Another speed bump in the AT/SWA combination

[humveedriver]

So the water cooler talk on this trip is about a memo our FA's received yesterday from inflight. From what I was told AirTran FA transition classes are on hold until Aug. Class sizes are going to be reduced from 75 to 50. And the real pot stirrer, SWA is hiring 250 new FA's on the SWA side. Anyone know why SWA is doing this? There are days when I think they have "how can we aggravate the AT employees" meetings. Everyday it's something else..

 

[Lear70]

Correct information.

Total F/A's to transition next year: 300. Classes will be 50/75/50/75/50 during Aug, Sep, and Oct.

Not sure what's up with that, but they're already overstaffed on our side. Those 300 F/A's is approximately the staffing for the MCO 737's coming out of the system in 2013, but the 717's going to Delta starting next year is going to REALLY overstaff our F/A ranks if they don't take enough F/A's to correspond with those airframes.

The 250 additional NEW-HIRE F/A's so far is rumor, but it's a strong one, heard it from one of the AFA reps last night who said that comes directly from SWA and that they weren't given a reason.

FWIW

 

[PropPiedmont]

SWA will be hiring off the street for FAs starting at the beginning of the year. Makes perfect sense. Much cheaper to hire at first year pay, than to transition FAs at higher steps on the payscale.

 

[Lear70]

SWA will be hiring off the street for FAs starting at the beginning of the year. Makes perfect sense. Much cheaper to hire at first year pay, than to transition FAs at higher steps on the payscale.

That's what I was thinking when I heard the news, but then I thought "Certainly SWA wouldn't want to alienate their own future F/A's by doing that".

I hope that's not the reasoning...

 

[PropPiedmont]

SWA doesn't care about anybody. Beans, my friend, that's what is cared about these days.

 

[FlyinGuy]

SWA alienated their whole company when they did this deal!!! What makes you think they care what a few F/A's think?

 

[RIDETHELIGHTING]

Didn't they hire 140 pilots this year? We are over staff with pilots now. So what's up with that? Oh well there must be some master plan.

 

[canyonblue]

Or, could it be GOOD news for some Flight Attendants? I flew with a former AAI Flight Attendant awhile back who said many AAI told her they would have to quit since there is not an ATL base, and they have family and cannot commute.

 

[scoreboardII]

Thats the one I heard last week as well. The other was we are going to be 1000 overmanned by 2013, so furloughs for Christmas 2013.

YMMV.

 

[humveedriver]

Hey, I'm just posting for situational awareness. I get "when are you coming over?" All the time when I am commuting. Just letting the other side know what's going on over here. Some people get it. Some people don't.