Question for AirTran Pilots

[fr8doggie]

Was AirTran hiring pilots at the time SWA announced the merger?

SWA buddy of mine says AirTran was not hiring and infact had pilots on furlough.

What are the facts?

 

[RIDETHELIGHTING]

No, thats wrong. All were recalled late 2009, some bypassed. We have had a few new hire classes this year, but don't know the exact number.

 

[Muppets]

You buddy is beyond wrong. We were running interviews all summer for future aircraft deliveries in 2011. I heard that SWA had a huge pool of pilots and hadent hired since 2008 (I think that one is true).

 

[RedDogC130]

The reason we were not growing the past 2 years is obvious to us now. All the trimming and schedule optimization was for the Airtran deal. Kind of annoying going through it but now it makes sense.

 

[roughneck]

AirTran has about 30 guys on furlough.
SWA is running 9 classes in the 1st quarter. As someone previously said, we havent ran a class in awhile due to the fact we were saving our cash to buy some gates in ATL.

 

[Muppets]

I thought you were saving cash to by F9. You SWA cats sure are forward thinkers- give yourself a pat on the back for me.

 

[roughneck]

..............

 

[Cometman]

You buddy is beyond wrong. We were running interviews all summer for future aircraft deliveries in 2011. I heard that SWA had a huge pool of pilots and hadent hired since 2008 (I think that one is true).

I do not work for either airline but it sounds like you are trying to build your case. Airtran was interviewing and planning for the growth while SWA was not hiring at all. It will not work. You have to accept the fact that you are just a small pea in the bowl. That is all you were and that is all you would be except for the buyout.

 

[Muppets]

Build my case? Just stating the facts. If they are different let me know. So are you East or West Cactus? Just kidding, I could care less.

 

[Secret Squirrel]

There sure are a lot of people jumping into the Airtran/SWA merger threads that "don't work for either airline" but sure have a lot of stuff to say. And it always seems like stuff to set the two groups against each other. Kind of miserable lives you lead if that is your hobby.

 

[redflyer65]

F9 was a complete farce. Southwest was not growing for over 2 years and saving cash everyday to make the purchase of Airtran, those are the facts.

 

[Flyarcticcat]

So back to the orginal question? How many pilots has Airtran hired since Sept 27th? How many more scheduled for the rest of the year and the following six months?

 

[Muppets]

F9 was a complete farce. Southwest was not growing for over 2 years and saving cash everyday to make the purchase of Airtran, those are the facts.

Thanks for the facts Mr. Kelly. You are a line pilot and you manage the company and deal with the corporate books! Wow! You SWA guys are the coolest.

 

[redflyer65]

I state the facts and you want to jump into some smack down? Nice.

F9 was a look at the books. Hindsight is 20/20 and it all makes sense now.

 

[DonVerita]

AirTran has about 30 guys on furlough.
SWA is running 9 classes in the 1st quarter. As someone previously said, we havent ran a class in awhile due to the fact we were saving our cash to buy some gates in ATL.

AirTran has ZERO pilots on furlough. All furloughees were recalled months ago...way before the SWA merger was announced.

We did have a few pilots who voluntarily bypassed furlough recall. Once you bypass furlough recall, you are no longer considered to be on furlough even though you have recall rights. However, those recall rights are not indefinate.

 

[RIDETHELIGHTING]

We have nobody on furlough. Some took a bypass, because they have other jobs.

 

[Flyarcticcat]

So back to the orginal question? How many pilots has Airtran hired since Sept 27th? How many more scheduled for the rest of the year and the following six months?

Anyone??

 

[Cometman]

AirTran has ZERO pilots on furlough. All furloughees were recalled months ago...way before the SWA merger was announced.

We did have a few pilots who voluntarily bypassed furlough recall. Once you bypass furlough recall, you are no longer considered to be on furlough even though you have recall rights. However, those recall rights are not indefinate.

If you are not considered on furlough can you come back to work when ever you want or do you have to wait for another recall? If you cannot come back to work whenever you want then what do you call it?

 

[Muppets]

I state the facts and you want to jump into some smack down? Nice.

F9 was a look at the books. Hindsight is 20/20 and it all makes sense now.

Did you get a look at the books? What did they look like? They must have been bad if you guys bailed on the F9 deal. How were the meetings between management? Did you guys have shrimp cocktail at lunch? Did you and the other managers fly a corp. jet or mainline? Man...there are so many questions you guys can answer.........cant wait to work with ya!

