Kelly: SWA costs too high

[Dash Power]

I hope you're right, but that sounds very overoptimistic. Letters like this are typically the prelude to the coming storm. The next letter will describe how SW has attempted to cut costs through productivity and preserve pay rates but that it is still at a competitive disadvantage. It will go on to say that management will sit down with the Unions and work groups to try to brainstorm other avenues of increased productivity. The letter may even solicit ideas from the "front line" employees on what can be done.

A few weeks will pass before the third letter. The third letter was actually written well before the first letter, but couldn't be made public until the employees were mentally prepared for it.

Or, it could just be that Gary wants to keep everyone in the loop about how tough it is to manage an airline.

I am being "very overoptomistic" and you are just being a mystic.

We are an average of 25% more productive than the other Legacies. There are far fewer employees per airplane than any of the others. How exactly are we going to get more productive?

 

[Dash Power]

I wouldn't count on it.



No, $200k is certainly sustainable for a 737 captain. The problem isn't the CA making $200k, the problem is the CA who manipulates the system to the limits and pulls in over $400k. Yes, there are a decent number of SWA captains making that number, and there are a good number of FOs cracking $200k. More power to them, since the contract currently allows it, but it isn't sustainable long-term. Unfortunately, I think a lot of those pilots who pull in those kinds of numbers are leveraged to the hilt and won't be able to pay their bills if they can't make that kind of money, so they're probably going to suffer when Gary gets the "productivity enhancements" that he wants.

You are clueless.

What is a "good number"? 30? 40? 50?

Out of six thousand pilots?!?!?!?

One or two pilots mayyyyyybe approached 400 grand. But I think that could be folklore which is very rich in this company. A breath of truth with an entertaining amount of exaggeration.

And it is not a manipulation. This makes SWA money and don't fool yourself otherwise. It has been going on the entire 20 years I have been here. Those FEW pilots don't have much of a life because they live to work the system.

Pretty scarey that you were put in a position you say you hold.

 

[wood pecker]

What would happen if Swapa offered an extension to current contract to get a positive piece published in the media to counter the greedy pilots crowd. If fuel is main cost, it would make sense to lower that via 1 eng taxi out and in.

Of course at AT after 9-11 pilots sacrificed to prevent furloughs yet management I believe got a large bonus.

 

[Bringupthebird]

WN has picked all the low-hanging Point-to-point fruit. Now they've chosen to go up-market with larger airports that they used to consciously avoid. Next will have to be smaller point-to-point markets but they can't launch that if the costs of failure are too high.

It's like that funny State Farm ad: "Hi Gary, is your airline up a pole?" GK will be looking for an insurance policy in the form of lower costs.

 

[texman]

What would happen if Swapa offered an extension to current contract to get a positive piece published in the media to counter the greedy pilots crowd. If fuel is main cost, it would make sense to lower that via 1 eng taxi out and in.

Of course at AT after 9-11 pilots sacrificed to prevent furloughs yet management I believe got a large bonus.

This is coming next year. Single eng taxi.

 

[Ty Webb]

Ain't nothing to it, as long as you think about what you're doing. . . . . Have two engines going when you're crossing active runways from a stop (ie LGA, ATL etc). Don't try to taxi single engine when the runways are gooey (PHL) or slick, or when you're in a conga line going uphill.

And, for gawd's sake, don't never try to takeoff with only one going . . . . The config horn will make you spill your coffee.

 

[wood pecker]

Isn't everyone missing the fact that SW will kick rears on future international routes w the 800s?

I'll bet there are some routes that pax will welcome SW w open wallets. ATL's new international hub might welcome some LUV as well.

Do y'all have online training or is everything in a classroom. We have crewplace.com and is a pretty awesome tool that I hope SW will adopt as well to save $.

 

[IslandDriver]

We do a lot of training on line. Developed mostly in house I believe.

 

[General Lee]

Isn't everyone missing the fact that SW will kick rears on future international routes w the 800s?

I'll bet there are some routes that pax will welcome SW w open wallets. ATL's new international hub might welcome some LUV as well.

Do y'all have online training or is everything in a classroom. We have crewplace.com and is a pretty awesome tool that I hope SW will adopt as well to save $.

Say what? Riiiiight. Those -800s will save SWA's bacon....???? In the meantime, they still have junky 737-300s, -500s, and 717s that nobody knows how long will stay there. But, the -800s will do the job, until they go up against Hawaiian 767s (lower CASM, more seats), and any widebody they ever try to go up against to Europe (I can't wait to see that!). And what do you mean by the above statement highlighted?

You sound like you are a student at Empty Nipple. Oh, your profile says CL65, so maybe you just graduated from there and now have an RJ job.... Good luck to you!


Bye Bye---General Lee

 

[wood pecker]

Just trying to be positive there little general. I never wanted bad things to happen to y'all during the NW deal but it's a whole different attitude from my delta friends who can only put down south west. It was reported a while back that ATL was desperate for $ during the construction of that terminal.

Maybe it's all paid for now but I'm sure the politicians would be happy for more $. SW just saved $ by not getting gates in DC do maybe they can buy some ATL gates for their future mega hub. Just kidding not hating.