Leave SWA for AA or Delta?

[Scoot 11]

Whatever Scoot. Ahhh, I mean General.

A regional that flies 3500 flights a day with a ton of transcon, that pays higher than your widebody, riverboat jacket wearing, bankruptcy airline. Cheers!

Sure red, I mean scoreboard, I mean canyon blue, or whoever it is you're blowing these days.
Yes, southwest is nothing more than a PFT regional with lousy benefits, no retirement, 1 airplane and 6 legs a day, much like most regionals. Heck, even Republic has 1800 flights a day. And there, at least you don't have to pay for your job, like the crappy regional you work for.
And you might want to check your pay scales junior f/o. Your facts, much like your captain career, aren't even coming close!

 

[Mookie]

Just imagine for a moment.

5.5-6 yr FO, early 30s, at SWA.
Still in the bottom 10% (believe it or not.)

Upgrade is a total of 20-21 years.

Morale is getting stinky here.
We've bungled Hawaii, Class 2 nav, our route structure, we're late.
Our CEO is more focused on saving money than growth.
Contract neg. are going nowhere.

Work rules are ok, pay is good.

Given the massive retirements coming, would you consider leaving for AA or Delta??

Why or why not?
Discuss.....

...had to pay for your type....

 

[Linedriver]

Over the next 14 years Delta will retire 7500 pilots -thats 65% of our current pilot staffing. Be careful though, in this industry you can always live for tomorrow. If I were you I would probably stay put. SWA is still a good place to be.

 

[Tripower455]

This is a tough decision to make. This career is nothing more than a crap shoot.

WN has been a great carrier and a great place to work, but, like stocks, past performance is no guarantee of future performance.

There's been lots of cheese being moved lately, with little or nothing to show for it, particularly for our more junior pilots.

There's lots that has happened recently that, if I were in the OPs shoes (young, in the bottom 10%), would have me seriously considering other options.

The near future retirement numbers at the legacies are staggering and could be a real career windfall for a younger pilot, especially if he/she got hired at the beginning of the boom.

FWIW, I'd at least put some apps in and interview, then run the numbers if I was offered a job.

 

[Phlintstone]

To me it is pretty simple...Are you happy at SWA? If you are then stay. If not, leave. You'll make do financially one way or the other. Only you can answer the question based on your particular set of circumstances.

Phred

 

[Tripower455]

Yes, southwest is nothing more than a PFT regional

SW paid ME for every second of training I've done in 18 years.

with lousy benefits

Really? Please explain.

no retirement

I agree that we could use better retirement. That said, I put more away in a year at WN than I did in 10 years at the commuters.

1 airplane

Last time I checked, we had nearly 600 airplanes.

and 6 legs a day, much like most regionals.

I can't remember the last time I did 6 legs in one day. It's been at least a decade. Heck, I rarely do more than 3 a day. My average 3 day has 6-8 legs, total.

Heck, even Republic has 1800 flights a day. And there, at least you don't have to pay for your job, like the crappy regional you work for.

Really? Republic? Where, like every other regional, you pay for your job with low salary and lousy QOL, every single day from the time you're hired until you get a real job?

And you might want to check your pay scales junior f/o. Your facts, much like your captain career, aren't even coming close!

Ditto. See above.

 

[General Lee]

If you are considering leaving, there is a reason. You can always apply to the big 3 and see what happens. Maybe you will be highly impressed with one of them, and then make the jump. If you do, jump early.


Bye Bye---General Lee

 

[Tripower455]

If you are considering leaving, there is a reason. You can always apply to the big 3 and see what happens. Maybe you will be highly impressed with one of them, and then make the jump. If you do, jump early.


Bye Bye---General Lee

I can't say this too often, but I agree with GL. Mark the day on your calendar.

 

[HowardBorden]

Just imagine for a moment.

5.5-6 yr FO, early 30s, at SWA.
Still in the bottom 10% (believe it or not.)

Upgrade is a total of 20-21 years.

Morale is getting stinky here.
We've bungled Hawaii, Class 2 nav, our route structure, we're late.
Our CEO is more focused on saving money than growth.
Contract neg. are going nowhere.

Work rules are ok, pay is good.

Given the massive retirements coming, would you consider leaving for AA or Delta??

Why or why not?
Discuss.....

Well, if you're based anywhere west of Denver, you are holding 18 days off and enjoying the majority of your weekends at home while making a six figure salary.

Do you want to go back to reserve for half the salary?

Do you want to be at the bottom of the list and distinctly more vulnerable to furlough?

Do you enjoy your job? If not, will less days off for less money make it any better?

If your relatively happy for sure you should stay. If your unhappy with the job will moving to the bottom of the list somewhere else make you more happy?

 

[General Lee]

Well, if you're based anywhere west of Denver, you are holding 18 days off and enjoying the majority of your weekends at home while making a six figure salary.

Do you want to go back to reserve for half the salary?

Do you want to be at the bottom of the list and distinctly more vulnerable to furlough?

Do you enjoy your job? If not, will less days off for less money make it any better?

If your relatively happy for sure you should stay. If your unhappy with the job will moving to the bottom of the list somewhere else make you more happy?

Howie, you keep forgetting the part about 5000 leaving from each Legacy. Not if, but when? Reserve wouldn't be long, and with that type of upward movement a newbie could expect to jump up a plane type or two quickly, getting an even higher pay rate. Don't be so defensive. And, getting on earlier gives some furlough protection. Consolidation has helped somewhat mitigate the furlough risk, although never totally, even at your airline in the future....


Bye Bye---General Lee