Leave SWA for AA or Delta?

[JT12345]

Well, that order for $160 Billion worth of planes is for 3 Gulf carriers within 250 miles of each other. Some are for replacement, and some are for their own HOPEFUL growth. Geographically, the big 3 US Carriers are in a good spot. Most Americans wouldn't go all the way to the Gulf, then backtrack to Europe, or go to Asia via the Gulf. Those Gulf carriers are really affecting the European and SE Asian carriers, since the Gulf hubs are half way between Europe and SE Asia. Those airlines are really worried. The big 3 US Carriers protect their US hubs, and feed them well. Plus, airport infrastructures here in the States just don't have a lot of extra room in the big markets.

But, I can see your points. Retirements though will be huge, and getting in early in the hiring wave could change your whole career track, for the better. The pay is coming back, variety in flying is there, and upward movement with better QOL is assured with huge retirements. You may not believe you could pass a legacy interview or medical, so staying there might be the right choice for you. Other people though, they may want a change and want to avoid stagnation.


Bye Bye---General Lee

Oh the ego. How much has Delta hired the last 10 years? Still some good points though in between the other remarks.

My post was not about passing a legacy interview. It is about wasting one whether you pass or fail. It is a used up resource either way if you go to one.

ALPA seems worried about the foreign carrier orders. Take some of those quarterly profits and feed those politicians would be my advice. Feed them well.

SWA has more than 1000 retirements in 10 years. It is about double that, and that is about what they are hiring. Add in new rest rules too. I think they get larger after that. That is about what they have been hiring the last decade. Prior to that was 911 and they hired even more. Can't say that for the others. Sure and steady. Stability and control.

Still who knows what the future holds. There are a lot more carriers with bigger problems than SWA. Most I would even say.

Worry more about making it to 65 and take care of yourself.




________________________________________________________

Too bad you didn't invest with DL, the stock is way up, over 100% for this year alone. It was $5 after the merger, and now is near $30 a share. I kept most of my 3700 shares given to me at the merger. How many SWA shares did you get at your merger? You really missed the boat again not investing in DL...

GK is looking for cuts, in overall costs. Plenty articles state just that. That usually means very little or no raise. I hope you guys do get raises, DL pilots don't want to be the ones only raising the bar, heck, the DL pilots and the C2K raise got you your big raise anyway. Well, fingers crossed for you guys anyway...


Bye Bye---General Lee

PS--invest in DL.... Everyone else seems to believe DL is doing great

If you mean work rules then cuts would be correct. I would agree it is even needed. As for cuts or raises in hourly rates maybe not as important. A raise would not even be a problem IMHO. And it is the entire workforce that needs to be more productive per dollar. Notice I do not say per hour. Not just one group. It is not even productivity. It is just the crazy work rules that may not be the cause, but helped drive the legacies into bankruptcy. That is of course assuming the legacies do not get those work rules back again and they do not become the norm.

Keep in mind before the BK senior DAL pilots were looking at 300k+ a year along with many others like United. They are still quite far from that. The work rules and the bitching was entertaining to my regional eyes and ears at the time. New it would not last. Extra FA for long flights. Paying for FAs to get flight training. Crazy stuff compared to their up and coming peers.

Smart not being the one that wants to raise the bar. Don't be a ************************* though about it either, lol. Have fun out there.

 

[JT12345]

