New Southwest Domicile - ATL

[Lear70]

Nice... I bid for max vacation pull too.

42 days off using 2 weeks of vacation, and no international!

I got home on the 11th and you won't see my happy a$$ near an airport until Jan 23rd.....

Nice!

Hoping to do the same thing in April, getting married and don't want to have to bother about taking a leave to get the time in. Of course, I'll still take the 24 hr CUN and PUJ layover afterwards to recuperate after the Honeymoon... lol

 

[Tripower455]

not trying to be a smartass.. it's just some of this bickering is lame. Sort of pointless and contributes little except ill will, even if it can be entertaining at times...

I totally agree......

It's all lame...

Just one question....

Who, almost singlehandedly, turned this once useful (believe it or not) forum into a SW bash fest, out of nothing more than pure jealousy.

It has to be jealousy, because what else would make an (alleged) pilot, (supposedly) with a desirable major airline job, spend so much time and effort trolling on issues that don't even affect her?

And I realize that not everyone wants to be a SW pilot, but this troll must've wanted it really bad....

 

[HA25]

sort of amusing to read this .. We're lumping all international flying together as if it's all the same.

I've done my share of if, 6 continents, and God knows how many countries.. There is a world of difference between doing a JFK to FRA, sitting on the tracks for 4 hours and maybe a total of 7 hours flying, with 8-9 hours duty.. AND flying JFK to BOM, 14+ hours aloft and crossing into the Asian subcontinent, crossing over the "stans", with their FIR boundary mess etc.. OR ... KBL-ALM-PVG and playing with QFE, Metric Altitudes, and possible hostile enemy fire. I've done all 3, with scheduled and non-scheduled operations, with 3 pilot crews, and 2 pilot / 1 FE crews .. and even though they all fall under "International" flying.... they are about as similar General Lee and Southwest Bubba..

You haven't experienced the worse side of international until you've been given your destination less than 1 day before, to someplace you've never been, a stack of papers, international NOTAMS, weather charts and told "the handlers will get take care of you when you get in".. I'd take 12 Amarillo's a month any day over that mess.... But, by the same token, I'd 10 times prefer a JFK-FRA or AMS with 2 days lay over, or as I hope to do soon HNL-AKL, to the domestic stuff..

It's not so simple.

 

[HA25]

I

Just one question....

Who, almost singlehandedly, turned this once useful (believe it or not) forum into a SW bash fest, out of nothing more than pure jealousy.
.

I know, but I don't think it's Jealousy in his case, I do think he genuinely blames you guys for some of the changes to the industry that you have to admit came about with the advent of "low cost" carriers, de-regulation, etc .. Ironically, Southwest is anything but a low cost carrier these days, and their service is better than many "legacy" carriers (not us of course!) .. But is that because they've all gone down? or because you came up? Complicated question.

 

[Tripower455]

I know, but I don't think it's Jealousy in his case, I do think he genuinely blames you guys for some of the changes to the industry that you have to admit came about with the advent of "low cost" carriers, de-regulation, etc .. Ironically, Southwest is anything but a low cost carrier these days, and their service is better than many "legacy" carriers (not us of course!) .. But is that because they've all gone down? or because you came up? Complicated question.

No, it's pure jealousy.

A random comment here or there would be a normal reaction to an annoyance. Her complete obsession with SW borders on a sickness that hopefully is just jealousy.

 

[HA25]

. Her complete obsession with SW borders on a sickness that hopefully is just jealousy.

We sure he's a she? Or is this just a way to pull his strings? He insisted to me that he's a he.

 

[Flying the Line]

Larry Ellison (CEO of oracle) once said: it's not enough for me to succeed, everyone else must fail.

That is how the general is. He is right and wants you to know and admit that you are wrong.

 

[Tripower455]

We sure he's a she? Or is this just a way to pull his strings? He insisted to me that he's a he.

Who cares, really?

Male female, Delta pilot or HS student, he/she is a troll. Period.

 

[canyonblue]

I know, but I don't think it's Jealousy in his case, I do think he genuinely blames you guys for some of the changes to the industry that you have to admit came about with the advent of "low cost" carriers, de-regulation, etc ..

