Heard on the line the other day that SWA has come to an agreement with Boeing to re-skin the -300s with reinforcements...the agreement will extend the life of the airplane for 25,000 cycles...putting it out there with a longer life will now make fiscal sense to put winglets on the -300s...the fuel savings on the 700s has been so good it made sense to do this but only once the life of the -300s has been extended. Mission accomplishment. Project will begin next spring or summer. Down time for the airplane will be under 2 weeks as projected to do re-skinning & winglets (if memory serves me correctly).
New electronic flightbag (similar to FEDEX...be interested in views on that, pls post your thought Fedex folks) is coming soon. Wireless technology via XM satellite radio will be the vehicle to make this work. Under $20K per airplane to keep us up to speed....savings for OJI injuries for flightbag related injuries will help pay for this along with the savings in other related areas...real time weather pics while sitting at the gate or while flying (something other than the standard radar pic) will be a tremendous advantage.
SWA this year has been retrofiting the aircraft with life preservers and training crews on their use....the new offshore limits will go into effect 1 Jan (the last word I heard) which will save SWA many millions of dollars. Fuel savings are still occuring to offset the higher fuel costs from diminishing fuel hedges....it won't make up all of the difference but it is an effort to make an effort to control the consumption side of the house.
Other good developments also coming....hirings still to be on track....haven't heard whether it is the 500 or 700 (as has been reported on here...I haven't heard the higher number but I haven't spoken to any PD in quite awhile) range but regardless the news is still good. For those wishing to come to SWA, good luck....to everyone a happy Thanksgiving to you & your families...to those service members who are serving their country & missing your families, our prayers are with you & your family...God Bless you & what you are doing. To those families who are under stress in this incredibly crazy business we call the airline industry, our prayers are with you also....many on here wish you & your families will find the peace you are looking for....good luck & God Bless to you also.
New electronic flightbag (similar to FEDEX...be interested in views on that, pls post your thought Fedex folks) is coming soon. Wireless technology via XM satellite radio will be the vehicle to make this work. Under $20K per airplane to keep us up to speed....savings for OJI injuries for flightbag related injuries will help pay for this along with the savings in other related areas...real time weather pics while sitting at the gate or while flying (something other than the standard radar pic) will be a tremendous advantage.
SWA this year has been retrofiting the aircraft with life preservers and training crews on their use....the new offshore limits will go into effect 1 Jan (the last word I heard) which will save SWA many millions of dollars. Fuel savings are still occuring to offset the higher fuel costs from diminishing fuel hedges....it won't make up all of the difference but it is an effort to make an effort to control the consumption side of the house.
Other good developments also coming....hirings still to be on track....haven't heard whether it is the 500 or 700 (as has been reported on here...I haven't heard the higher number but I haven't spoken to any PD in quite awhile) range but regardless the news is still good. For those wishing to come to SWA, good luck....to everyone a happy Thanksgiving to you & your families...to those service members who are serving their country & missing your families, our prayers are with you & your family...God Bless you & what you are doing. To those families who are under stress in this incredibly crazy business we call the airline industry, our prayers are with you also....many on here wish you & your families will find the peace you are looking for....good luck & God Bless to you also.