Dear fellow ALPA members,
After announcing more than $162 billion worth of widebody aircraft orders at the Dubai Air Show last week, Emirates Chairman Sheikh Al Maktoum and Etihad CEO James Hogan were both asked if they believed U.S. and European governments would allow their airlines access to airports on a scale large enough to accommodate so many aircraft. Hogan was somewhat measured saying “the economic impact of well over $100 billion in new aircraft orders clearly far outweighs any perceived negative impact on U.S. airlines operating internationally.” Al Maktoum was more direct: “We are buying a product from their countries. So why would they not allow us to fly to these airports? If they don’t, they can take their planes back.” In as many words, these men admitted that their carriers are attempting to secure support from our government by hinting at economic repercussions if they don’t get their way. I hope you’ll join me in standing up against this blatant threat to our industry and our careers.
The 150 B-777s and 50 A380s Emirates ordered last week are capable of carrying more than 80,000 passengers and 1.3 million cubic feet of belly cargo at a time. By the time all of the aircraft Emirates currently has on order arrive, they will be the largest airline in the world several times over. That huge amount of excess capacity will need to land somewhere and the United States, as the largest and most lucrative airline market on the planet, will be their principal target.
As Al Maktoum’s comment makes clear, these carriers are relying on our government to tip the playing field in their favor. Emirates is already one of the top customers at the U.S. Export-Import Bank, where it receives very large subsidies from our government to purchase planes like the ones noted above. Currently, they are also trying to convince the Department of Transportation to allow them to fly individuals whose travel is being paid for by the U.S. government – a move that runs completely counter to the Fly America Act. Not to be outdone, Etihad is still pushing forward on a new Customs and Border Patrol pre-clearance facility in Abu Dhabi, where no U.S. carriers fly. Over the next ten years, these airlines will be reaching out to our government time and again and asking for support as they invade our routes, undermine our industry, and weaken our profession; ALPA and ALPA-PAC are working to ensure those requests are denied.
This direct and aggressive attack on our careers cannot be allowed to go unchallenged. We are facing an avalanche of money from these carriers and we have to be able to fight back. Our unity in purpose and a fully funded ALPA-PAC are our greatest weapons in countering this very real threat; I hope I can count on your support for the PAC and your advocacy as we battle to ensure our industry stays strong and our careers secure for decades to come.
Sincerely,

Lee Moak
President
Air Line Pilots Association, International

 

[General Lee]

From a recent Motley Fool article:

"Fortunately, the U.S. carriers can hide behind favorable geography and strong U.S. hubs. While Emirates and the other Gulf carriers are well positioned to steal traffic from European and Asian competitors, their hubs cannot offer reasonable connections for most international routes to and from the United States. There are also very few routes like New York-Milan, where Gulf carriers could feasibly compete "away from home."

The top European and Asian airlines need to gear up for a costly battle with Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Etihad Airways. Otherwise, they could lose a large part of their high-value international business traffic. However, for the U.S. legacy carriers -- Delta, United, and American -- this threat is overblown."



Why would ALPA take this issue? It is probably important to watch these carriers, and they want to rally the troops. Finding the right lobbyists is important, but the European and SE Asian airlines are really nervous, the Gulf hubs are half way between them. But, watching them is smart.


Bye Bye---General Lee

 

[JT12345]

Perfect storm.

There is a huge pilot shortage coming and they raise the requirements in time and change the rest rules, lol. And this medical stuff about sleep is perfect timing.

Watch how quick it all rolls back.

They will get rid of the age requirement for right seat too I bet. Age 67 is around the corner. Kids will get paid to train. It is either that or hire a bunch of unknowns from another country. I can tell you that I am not impressed by the third world pilot judgment, and a lot of them get fired as line Captains and lucky before they hurt someone most of the time.

Remote control is a funny one. Airplanes are not monorails or elevators and UAVs are 300 times more likely to crash than a GA aircraft. An airplane can fly just fine by it self. The pilots are there and 2 of them at that for the mechanical failures, weather and strong winds. You either need no pilots when things are perfect. Systems good, nice weather, and light winds or 2 pilots to handle the problems. Not just 1 IMHO.

As for the international that makes sense they would go after those closer markets unless they already have. Politicians in this country are sold to the highest bidder, and you gotta wonder if it is the Manufactures and Oil based governments or US Airlines with record profits coming out of Americans pocket books. The local ones love their Airlines until they get calls about ticket prices from their voters. It has been a long time since a healthy airline environment, and maybe politicians realize how important that is. Or maybe they forget.

 

[DUBLINFLYER]

Now ALPA can ask for an increase in dues to fight the Gulf carriers

 

[canyonblue]

So, the choice is out there. 3 legacies that are making money, and growing stronger thanks to Consolidation...


Bye Bye---General Lee

Consolidation...is that deltish for bankruptcy?

