 another few years along with 10 total fleet types. We'll have ONE type with NO codeshare. It's apples and oranges brother.

ETOPS is still ongoing, whether you want to believe it or not. Check some of our 800 gear doors....we have at least 20 that say ETOPS. We aren't buying them that way to just impress the rampers, so get over it.

Oh, and we haven't had to use bankruptcy to get there. But you knew that too!

 

[General Lee]

From the Sudan (For the General)..


Slam Alikum

Sounds like you really don't know where we go. I do though know where you go, and that would be LBB, MAF, and AMA (notice not HNL).


See ya Bra!


Bye Bye---General Lee

 

[redflyer65]

Sounds like you really don't know where we go. I do though know where you go, and that would be LBB, MAF, and AMA (notice not HNL).


See ya Bra!


Bye Bye---General Lee

I love going to those places Gen. We make money there, YOU DON'T.

Try again.

 

[General Lee]

General,

The bottom line is the bottom line. We are doing great, and Gary is making sure that continues....for all, including the AAI guys. The deferred planes are going to turn into 800 Max's, but you knew that right? Gary is looking ahead to better fuel economy. Delta is looking ahead to operating a 1960 model DC-9 another few years along with 10 total fleet types. We'll have ONE type with NO codeshare. It's apples and oranges brother.

ETOPS is still ongoing, whether you want to believe it or not. Check some of our 800 gear doors....we have at least 20 that say ETOPS. We aren't buying them that way to just impress the rampers, so get over it.

Oh, and we haven't had to use bankruptcy to get there. But you knew that too!

Apples to oranges Bra. Your business is successful wih one plane type and 25 min turns. I didn't say it wasn't. But, the ETOPS thing isn't in the cards for you now, and it may take awhile. You also have internal issues (AT guys), and higher gas bills that necessitate raising fares. My airline has 10 fleet types or whatever because it needs different planes on different routes, all over the World. It also makes 4 times the revenue, twice the profits, and has a refinery that will give an advantage. Plus, there are a heck of a lot more retirements coming up, which is good for pilots.

You can't really compare us, bra.


Bye Bye---General Lee

 

[redflyer65]

Apples to oranges Bra. Your business is successful wih one plane type and 25 min turns. I didn't say it wasn't. But, the ETOPS thing isn't in the cards for you now, and it may take awhile. You also have internal issues (AT guys), and higher gas bills that necessitate raising fares. My airline has 10 fleet types or whatever because it needs different planes on different routes, all over the World. It also makes 4 times the revenue, twice the profits, and has a refinery that will give an advantage. Plus, there are a heck of a lot more retirements coming up, which is good for pilots.

You can't really compare us, bra.


Bye Bye---General Lee

I love that you bring up the refinery. That's going to turn out bad for you guys. 10 fleets types is insane, but enjoy that drag on the bottom line...along with the six day trips. Have fun in the Sudan, haha.

I find it funny that your sooo concerned about our ETOPS program and aircraft (that are already on line). We appreciate it!

 

[SWA Bubba]

Apples to oranges Bra. Your business is successful wih one plane type and 25 min turns. I didn't say it wasn't. But, the ETOPS thing isn't in the cards for you now, and it may take awhile. You also have internal issues (AT guys), and higher gas bills that necessitate raising fares. My airline has 10 fleet types or whatever because it needs different planes on different routes, all over the World. It also makes 4 times the revenue, twice the profits, and has a refinery that will give an advantage. Plus, there are a heck of a lot more retirements coming up, which is good for pilots.

You can't really compare us, bra.


Bye Bye---General Lee

Speaking of comparing, how is it that you GL, a supposed General, allowed Secret Squirrel to co-opt your avatar? What goes on here? If you were REALLY a general, I suspect you'd have the squirrel, who can't be any higher than a private, court-martialed for theft. Or at the very least, imitating and making fun of you.

Bubba

 

[HighSpeedClimb]

General
You keep referring to the word Bra... Isn't that an article of clothing you wear, i mean a woman. Anyone who knows anything about Hawaii knows its spelled Brah!!!
You can have HI Delta, Alaska and Latin America will make more $$$$.

 

[General Lee]

Speaking of comparing, how is it that you GL, a supposed General, allowed Secret Squirrel to co-opt your avatar? What goes on here? If you were REALLY a general, I suspect you'd have the squirrel, who can't be any higher than a private, court-martialed for theft. Or at the very least, imitating and making fun of you.

Bubba

I once had a "General Lee" painted monster truck as my avatar, but it took up 3/4 of the page. I thought it was great, but it had to go.

As far as someone imitating me or making fun of me (?), I just don't care. It doesn't affect me at all.


Bye Bye---General Lee