Interesting SWA Friend Phone Call

[Resume Writer]

Hi Everyone,

I got a phone call last night from one of my Customer Service Agent friends at SWA. She made a rather interesting comment to me. Please understand, these are HER words.

She said that things had gotten rather interesting at SWA since I left. Then she said that she was going to "go inflight." Well, at first I thought that she just meant she was transferring positions. But, she said that she was going to take a position as a Flight Attendant for two months to avoid being furloughed in the CSA position. Apparently not too many people are taking the buyout.

I know that SWA hired a lot of people after 9/11 to help implement the new boarding pass process. From what I understand, they are also trying to target the people at Corporate, because they might be a little heavy there.

Now, here is my question. Can an employee actually fulfill an inflight position without going through the required FAA training? I do not think so, but I can imagine if they were an extra crew member, with the required number of FA's onboard, that it might be feasible. I state this ONLY because I know that any employee can ride the 4th flight attendant jumpseat at SWA. I cannot imagine that SWA, if they are trying to reduce salaries (reason for the employee buyout) would just transfer someone to a position on a temporary basis.

Please understand that she called me VERY late at night hoping to catch me and I was asleep, so I did not really have a chance to ask her any questions. I did not get a chance to ask her if she was going through training or not.

Anyone have any insight into this?

Kathy

 

[jhill]

No one is going to be a flight attendant without going through the entire training process. We are on a big push to re-allocate human assets by "hiring within". Flight attendant happens to be a position that needs filling and we are going to fill it with as many internal employees as possible.

Maybe your friend is going to do something with Inflight other than be a flight attendant.

 

[T1bubba]

Kathy,


As far as I know the initial inflight training is required for all FA's, and the one-year minimum before transferring to another internal position still applies. I've heard some speculation that some CSA's might get an offer similar to what the res folks got- basically move/transfer to a new position or take the money but this is the first I've heard of it actually happening. The rollout of the bag-checking kiosks should be starting soon, so it's not too surprising they're looking to cut a few CSA's.

In the letter we got from Jim and Colleen a couple weeks ago it mentioned would be filling all positions with internal applicants for a while (not including pilot positions and other technical ones).

I would make sure your friend reads the fine print of any "temporary" transfer offers.

 

[Cactus-Wrench]

Kathy,


As far as I know the initial inflight training is required for all FA's, and the one-year minimum before transferring to another internal position still applies. I've heard some speculation that some CSA's might get an offer similar to what the res folks got- basically move/transfer to a new position or take the money but this is the first I've heard of it actually happening. The rollout of the bag-checking kiosks should be starting soon, so it's not too surprising they're looking to cut a few CSA's.

In the letter we got from Jim and Colleen a couple weeks ago it mentioned would be filling all positions with internal applicants for a while (not including pilot positions and other technical ones).

I would make sure your friend reads the fine print of any "temporary" transfer offers.

Had the opportunity to browse over the letter since my brother works for SWA and I was wondering about the same thing you just mentioned for internal, been in the mx pool year and a half now, I'm guessing I'm on hold but lots more planes coming so either they are gonna have to spool them CSR's up on changing tires, or skim some algae off their mx pools,

 

[Resume Writer]

Thanks for the responses. As I said, I was dead asleep when she called, so I was not sure what she was saying. After all my years in the airlines, I thought it a bit strange that it would be temporary.

She will have been there two years in July, so she meets the year transfer requirement. Now, I wonder what criteria they will impose for that transfer. Will she have to interview? If not, successful, then what? Maybe enough people will transfer that she will at least keep her job if she is not successful.

Kathy

 

[roughneck]

On friday at the "400th" party, I asked a few questions regarding this. I was told that the hiring freeze (meaning limited to internal transfers) applied to all departments except pilots, flight attendants, and mx. This was a chance for the company to reallocate human resourses withing the company. No one is getting furloughed. No is going to lose their jobs. The company is expected to make 16cents per share for the second quarter and looks like bookings are good for the 3rd quarter.

The reason SWA is the number 1 airline in the world (historically, financially speaking) is because our management has a unique ability to think ahead. The overstaffing in some areas is something that noone could predict after 9/11. The best answer to this problem is to offer incentives to transfer within the company rather than hire outside. I did hear that the 1 year transfer rules may be waived and shortened to 3 months. (I heard this was being contemplated so people who were a little aprehensive about changing positions wouldn't feel "locked" into anything. They could give it a shot and would be guaranteed their old positions back if they decided the change was not for them after 3 months.)

I think this a great idea and I suspect it will be highly successful and save money for the company thus increasing our profit sharing.

BTW, I hear that the company and the F/A union might have reached a TA on Friday. I haven't seen anything in the press. Anyone else hear anything?

