New SWA record at 380+ trips a month?

[SWA Bubba]

I actually did mention caps, albeit briefly, in my rant.

Here is how they helped at the operator where I worked pre 9/11. We had an 85 hour cap. That meant that lines weren't constructed with more than 85 - although many were constructed with less. You would bid and pick up to get as close to 85 as possible. If you went over block and you exceeded 85, the remainder went into a negative bank.

When the bank was sufficient you could cash it out to drop a trip or a piece of a trip. What this allowed me to do was level my earnings. I knew that I would always get 85 credit hours per month. It was nice to be able to drop trips and not have to worry about losing pay (once the bank had some $$ in it).

Not pretending that I understand completely how your old system worked, but it sounds like if you ended up working over 85 hours, you didn't get paid for it, but rather went into a bank that you could tap later to get paid 85 when you actually dropped something to work less. Or you could cash it out at some point. Is that right? If so, personally, I think that particular system only helps the company, in that they hold on to your earned salary for some amount of time before they "give" it to you. It's THEM earning the time-value of YOUR money. Personally, I would hate that; it's worse than overwithholding you taxes, and giving Uncle Sam an interest-free loan. But to each, his own.

How about this: negotiate the same thing without a cap. Call it the same thing if you want--a negative bank. Tell the company you want to defer some of this month's trip credit, and use it (or cash it out) in a later month, for instance for a dropped trip. Why do you have to have a cap to do this? My way has even more flexibility--you can still "bank" earned TFPs for later, if you're so inclined, but you can also work more for more money if you want or need.

I guess I'm just a little different than your average SW pilot. I want to earn a good living, but don't care about getting rich. I want to work as little as possible for as much money as possible. And I'd really like the GO to pay for employee parking, give us an industry standard retirement that doesn't require a match from me, and throw a box lunch at us on the way to that Aruba turn! ;-)

Like I said, I'd like some of that extra stuff, too. But I really want to earn the living that I want, in the fewest work days possible. Plus have the flexibility to earn more in a given month, should I need it for something that comes up.

Bubba

 

[SWA Bubba]

I flew the line 9 months ago. I don't think things have changed that much, bubba. And seasonal schedules are hardly a new thing.

Uh, then you weren't paying attention. "Seasonal" schedules," in the last few years, have gotten unbelievably wide. As understaffed as we seem in the summer, is the the same level of overstaffed that we are in the winter. It is much, much more disparate than it was just a few years ago. So explain to us then, oh wise one, how exactly does one "properly staff" an airline under those conditions? Short of seasonal layoffs, that is.

Plus, I defy you to prove your claim that caps would "help all the pilots." I would bet that if you took a poll of SWA pilots, you'd get less than 5% who wanted caps. The rest would tell you to pound sand for trying to interfere with their earning potential....that is, those who have not already told you to pound sand for various other reasons.

That leads me to my last point: your post is suspect on its face, because everyone knows that you don't have any "SWA buddies." :blush:

Bubba

 

[PCL_128]

Whatever you say, Bubba. Enjoy those sh1tty schedules.

 

[outerlimits]

just curious

How much did this pilot make the mouth he flew 380 trips ?

 

[wood pecker]

I thought at a certain point the taxes take such a bite or AMT made exceeding a certain TFP not as appetizing.

Flexibility only exists in the summer if you want to bust your TFP record from what I can see. Nobody picks up squat unless it's premium.

The senior have their VAC during the summer and then fly premium trips during their VAC periods and really clean house.

Basically weekends become red meaning you can't ELITT out of them so you get double screwed. Those guys call in sick = JA for other people and the cycle continues.

 

[K-Mart]

just curious

How much did this pilot make the mouth he flew 380 trips ?

Around 70K before Obongo.

 

[SWA Bubba]

Whatever you say, Bubba. Enjoy those sh1tty schedules.

Thanks, I do enjoy my schedule: 12 or occasionally 13 days per month for my 95-100 TFPs. I work the days I want, and go home, as 95 is enough for me in a given month. Every now and then, I do what I consider "busting my butt," and hit 140-150, if I need the money for something I want, but that's not all that often. I consider it a great schedule, and I don't need some effed-up union telling that I'm "not allowed to work more."

Thank God we have the flexibility to work extra...... If we want to.

Bubba

 

[Nindiri]

Based on the small parts of the new AIP I've seen, I'm afraid all of our schedules and QOL are about to take a hit, and in return we give GK section 1 relief.

 

[madjack]

Your making less as a SWA FO...vs AAI CP? Just flew with a Former AAI CP who said he makes the same....granted he's about a low 80k SWA FO....fairly junior in ATL...

 

[Tripower455]

Based on the small parts of the new AIP I've seen, I'm afraid all of our schedules and QOL are about to take a hit, and in return we give GK section 1 relief.

Yup.

The smartest man in the room is already on the beta forum twisting the numbers to make it appear that we are close to "industry leading" in just about every way, so expecting an actual raise is foolish.

My experience here is that the harder they sell something, the worse it is for the pilot group.

The rank and file shouldn't need 3 page posts explaining the "hidden" value in a TA, especially when said value is far less than they make it out to be.