 

[BID]

Now ALPA can ask for an increase in dues to fight the Gulf carriers

exactly!!

 

[Dornier 335]

Now ALPA can ask for an increase in dues to fight the Gulf carriers

Fear not! ALPA will send their ultimate JC van Damme like fighter called Duane W!

 

[General Lee]

Consolidation...is that deltish for bankruptcy?

For the big 3, it means huge profits and fortification. For you guys, it may mean belt tightening during your upcoming talks. You guys also used to be the King of LCCs, and now Spirit, Allegiant, and F9 are ULCCs. I think someone over there is getting fidgety.... Good luck!


Bye Bye---General Lee

 

[General Lee]

Fear not! ALPA will send their ultimate JC van Damme like fighter called Duane W!

Yeah, and USAPA will come in and save the day!! They'll say "hey, we didn't sign on the dotted line, it's not binding!!"


Bye Bye---General Lee

 

[LiveFreeorDie]

Too bad the moderators won't just delete all off topic posts.


This thread would be 70% shorter and ten times more useful to the author who wanted to get opinions on jumping ship.


I wish you luck in your decision, polishing off the resume and interviewing isn't a bad idea, then make the tough choice when you have the option. And if you make 140k as a Swa of for twenty or 250k as a delta capt ten from now, ask yourself will it really make your life more enjoyable. If yes then do it. But I find the poor kids in Belize are happier than 95% of the rich kids in my neighborhood...I wonder why.

 

[General Lee]

Too bad the moderators won't just delete all off topic posts.


This thread would be 70% shorter and ten times more useful to the author who wanted to get opinions on jumping ship.


I wish you luck in your decision, polishing off the resume and interviewing isn't a bad idea, then make the tough choice when you have the option. And if you make 140k as a Swa of for twenty or 250k as a delta capt ten from now, ask yourself will it really make your life more enjoyable. If yes then do it. But I find the poor kids in Belize are happier than 95% of the rich kids in my neighborhood...I wonder why.

This thread is for the original poster, and anyone else interested. Reading through these posts may not be entertaining to you, but small nuggets of information at a time may prove helpful to someone who has to make an important decision.

Btw, getting on at the beginning of a hiring wave is HUGE. It can be life changing, taking you away from the same old boring flying you are used to. Variety is the spice of life, and luckily pay at the big 3 are increasing due to huge profits and better contracts as of late. And each of the big 3 will lose approximately 5,000 pilots over the next decade to retirements, something SWA will not see. Younger AT pilots are being blended in with the SWA pilots and will finally take upgrades in 2015, and things will likely stagnate from there. Being in the bottom 3rd there will feel like being at a legacy over the past decade---very little movement.


Bye Bye---General Lee

 

[jonjuan]

Hey Genny Lee,
How many posts did you have on Thanksgiving alone? 80? 90? Your family must be proud while you are on the computer all day during a Holiday.

 

[General Lee]

Hey Genny Lee,
How many posts did you have on Thanksgiving alone? 80? 90? Your family must be proud while you are on the computer all day during a Holiday.

Really? You read 80 of my posts on Thanksgiving? So, you were on FI the same amount of time? Look in the mirror Jonny before you cast stones....

Also, it usually takes me less than a minute to respond to the multitude of dolts on this site. I highly doubt I had that many posts, but the max amount of time I spent would have been 30 minutes total, and then back to a FANTASTIC turkey with all the fixings..... Sooooo good! Bye Jonny!



Bye Bye---General Lee

 

[Cometman]

Really? You read 80 of my posts on Thanksgiving? So, you were on FI the same amount of time? Look in the mirror Jonny before you cast stones....

Also, it usually takes me less than a minute to respond to the multitude of dolts on this site. I highly doubt I had that many posts, but the max amount of time I spent would have been 30 minutes, and then back to a FANTASTIC turkey with all the fixings..... Sooooo good! Bye Jonny!



Bye Bye---General Lee

I agree with you. However, you never have something new to post. It is the same thing over and over and over. If you cannot come up with something new please stay off so we can read new things.