New AT servicep

[Ky.BrownBourbn]

Along with these route announcements, is there any info on the MDW-CUN (SWA) vs ORD-CUN (F9) routes?

No, believe that one has to be approved by the mexican government. Wasn't that the case, they (the mexican governmenr) only allows service from Chicago by 3 airlines. AMR, UAL and the abandoned USA3000 service that SW and F9 was trying to pick up.

KBB

 

[SKC]

I went back and checked the docket to see if any updates had been posted in regards to the F9/WN CUN route request and came across a gem. A P.B. Goodrich (no idea who this is) wrote a letter in support of F9 to Transportation Secretary LaHood.

"The second issue concerns safety. Southwest proposes using Midway Airport. Midway is an airport with short runways in a congested urban neighborhood. These short runways work adequately for regional flights. However, a heavily laden aircraft fueled for a long flight to Cancun is pushing the limits at Midway. Alternatively, O’Hare Airport has runways nearly twice the length of Midway with high tech instrument landing systems which constantly service large long-haul flights. It is not in the public interest to approve susceptible operations when a superior option is available.

I do believe that once Southwest Airlines joins the integrated national air service network through normal interline agreements with a modern ticketing system and uses adequate airports they certainly should be given consideration."

Psst, Mr PB...SWA serves SEA and SAN (just to name a couple) from MDW which are both 300 NM further than CUN. Also, let's not forget about those new-fangled things called instrument landing systems that ORD has. MDW must be a VFR airport.

Just had to laugh.

 

[outerlimits]

For what its worth, I was told SWA already was awarded it.

I was told by gate agent when J/S ing through MDW.

 

[SKC]

I would be curious to know how an agent in MDW would know before the Dept of Transportation has issued any official documentation to either carrier?*

*This is assuming that since all previous documents are posted and available in the DOT docket, that all documents that have been issued are posted there as well.

Here's the docket that I'm referring to:
http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;dct=FR%252BPR%252BN%252BO%252BSR;rpp=10;po=0;D=DOT-OST-2011-0214

 

[Ty Webb]

It was voted on by both parties as the seniority integration agreement SL-10. That whole discussion took 12 months and drove everyone bonkers. The healing is still taking place on both sides.

That pretty much sums it up.

 

[Flying the Line]

I would be curious to know how an agent in MDW would know before the Dept of Transportation has issued any official documentation to either carrier?*

*This is assuming that since all previous documents are posted and available in the DOT docket, that all documents that have been issued are posted there as well.

Here's the docket that I'm referring to:
http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;dct=FR%2BPR%2BN%2BO%2BSR;rpp=10;po=0;D=DOT-OST-2011-0214

That is the way it works at Southwestern Trailways. Someone gets 20% of a conversation tell it to three different people and it becomes fact. It's kinda like the game telephone, but at Southwest, when it gets to the last person it is fact.

 

[outerlimits]

That is the way it works at Southwestern Trailways. Someone gets 20% of a conversation tell it to three different people and it becomes fact. It's kinda like the game telephone, but at Southwest, when it gets to the last person it is fact.

Well I did say take for what it's worth.i just told what she told me. I guess time will tell if she was correct.


She also was talking about a lot of other growth, but I will keep it to my self.

 

[Flying the Line]

Gate agents are the first to know.

 

[SKC]

Well I did say take for what it's worth.i just told what she told me. I guess time will tell if she was correct.


She also was talking about a lot of other growth, but I will keep it to my self.

Never said that her statement wouldn't reflect what actually occurs, just that I didn't believe it possible for her to know the official answer at that time.

In regards to future growth, if it's dealing with HI, AK, or PR, it's not new info.

 

[outerlimits]

Never said that her statement wouldn't reflect what actually occurs, just that I didn't believe it possible for her to know the official answer at that time.

In regards to future growth, if it's dealing with HI, AK, or PR, it's not new info.

How about another type of A/C?

On the jump seat one of the pilots mentioned this?

 

[SKC]

Nothing other than the -800 and the 717.

 

[shagadelic]

Nothing other than the -800 and the 717.

Gary Kelly has said within a few years he envisions Europe out of Baltimore. You're not doing that in an -800 or 717. I wouldn't be surprised if we get 787's in 2015. The International Lease Finance Corporation is getting 74 of them starting in late 2014. Who are they for??? Things that make you go hmmm.

 

[scoreboardII]

That "can't get IT to get our international stuff figured out" is probably a ruse to keep the two entities separate and continue the cost savings for aslong as possible.

 

[Luv2BFlyin]

That "can't get IT to get our international stuff figured out" is probably a ruse to keep the two entities separate and continue the cost savings for aslong as possible.

Just like your signature line says.

 

[SKC]

That "can't get IT to get our international stuff figured out" is probably a ruse to keep the two entities separate and continue the cost savings for aslong as possible.