 

[Resume Writer]

Roughneck,

It does make complete sense to reallocate your human capital. You have a proven entity in your current workforce and there will be limited costs to train rather than pay the money for the hiring process.

I know when AWA had some problems in the late 1980's and early 1990's, they developed positions for CSR's (we were all cross-trained then) who had just joined the company. This was in place of furloughing them.

They developed a team of people that went out to all the travel agents as a sales force. It was very successful, people kept their jobs and the added benefit was product recognition. When the company stabilized, they went back to their original jobs.

Just smart business in my opinion. SWA should be commended for doing everything they can to keep their employees onboard.

Kathy

 

[AMRCostUnit]

If it were AMR, the overage would be gone yesterday with extreme prejudice...that one reason why employment at LUV us attractive to me at this juncture...

Unit
94-95 Furloughee

 

[chase]

Additional notes/thoughts

All FAs must go through FA training with SWA...sitting on a jumpseat as a CSA doesn't qualify someone to be a FA. Otherwise, much of what has been written above by folks is true from what I've heard/read. Cutting costs is the name of the game right now & moving overages to shortages will help that. Some additional notes/comments based upon conversations I've had recently with folks but haven't been able to confirm.

External FA new hire classes are ceasing for awhile. Internal hires will make up the upcoming new hire FA classes. What is differencen than previous internal new hire classes? I've been told two things, one if volunteers come forward now they will receive pay during their training, something current & past classes have not had happpened. We've never paid FAs during training. To encourage folks to switch the offer has been sweetened to allow folks to transfer to their old positions if they decide they want to go back. I don't know if they go back to their original pay or have to start all over in their old job...probably a major factor in making the decision. In the past one couldn't go back unless there was a shortage, I don't believe that caveat is there anymore.

This is a good idea & one that I think with the incentives will redistribute folks to the right spots. In terms of pay, I haven't heard but I would assume new hires will receive the <1 yr FA pay, not their old pay at their old job.

good luck

p.s. any FAs out there, please correct if I"m wrong

HAPPY DAD'S DAY!!

 

[SWAInflt]

F/A Class #205 will graduate this Thursday. Class #206 begins June 28th.
Both classes are a the usual mix of both internal and external trainees.

Classes 207 and 208 are on the books for August 2, and August 30...
theoretically these will be internal only classes. I hope so for their sake...if they mix
them in with candidates off the street and it gets out that the internals are getting
paid it won't be pretty. I know those of us already online are pretty hacked off about
this paid training thing.

The internals will be paid for training at their current pay rate...so if they are a topped
out res agent...they will make 8 hours of topped out res agent pay per training day.
If they don't make it through training for grades they are permitted to return to their
old position at the old seniority and salary.

 

[Resume Writer]

All FAs must go through FA training with SWA...sitting on a jumpseat as a CSA doesn't qualify someone to be a FA. Otherwise, much of what has been written above by folks is true from what I've heard/read. Cutting costs is the name of the game right now & moving overages to shortages will help that. Some additional notes/comments based upon conversations I've had recently with folks but haven't been able to confirm.

External FA new hire classes are ceasing for awhile. Internal hires will make up the upcoming new hire FA classes. What is differencen than previous internal new hire classes? I've been told two things, one if volunteers come forward now they will receive pay during their training, something current & past classes have not had happpened. We've never paid FAs during training. To encourage folks to switch the offer has been sweetened to allow folks to transfer to their old positions if they decide they want to go back. I don't know if they go back to their original pay or have to start all over in their old job...probably a major factor in making the decision. In the past one couldn't go back unless there was a shortage, I don't believe that caveat is there anymore.

This is a good idea & one that I think with the incentives will redistribute folks to the right spots. In terms of pay, I haven't heard but I would assume new hires will receive the <1 yr FA pay, not their old pay at their old job.

good luck

p.s. any FAs out there, please correct if I"m wrong

HAPPY DAD'S DAY!!

Chase,

Well, I can tell you, that the first year FA pay would be MUCH better than a 1-5 year CSA pay! There would be no incentive at that level to go be an FA if the pay was the same!!

Second, as I said before, I was dead asleep when she called me at 2 am!!! I was truly not in the mood to chit chat with her!

So, when I asked about whether there was a temporary inflight position that could be filled, that was going on the words that she said. But, I can tell you this - at my previous airline, no one other than FAA current FA's and Pilots who had gone through "door operations training" could ride the 4th FA jumpseat. Imagine my surprise when I was with SWA and found out that ANYONE could ride that jumpseat! It seems that SWA has gotten some special deal with the FAA and these other employees did not need to know any emergency procedures. Personally, I would not want someone on the jumpseat next to me that did not know EP's, because they might hinder the evacuation.

That is why I was asking about what she had told me, because I wondered what the deal was with only working a job temporarily without the required training. I think she was just drunk and not communicating very well.

Kathy