Southwest Airilnes Crosses into the Gray

[want2fly]

Dude, pilots top out at 12 years of pay at SWA.

Exactly. But I think what he was saying is if they raise the retirement age to 65, they will end up adjusting the scale so that the pay doesnt top out til 17 years of pay to make up for the extra money they will be paying. I wouldn't be a bit surprised to see that happen.

 

[Chest Rockwell]

cx,

That $48000 new hire also has a cost to the company in the interview, background check, and training process. My understanding is that keeping the old guys at the top pay is always cheaper than hiring and training someone new.

 

[Jim Smyth]

Its a revolving circle. If I retire and leave at age 60, who are they going to replace me with? Not a new hire but with another 12 year pay Captain. So in essence the pay structure remains the same. All Captains make about the same money. Once you upgrade its only a matter of a few dollars difference between the most Junior Captain to the most Senior. If they have to upgrade a Senior CoPilot to Captain, then a new hire comes in at a lower dollar amount than the CoPilot they just upgraded to Captain offsetting any gain the company made from me retiring. Pretty much ballances out. Now the 17 year pay raise, if they went to that (Big If) due to the raising of the age 60-65 issue. They would have to give alot of guys pay cuts in the above senerio that want2fly gives which doesnt seem likely if we are still making money. I personally dont see the 12 year scale changing if/when the age changes.