Southwest slam clicks- c'mon captains....

[Ty Webb]

Sorry, but I've never seen the appeal of hanging out with the people I've just been locked in an aluminum tube with for 8 hours. If that's considered mandatory at SWA, just one more reason I'm glad to get out.

Seriously? That's pretty sad.

I also recall you had no problem hanging out after "work" at the Union office with people you just spent 8 hours locked in an airless office with.

 

[Ty Webb]

I have no problem doing that to real SWA pilots

Doing what to them? Is this a camping story?

Welcome back, sorry you're not any happier than you were four years ago.

 

[LearLove]

On my trips beer and wings are on my tab. FOs are responsible for their meal.

 

[charterpuke]

I don't drink. Hanging out in bars is not my idea of a good time. Am I still expected to go down and buy some pilots some drinks? Sounds like an alcoholic culture at SWA to me.

 

[Capn Butthead]

Hey Charter...I don't drink that much...there is this thing called water that they serve. It's actually quite good and I can still take care of my crew and grab a bite to eat. Takes a little self control but think I can manage.

 

[Turtle21]

He's not talking to you, PCL. he's talking to the CA's not buying the probies drinks by not coming down.

Is he talking to the captains that didn't by him a drink?

 

[tankerhead]

Doing what to them? Is this a camping story?

Welcome back, sorry you're not any happier than you were four years ago.

There's goan be some drinkin', maybe a little fightin', and definitely some ********************in'.

Great! Who's gonna be there?

Why just you and me!

 

[waveflyer]

PCL, you've been trying to damn the culture for your alpa overlords since you got bought. AND I would absolutely buy the bourbon. I just think in your situation, so visible in the union, it would be hard to steer the conversation away from work- which is rule #1- don't talk about work

Orangebelly- you're trolling, just like PCL, but in case you're remotely serious- I'm buying every AT pilot I see drinks-
I see no value in holding grudges like a baby. It's done. I want them to be included along with everyone else. If you showed that attitude, you would be the one called out for it by 90% of original SWA -
But I'll get your tab too. Don't worry.
It's not alcoholic, it's social, about connecting with people, having some fun, and ultimately genuine

I'll paraphrase Torti's line. Show up to work and don't even worry about you. Take care of everyone you see. You'll get way more than you give if that's your mentality.

 

[waveflyer]

Is he talking to the captains that didn't by him a drink?

No, I rarely let my captains get a tab- I have it, so I get it- and I like doing that too- Some captains have been buying rounds for 2 decades, so it's a cool thing to get one for them. We just have a lot of probies flying around and guys in the habit lately of slam clicking. I don't think they're usually trying to shun people- I think that we've had a couple rounds of stagnation, a lot of internal hires who are new but not necessarily new, so pilots just got in the habit of not making the effort.
Ultimately that hurts us

 

[LoveGun]

This is such an odd thread. I'm not at SWA but I am a 85% slam-click captain. I didn't realize I could be so missed. Actually, on most overnights I'm usually not holed up in my room. Mostly, I roam the cities alone. Flight crews these days are a drag. It's all chain restaurants, schedule talk, and gossip about the same group of disliked coworkers. Once in a blue moon I'll fly with an open minded FO and we rip it up. Otherwise, airline culture stopped being worth my time 10 years ago.

 

[redflyer65]

Oh, I do too, but it's far from universal. There are plenty of times I'm flying with some guy I have no desire to spend any additional time with, and I feel no obligation to do so because of some idiotic CULTure. If I want to go to the bar, I will. If I don't, I won't. "Culture" be damned.

There are times that I don't care for the guy I'm paired up with and most likely will not go down for dinner/drinks. I get it.

The cool thing about SW is that most of the guys/girls are awesome, and you WANT to hang out. Hell, one overnight we had a Delta FO that could stand her CA and hung out with us all night. It was a great evening.

Go, don't go. It's not so much about the culture, rather a lot of the crew members are fun to be around.

 

[booo]

This is a bit of an internal thing, but there are a lot of lurkers from SWA on FI, so here goes.
We all know the culture has taken it on the chin through stagnation, older crew, lots of change, and a CEO with an accountant mentality following one of the most dynamic and personal ceo's in airline history.