 

[Sy-bill]

To the best of my recollection Republic increased their offer 30 million in the 11th hour so the bankruptcy judge awarded Republic the bid.

The pilots talked but any agreement wouldn't have made any difference. The judge responsibly awarded the airline to the highest bid.

 

[texman]

We have nobody on furlough. Some took a bypass, because they have other jobs.

How many pilots were hired in 2009 and 2010. Were a lot of them furlough recalls? If so how many were furloughed pilots?

 

[roughneck]

AirTran has ZERO pilots on furlough. All furloughees were recalled months ago...way before the SWA merger was announced.

buzzzzzzzzzzzz!!!!! You lose.

You do have pilots currently on furlough. If you dont believe me look at the official seniority list. I've got a buddy who is furloughed right now.

 

[GuppyWN]

I'd say there is a high probability that guys that passed recall are ********************ting their britches right now.

Gup

 

[fr8doggie]

What's the Truth?

buzzzzzzzzzzzz!!!!! You lose.

You do have pilots currently on furlough. If you dont believe me look at the official seniority list. I've got a buddy who is furloughed right now.

So what the hell is the truth? I'm trying to have a discussion w/ my SWA Captain buddy ('93 hire) about the relative strengths and expectations of each plot group. This is a simple question: Did AirTran have pilots on furlough when the merger was anounced. If they didn't have pilots on furlough were they hiring? I don't see how you can have pilots on furlough and be hiring at the same time

 

[redflyer65]

Did you get a look at the books? What did they look like? They must have been bad if you guys bailed on the F9 deal. How were the meetings between management? Did you guys have shrimp cocktail at lunch? Did you and the other managers fly a corp. jet or mainline? Man...there are so many questions you guys can answer.........cant wait to work with ya!

Really? That's what you have?

There never was going to be a deal. We didn't bail on anything, we got a look at the competitors books for free. Get it now?

 

[redflyer65]

So what the hell is the truth? I'm trying to have a discussion w/ my SWA Captain buddy ('93 hire) about the relative strengths and expectations of each plot group. This is a simple question: Did AirTran have pilots on furlough when the merger was anounced. If they didn't have pilots on furlough were they hiring? I don't see how you can have pilots on furlough and be hiring at the same time

I think it might depend on the furlough section of the Airtran contract. Some unions allow you to defer recall up until a certain date. So yes, you could have deferred recalls and new hires. Not sure about how the Airtran contract is set up.

 

[atldc9]

My seniority list shows 21 guys have still not accepted recall from furlough. All have been offered recall. 169 pilots were furloughed in 2008. Zero new hires in 2009, 82 new hires in 2010, through Sept.

 

[Crash Pad]

Airtran had a Febuary and March 2010 New Hire class. That should conclude the furlough question. You can't have newhires with furloughs unless the furlough bypassed. Not hard to put this together people.

Airtran also had a Sept. 2010 pre 27th class... Has just started another class either late Oct. or Early Nov. Not sure about the exact date.

20ish a class. Hope that helps you all piss on eachother for another 12 pages.

 

[SWA/FO]

We did have a few pilots who voluntarily bypassed furlough recall

I know of someone that recently passed on recall, something about a $25,000 bonus at his current employer - that he needs to get. Seems CRAZY to me, since he might have just won the lottery.

 

[FNG320]

The bottom line issue/facts are:

SWA has no one on furlough of any type.
SWA has not "hired" anyone for quite a while (since 2008/9)

AirTran has no on a forced furlough (bypass yes, but no one has been forced since all have been recalled at least once).
AirTran has hired pilots in 2010.

If someone bypasses furlough IAW his CBA, then for any merger process, he should be consider on LOA/Present for duty, and not on furlough. The idea that AirTran has pilots on Furlough while SWA does not is absurb and narrow minded. It has an obvious adjenda; to try and lower AirTran pilots exptectations in the SLI and maybe used as justification to puts some AirTran pilots on the bottom of the Joint SLI.

If you want to look at a SLI that had pilots still on furlough, then look at DAL/NWA. It is my understanding that both pilot groups on furlough (with recall rights thru their CBA) and that they all kept thier relative senioirity. Delta has even hired new pilots while many furloughed pilost bypassed recall. Personally, this whole discussion is about trying to give an advantage to SWA in the SLI vs a fair integration.

Just my opinion......

FNG