Ever heard of Song, United Shuttle, TED, MetroJet, Continental Lite. If your product is one that is worthy of customers, then why create a LCC within your airline when people could just fly the real thing on Southwest. It was those airlines who were hellbent on sticking it to Southwest, that created the mess they are in now. Do you think 20 years ago people flying on a Legacy would think that in the future they would have no meal service and have to pay for a checked bag. As far as changes to the industry, the bankruptcies and concessionary contracts have done more harm to pilot wages than Southwest ever could.

 

[canyonblue]

We sure he's a she? Or is this just a way to pull his strings? He insisted to me that he's a he.

Sounds like a bad date.

 

[HA25]

Ever heard of Song, United Shuttle, TED, MetroJet, Continental Lite. If your product is one that is worthy of customers, then why create a LCC within your airline when people could just fly the real thing on Southwest. It was those airlines who were hellbent on sticking it to Southwest, that created the mess they are in now. Do you think 20 years ago people flying on a Legacy would think that in the future they would have no meal service and have to pay for a checked bag. As far as changes to the industry, the bankruptcies and concessionary contracts have done more harm to pilot wages than Southwest ever could.

agree and I don't blame the market followers, but the market makers.. Who makes the market? I'm not sure, the consumer I'd have to guess.

I remember the HELL people put Skybus thru on here with their model... a model that mind you they copied from Ryan and which today is the basis for Spirit, Allegiant and to some extent the rest of the industry's revenue's.. "Checked bags" being the prime example.

Honestly, if we want to lay blame to the downward spiral this career has taken in the last 30 years, it clearly lies on the backs of the consumer, deregulation and BOTH political parties.. The D's because they placed consumer needs above labor... and the R's because of their obsessive demand for a free market (read might makes right) in every case!

I mean, the ONLY segment of the transportation sector that competes in the pure free market is the most capital intensive one, the airlines! You can't even take a cab with the price being regulated, much less a train or bus (here or in the EU). The business model is broken.

 

[HA25]

Sounds like a bad date.

BANG! nice one... I fell right into it.

 

[fam62c]

not trying to be a smartass.. it's just some of this bickering is lame. Sort of pointless and contributes little except ill will, even if it can be entertaining at times...

True, if you like your job and are happy why would it be necessary to try to convince others that your job is better than theirs? Shouldn't being happy with what you have be good enough? If you like your job at DAL or SW or wherever fantastic, it's great to have a job that you like.

I wonder of engineers, accountants, doctors, lawyers, cops, firefighters, garbage collectors or whatever spend their time on computer message boards bragging that their employer is better than the other guy's? Would you have a conversation like this in person with another professional pilot? Hey Joe, my job at ABC is way better than what your job at XYZ. I fly this kind of airplane to here and there and you fly that kind of airplane from there to here. My job is the best, I'm glad I don't do what you do, why would anyone want to do that when you can do what I do? My company is the best and my job is the best! Seriously, have you ever heard a conversation like that face to face?

 

[Tripower455]

True, if you like your job and are happy why would it be necessary to try to convince others that your job is better than theirs? Shouldn't being happy with what you have be good enough? If you like your job at DAL or SW or wherever fantastic, it's great to have a job that you like.

I wonder of engineers, accountants, doctors, lawyers, cops, firefighters, garbage collectors or whatever spend their time on computer message boards bragging that their employer is better than the other guy's? Would you have a conversation like this in person with another professional pilot? Hey Joe, my job at ABC is way better than what your job at XYZ. I fly this kind of airplane to here and there and you fly that kind of airplane from there to here. My job is the best, I'm glad I don't do what you do, why would anyone want to do that when you can do what I do? My company is the best and my job is the best! Seriously, have you ever heard a conversation like that face to face?

Damn, you nailed the troll to a T......

 

[fam62c]

No, it's pure jealousy.

A random comment here or there would be a normal reaction to an annoyance. Her complete obsession with SW borders on a sickness that hopefully is just jealousy.

I don't know what it is but I have to think that something happened in the past between GL and SW that we will never know about. It's unusual for anybody to harbor that much resentment about anything for that long without some cause; it's a strange crusade indeed.

