Good luck with that. I predict Southwest will negotiate a CONCESSIONARY contract, the next round. The majors are all coming back, and the arrogance at Southwest will be crushed.
OK... I thought I got on MY high horse from time to time.
Not to pick on you in particular Jonny, but some of you need both a reality AND a humility check.
SWA has NO reason to be forced a concessionary contract, not to mention that it's against their own corporate philosophy. They may only get COLA raises this time around and a few QOL tweaks, but concessionary? WTF are you smoking?
And military - vs - civilian... are you somehow a better pilot by flying an F-14, F-15, YF-22, Space Shuttle around? Let me let you in on a little secret... I was jumpseating home in the front with a Navy fighter guy doing his line check as a new-hire at SWA. I had just come from a trip as a Supplemental Freight 727 Captain where the 1,500 hour newly upgraded F/O had just about earned us a trip to the Chief Pilot's office.
The SWA F/O had ZERO situational awareness, got chopped and dropped abeam the field into BNA with 600/2 weather, and wouldn't bring the boards out or slow and dirty up. Watched him totally overshoot the approach and was still trying to dive for it when the CA took the aircraft and brought us back around.
Long story short, NO ONE is any better than anyone else in this game. It's a JOB for crying out loud. One that you can take pride in your skills for, once you develop them, but the military guy isn't ANY better at it than the civilian guy.
Did I serve? Nope. Did I try? You betcha. Was working with the Marine's Aviation program on campus my Junior and Senior year and got disqualified due to a snowskiing accident and pins in my ankle. It SUCKED, and it's one of the few things in this life I regret. I appreciate every soldier's contribution to this country, pilot or otherwise, but I bow to no one.
Incidentally, that's one of the basic premises of this country that you swore to uphold... you know... the one where all men are created equal?
Jeez... Let people choose their own career path. No need to get into a mud-slinging contest.
Kids these days... Jeez...
p.s. To those who are bashing Legacy pilot pay these days,,, watch and learn as the cycle continues. There's a REASON the SPC at these carriers are already spooling up. It's going to be a VERY ugly time for aviation as these contracts come up, the companies have been profitable, the pilots demand some pay, bennies, and work rules back, and the airlines find bankruptcy a more difficult option this time around.
SWA is a GREAT place to work, my friends love it, but it won't remain top dog forever... That's just how this industry works. But just wait, you'll see.