Well, it is 100% IT right now in regards to intl flight planning, but it will be possible before too long. They are writing the code to allow the current system to plan intl and multi-fleet right now. The new flight planning system won't be deployed until 4Q12 (which will have all the bells and whistles needed for ETOPs, multi-fleet, etc), so they are retrofitting SWIFT with some fixes for the time being.

 

[dicko]

They are writing the code to allow the current system to plan intl and multi-fleet right now..

When they invent this magical device, perhaps they'll sell it to all of the other companies that are trapped on the mainland with only one fleet type.

It will be a miracle.

 

[SKC]

When they invent this magical device, perhaps they'll sell it to all of the other companies that are trapped on the mainland with only one fleet type.

It will be a miracle.

Nothing magical about computer code that allows a flight planning system to do something that it hadn't been designed to do when it was built nearly 20 years ago.

 

[Flying the Line]

Pretty sure it's reservations limitations, after all, planes have flying to el Salvador for several years now.

 

[humveedriver]

What's the history with that anyway? I was told SWA has about 2000 IT employees to AirTrans 100. We farmed that stuff out. Was it because American owned Sabre or something?

 

[PCL_128]

I think it's about 1,000 IT employees.

 

[SKC]

Pretty sure it's reservations limitations, after all, planes have flying to el Salvador for several years now.

The flight planning for El Salvador is being done with a secondary system that is not adequate for revenue domestic/flag ops due to the workload. It takes many times as long to compute and send a plan via that system than it does with SWIFT. So, yes it does still have to do with flight planning (as well as res).

 

[SWA717]

when they invent this magical device, perhaps they'll sell it to all of the other companies that are trapped on the mainland with only one fleet type.

It will be a miracle.

lol!!!!

 

[outerlimits]

The flight planning for El Salvador is being done with a secondary system that is not adequate for revenue domestic/flag ops due to the workload. It takes many times as long to compute and send a plan via that system than it does with SWIFT. So, yes it does still have to do with flight planning (as well as res).

So what is the buzz over there, when will they have it ready .

 

[LeeRoyJenkins]

why should the airtran pilots be paid less (B Scale) to do the same flying plus International Flying for Southwest till Jan. 2015? Doesn't sound fair or treating your fellow employee like you would want to be treated? Double Standard maybe?

The AirTran MEC was told by Gary Kelly et al that if they turned down SL-9 then the SWA pay rates would be taken off the table and not put back. The ATN MEC voting down SL-9 sealed the deal.

They were warned of this and still they chose to give SWA the middle finger.

Double standard? Nope. Just Gary Kelly doing what he told them he would do.

 

[Spud]

The AirTran MEC was told by Gary Kelly et al that if they turned down SL-9 then the SWA pay rates would be taken off the table and not put back. The ATN MEC voting down SL-9 sealed the deal.

They were warned of this and still they chose to give SWA the middle finger.

Double standard? Nope. Just Gary Kelly doing what he told them he would do.

So it's OK to do whatever you want as long as you told 'em beforehand??

"Look Officer, I told him I was gonna kill him, then I did."

 

[outerlimits]

So it's OK to do whatever you want as long as you told 'em beforehand??

"Look Officer, I told him I was gonna kill him, then I did."

Is this Gary guy the CEO?

If so then I would say yes, it is his company.

For some reason I thought murder is against the law. I am sure if this Gary guy shot someone he would go to jail.

Just look at Doug Parker

 

[ASADFW7]

The whole Swa/AT integration debate was major league, and in my opinion both pilot groups didn't see the end result coming.

 

[Spud]

The whole Swa/AT integration debate was major league, and in my opinion both pilot groups didn't see the end result coming.

That's for true.

I do think it's telling though how AA went on a costly slow-down just so the Reno guys wouldn't have one day at B-scale and SWAPA gives GK 3 years.

Be very careful this summer during section 6, how you (we?) play the B scale game. I think it's like scope... hard to put the Genie back in the bottle. Hopefully GK will proceed more honorably than he did with us.

 

[Ty Webb]

The AirTran MEC was told by Gary Kelly et al that if they turned down SL-9 then the SWA pay rates would be taken off the table and not put back. The ATN MEC voting down SL-9 sealed the deal.

They were warned of this and still they chose to give SWA the middle finger.

Double standard? Nope. Just Gary Kelly doing what he told them he would do.

Yawn.

No one gave anyone the finger . . . . . although, I'm sure if you keep dredging the issue up, someone will eventually give one to you. :laugh:

It's over, Rover . . . . Let it go already.

 

[LeeRoyJenkins]

It's over, Rover . . . . Let it go already.

I have been over it a long time.

Just stating why AirTran pilots are being paid "B-scale" wages. At least until Jan 1, 2015. Your MEC chose that path.