BUT!
If you're flying with a probation crew, IT IS NOT OPTIONAL TO COME DOWN AND BUY A BEER OR TWO, AND MAYBE SOME FOOD.
IT WAS DONE FOR YOU.

That part of the culture is on us. Step up

Wow! Sounds like you have a chronic problem and not just a few instances.

The childish sense of entitlement in your original post seems to indicate that the problem is you.

 

[bafanguy]

It's just a different world now. It's not 1995 anymore, things have changed...

Time and scale effect.

The bigger the outfit gets, the more difficult it is to keep that "small airline" feel and resulting camaraderie born from the early struggle to survive as an airline. But change doesn't have to generate animosity.

Your well intended, polite efforts to keep that feeling going are worthwhile but may not be successful. I suppose it's not the end of the world but perhaps the end of an era.

Maybe it's just natural.

I've done it both ways and will admit smaller is better, at least in the "cultural" aspects.

Don't sweat it. I wish your company the best.

 

[redflyer65]

Wow! Sounds like you have a chronic problem and not just a few instances.

The childish sense of entitlement in your original post seems to indicate that the problem is you.

You'd have to work here to understand. It's not about entitlement at all..

 

[waveflyer]

You'd have to work here to understand. It's not about entitlement at all..

Eh, he's just shooting the messenger. Got to expect that when I've been a troll on FI for so long

But no. It can't happen to me. I'm not a captain and I'm not on probation. It's not common even- just at SWA I want to remind pilots that you do stick out like a sore thumb when other crews end up buying for the probation FO or FA that you were flying with.

 

[waveflyer]

I'm sure it is somewhat natural.
You may connect with people now and not see them for a year
But it's also just energy. Priorities change, esp when people get families- but it doesn't have to be a false choice. Family or coming down on overnights/ -

Notice it. There's a fine line between lazy and pacing yourself
I've never felt like an hour would make or break how much rest I get.
Then again, I don't tend to overdo it and have honed my Houdini skills

Time and scale effect.

The bigger the outfit gets, the more difficult it is to keep that "small airline" feel and resulting camaraderie born from the early struggle to survive as an airline. But change doesn't have to generate animosity.

Your well intended, polite efforts to keep that feeling going are worthwhile but may not be successful. I suppose it's not the end of the world but perhaps the end of an era.

Maybe it's just natural.

I've done it both ways and will admit smaller is better, at least in the "cultural" aspects.

Don't sweat it. I wish your company the best.

 

[tankerhead]

oops double necropost

 

[crxpilot]

Eh, he's just shooting the messenger. Got to expect that when I've been a troll on FI for so long

But no. It can't happen to me. I'm not a captain and I'm not on probation. It's not common even- just at SWA I want to remind pilots that you do stick out like a sore thumb when other crews end up buying for the probation FO or FA that you were flying with.

Sounds very "cultish". "You will eat our food, you will drink our drinks, you will be around us even more, you will pay us back when you upgrade. You will be an outcast if you dont participate. You will be assimilated."

 

[waveflyer]

Does it now?

That's pretty funny - and which legacy do you work for?
No matter which one you name, I'll find you 5 retired from there that are annoyed that this generation doesn't have the good living ability to show up and have a cold one at the end of a day.
It's so popular to say "this career isn't half what it used to be" while ignoring that it's often our own attitude, laziness, and dbag-ness that makes it that way.

It's not a cult to not want to suck at living.

 

[Turtle21]

No, I rarely let my captains get a tab- I have it, so I get it- and I like doing that too- Some captains have been buying rounds for 2 decades, so it's a cool thing to get one for them. We just have a lot of probies flying around and guys in the habit lately of slam clicking. I don't think they're usually trying to shun people- I think that we've had a couple rounds of stagnation, a lot of internal hires who are new but not necessarily new, so pilots just got in the habit of not making the effort.
Ultimately that hurts us

Whatever... ostracizing people for not spending THEIR own money in ways that YOU think they should... that is what is hurting us. I agree that it is cool when people spend THEIR money to benefit other folks on their crew. I do it myself... my last trip in fact, but I hate people trying to shame others about their overnight habits.