 

[fam62c]

Damn, you nailed the troll to a T......

He's not the only one, some SW pilots have gone overboard bragging about SW, especially when the rest of the industry was in the dumpster and SW was flying high. For awhile there it was getting pretty old hearing about how much money SW pilots got paid compared to everybody else.

In this industry whoever is on top tends to brag about it. We should all remember that nobody stays on top forever and reversal of fortune is common in the airline world. A little humility never hurt anyone, this career can be a heart-breaker and and it can turn against any of us at any time.

 

[Tripower455]

He's not the only one, some SW pilots have gone overboard bragging about SW, especially when the rest of the industry was in the dumpster and SW was flying high. For awhile there it was getting pretty old hearing about how much money SW pilots got paid compared to everybody else.

In this industry whoever is on top tends to brag about it. We should all remember that nobody stays on top forever and reversal of fortune is common in the airline world. A little humility never hurt anyone, this career can be a heart-breaker and and it can turn against any of us at any time.

AMEN.....

Great post....

I agree, some of our guys were definitely out of line, forgetting (if they ever knew) that this is a very unstable industry.

Just because you're on top now, doesn't mean it'll stay that way.

A perfect example is my old man. If you told him in 1960 (when he got hired at Pan Am), that he would retire from Delta, he would have laughed at such an absurd statement, as Delta was more or less a regional airline then. Yet, that's exactly what happened.

You never know......

 

[General Lee]

AMEN.....

Great post....

I agree, some of our guys were definitely out of line, forgetting (if they ever knew) that this is a very unstable industry.

Just because you're on top now, doesn't mean it'll stay that way.

A perfect example is my old man. If you told him in 1960 (when he got hired at Pan Am), that he would retire from Delta, he would have laughed at such an absurd statement, as Delta was more or less a regional airline then. Yet, that's exactly what happened.

You never know......

Ah ha. So, you do know about the PAN AM/DL stuff. Was he a part of the group called the "dirty 30?" As you know, a partial asset sale doesn't always bring employees along. What did he end up flying after he came over, which seat? Is this why you don't like INTL flying? Do you think any of that has changed since he left? Hotels being better? Maybe trips better? Maybe? You need to explain your stance, and not base it solely off of past practices....


Bye Bye---General Lee

 

[Tripower455]

Ah ha. So, you do know about the PAN AM/DL stuff. Was he a part of the group called the "dirty 30?" As you know, a partial asset sale doesn't always bring employees along. What did he end up flying after he came over, which seat? Is this why you don't like INTL flying? Do you think any of that has changed since he left? Hotels being better? Maybe trips better? Maybe? You need to explain your stance, and not base it solely off of past practices....


Bye Bye---General Lee

Did someone leave a window open?

 

[HA25]

He's not the only one, some SW pilots have gone overboard bragging about SW, especially when the rest of the industry was in the dumpster and SW was flying high. For awhile there it was getting pretty old hearing about how much money SW pilots got paid compared to everybody else. .

[RANT]
This is also true... I remember those days very well, when I was fresh on the street after American cancelled all classes and began to lay off 2500+.. I was wondering the airline wilderness for over a decade before I got something good again, all the while I hear about how I don't deserve to work at Southwest because I never bothered to apply in 2000... Well, it's a little bit like a good friend of mine, who btw is a happy Southwest pilot once said.. "Southwest is like the ugly girl, at the end of the bar after a long night of drinking and getting turned down.. starts to look better and better as the rest of them drop out"

Well, when Delta had contract 2000, and UAL was right on their tail, all the while Southwest paid 1/2 as much and worked twice as hard.. OF COURSE I wasn't about to apply for that job!

What about those droves that left Fedex back in the era before 2001 for careers everywhere? Are they all idiots or just unlucky?

Instead of all this bickering, we should ALL try to raise the bar for OUR profession... don't kid yourself, the $300K/yr Fedex MD11 captain does the same job as the $90K/yr bottom feeder Miami 36th street MD11 captain... usually the difference is timing, luck and a bit of networking... Do you think this would fly in any other profession? You're paid by what you bring to the table, not by whom you work for and how good your MEC is.. [/RANT]