Delta offers furloughs

[ACL65PILOT]

The factual part is 40 years of profit from a great management team, vs DL (well, not so much).

Which is great, and I am impressed by the business model, but the fact remains that SWA prior to the CH11 era always compensated their pilots below the industry, and the pilots were complicit in this. Now that the rest of the airline labor groups have taken asinine cuts, SWA and SWAPA is a darling. Pilots look at it as a goal, where less than a half a decade ago, it was the low compensation option.
Our memories are short, pilots cannot remember who took the legs out of the rest of the airlines business plans, and as a result a PFT outfit prospered. The pilots are paid very well, treat well and enjoy their job, but the reality is still the same, they undercut the rest of their fellow brothers and sisters to get to where they are. The growth was on the backs of fellow pilots. That is why, many will not shed a tear if some SWA pilots have to wait 20+ years to upgrade.

You pay has hit the resistance level, and it is at that level because of how SWAPA helped the company undercut the rest of the airlines. Now the hope will be for the other airlines to match or beat your benefits and wages so you can get more. Like I said it is the tail wagging the dog, and the cycle is coming full circle. When pilots stop becoming willing participants in the game of business we will take pilot costs off the variable side of the ledger. Until then; Wash, Rinse, repeat.

 

[GoodTimes]

ACL,

"Who took the legs out of the rest of the airlines business plans"

Really?

Are you saying that the pilots of SWA are responsible for the demise of the legacy airlines? Last time I checked this is a free market economy. SWA has done better operating in the post deregulated industry than the legacies. Pilot pay is one very small part of the equation as the current SWA pay so vividly illustrates. If you're going to hang on to that stale, decade old myth about SWA being responsible for the demise of your paycheck, then you're going to need more help than I thought to "take it back". Good luck.

 

[redflyer65]

GoodTimes,

That's exactly what I was thinking, just because the legacies ran their businesses into the ground (ie bankruptcy), that's Southwest fault? That arguement is completely crazy. Talk about re-writing history, give me a break.

How do low cost operators like Virgin, JetBlue and Airtran fit into that thesis? Southwest is a well run company that has taken care of the bottom line from day one, just because the other carriers can't, doesn't mean it's SW problem.

Unfortunately in this economy, I don't see any of the legacies making any ground in compensation. Just isn't going to happen, but OYS/Gen would have you believe that Delta will get a 25-30% pay increase any day. Good luck with that. (I really hope they do, it helps all)

RF

 

[FBN0223]

ACL
Southwest has set the bar for our future negotiations, at least, for compensation(that's a good thing). Check the DAL forum and you'll see at least three threads stating exactly that. But most importantly, if you buy a ticket on Southwest Airlines, you'll get Southwest pilots flying your jet.

If y'all down south want to give ALPA one more shot, fine. Make sure ALPA comes to the membership with an agreement that takes back OUR flying and restores our compensation before you vote yes.



Good luck

 

[GoodTimes]

Nice solid, factual, unemotional post. Many at wn refuse to admit how they got where they are.

And many at the legacies refuse to examine how they got where they are.

 

[waveflyer]

Which means what? You guys act like SOUTHWEST's labor has ever been cheap compared to revenues. It never has. The problem at legacies is all the mismanagement and stepping over a $100 to save a dime. The greed and selfishness at the top trickles down to the whole organization. And swa has benefitted from excellent mgmt where the selflessness and teamwork has actively flowed from the top. The pay is not the difference between southwest and most of the rest. The lack of pay was never the advantage- and the elevated pay is not going to be our demise.
If we have one thing to look out for, it's if we get too lazy and complacent and stop rewarding swa mgmt for how they treat us. Now that could be our downfall.

 

[redflyer65]

Most likely widebodies will be parked by Ma Delta, followed by narrowbodies when the full AAI/SW intergration starts firing on all cylinders.

Could be an intersting summer on Virginia Ave.

RF

 

[relief tube]

Over 2000 are older than 60 apparently.
OYS

yay for greedy old guys getting in the way of everything.

 

[waveflyer]

http://web.mit.edu/airlinedata/www/Employees&Compensation.html

Click on it. ^^^