Harsh Reality Interrupts Southwest Myth

[328dude]

It's all that kool aid they've been drinking over the years.

PHXFLYR

Yea, I hear the Kool Aid at Parkers den is so much better.

 

[slaquer5]

When the fuel hedging runs out, and you can't sell seats for $99 anymore,

We have been hedging for over 25 yrs and will be for the next 25 yrs. so I do like the way you think.

 

[Flyby1206]

Its always a bad idea to be the highest paid for your equipment. Here are the facts for 737 CA payscales:
DAL $139-151
AMR 149-161
CAL 140-155 (avg)
UA 120-133
US/AWA 118-135 (avg)
SWA 174-198
Airtran 102-153
Alaska 130-154

 

[DashTrash400]

Its always a bad idea to be the highest paid for your equipment. Here are the facts for 737 CA payscales:
DAL $139-151
AMR 149-161
CAL 140-155 (avg)
UA 120-133
US/AWA 118-135 (avg)
SWA 174-198
Airtran 102-153
Alaska 130-154

I don't usually fall for flaimbait so I'm not sure it you're being tongue in cheek on this one or not. If you really mean it - and we've been hearing from an increasing number of people who do, although often at the regional level - shame on you. That sort of attitude will be the downfall of the profession. Can you imagine what kind of job this would be if our predecessors had been oh so careful to not be the highest paid!?

 

[DIAMONDDD]

Its always a bad idea to be the highest paid for your equipment.

'Cept if you are the one cashing the check. If average is X, you are getting X+Y.If the company comes to you and says "you make too much, we are going to have to get you back to what everyone else is paying"(X), then those years you made X+Y will be > the amount that the person who was making X for the same period.

Now if a man leaves New York riding a Gnu traveling west at three miles per hour, and woman riding a midget with a wooden leg leaves St. Louis traveling west at one mile per hour, at what point will the diameter of an orange become the same as a pus-swollen infected hair.

 

[mdf]

Time Out!!!!

What happened to the SWA/FO's smackdown on General Lee. That was classic! Did the moderators remove it?

 

[Flyby1206]

I don't usually fall for flaimbait so I'm not sure it you're being tongue in cheek on this one or not. If you really mean it - and we've been hearing from an increasing number of people who do, although often at the regional level - shame on you. That sort of attitude will be the downfall of the profession. Can you imagine what kind of job this would be if our predecessors had been oh so careful to not be the highest paid!?

I didnt mean for this to be flamebait. I just think that regardless of what you and I want to be paid, the company can't sustain payscales that are 50% higher than the rest of the industry average. When you look at the big picture of the industry it is easier to see what doesnt fit in with the rest. I think SWA runs a great business and deserves to be paid at the higher end of the payscales. I do not wish to get into a pissing match and I hope they can maintain their current payscales, but I do remember not long ago when DAL and UAL payscales were much higher than anyone else.

 

[momalley81]

I didnt mean for this to be flamebait. I just think that regardless of what you and I want to be paid, the company can't sustain payscales that are 50% higher than the rest of the industry average. When you look at the big picture of the industry it is easier to see what doesnt fit in with the rest. I think SWA runs a great business and deserves to be paid at the higher end of the payscales. I do not wish to get into a pissing match and I hope they can maintain their current payscales, but I do remember not long ago when DAL and UAL payscales were much higher than anyone else.

You forget one major point. SWA pilots have been and will continue to be much more productive than their counterparts at DAL, UAL, AMR etc.

You can afford to pay your pilots much when they are more productive.

 

[Skybus]

My understanding of our mindset has/(had) always been that the trip/hourly pay was below that of our counterparts. HOWEVER the W-2 was close or equal to the OAL. This seemed to change in the late 90's early 2000s with all the chest pounding at UAL, DL, AMR, of tope pay plus 1%. Apparently the newer generation of SW avaiators jumped onboard with the same mantra. In a nut shell we worked harder to get the same pay. Today we work harder for more pay by default. One of 2 things WILL occur. The OAL will regain their lost wages and we will once again be back in the pack or...........


As much as many would like to talk about our productivity and blah blah blah. We cannot loose our significant cost advantage. I cannot believe how many people actually believe that the recent negative news is al a conspiracy during contract times. We ARE loosing our cost advantage. Will we retain/regain the sizeable advantage?? Only time will tell.

Bus

 

[YourPilotFriend]

You forget one major point. SWA pilots have been and will continue to be much more productive than their counterparts at DAL, UAL, AMR etc.

You can afford to pay your pilots much when they are more productive.

The company utilizes the staff better than the legacies because of quick turns. The pilots are the allowed to fly more passengers that way. However, in any given year SW pilots fly more passengers, but legacy pilots fly way more RPM's. Pretty much every legacy has given up work rule concessions to be more productive than SW pilots, and they are paid less while being more productive.