Southwest bumped out of base?

[Tripower455]

Are you guys considering smaller satellite bases in this round of negotiations. That would probably take some of the pressure off all the domeciles. Maybe TPA, STL, BNA etc. Aside from ATL how is SWA going to absorb 1700 AAI pilots in existing bases?

I'm not sure what's going on this time around, but I can guarantee that until the pain is felt west of the Mississippi, nothing's gonna change. The senior guys care more about their ability to vacation poach and move their boats around more than about the plight of the junior.

 

[SWA Bubba]

Are you guys considering smaller satellite bases in this round of negotiations. That would probably take some of the pressure off all the domeciles. Maybe TPA, STL, BNA etc. Aside from ATL how is SWA going to absorb 1700 AAI pilots in existing bases?

Right now, the plan is just that: absorb the 1700 AirTran pilots into the existing 9 (soon to be 10 with ATL opening in August). How does that work? Grow the domiciles to accommodate the bodies. Lots of guys like the idea of satellite bases, and in fact we've got at least one guy who's personally done lots of research. Read one of our Reporting Points; he's always posting letters about this. However, thus far, the company has been reluctant to try it. A year or two back, the company talked about trying it with the FAs for a test, but never actually pulled the trigger. Some believe it will never happen. On the other hand, a few years ago, who would have predicted this acquisition? So who knows what will actually happen the future?

Bubba

 

[redflyer65]

Are you guys considering smaller satellite bases in this round of negotiations. That would probably take some of the pressure off all the domeciles. Maybe TPA, STL, BNA etc. Aside from ATL how is SWA going to absorb 1700 AAI pilots in existing bases?

The company seems to be more interested than ever in the idea of small outstation virtual bases just to reduce the hotel cost.

Will it actually happen? Could still be awhile.

 

[wood pecker]

One of the monthly hotel publications mentioned that 3 hotels are used in TPA. In recurrent we asked about all of the hotel cost vs a base. Supposedly, to staff it with a chief pilot and other personnel would be more costly. I Don't know if that's true but with all recurrent stories truth should not get in the way.

 

[27 driver]

One of the monthly hotel publications mentioned that 3 hotels are used in TPA. In recurrent we asked about all of the hotel cost vs a base. Supposedly, to staff it with a chief pilot and other personnel would be more costly. I Don't know if that's true but with all recurrent stories truth should not get in the way.

Couldn't they use MCO's CP for TPA? Some adjustments would have to be made but it is doable.

 

[fam62c]

Couldn't they use MCO's CP for TPA? Some adjustments would have to be made but it is doable.

That's what I would think, you don't have to duplicate a full management structure everywhere....keep it simple.

 

[fam62c]

The company seems to be more interested than ever in the idea of small outstation virtual bases just to reduce the hotel cost.

Will it actually happen? Could still be awhile.

It could also reduce absenteeism if there were more people who lived in base and fewer commuters. How many sick calls are a result of commuting troubles? I would think that the crewmembers who live in these places would have a very strong incentive to make it work if they wanted to keep their local domiciles. With only one aircraft type it seem like a workable system to build lines in cities where there are a good number of overnight aircraft and there are pilots and FA's who live there who would like to be based at home. I think a lot of people might be willing to offer the company some flexibility to make the system work if they could be based at home.

It certainly seems like an idea worth seriously looking into. If everybody wanted to make it work it would work. In my opinion, the difference between commuting and being based at home is night and day....a huge QOL benefit.

 

[Bwipilot]

The rumor or fact is that a pilot who gets bumped out has more options than a pilot that did not. So in training if everyone senior to you takes OAK or HOU because they want to avoid reserves in MCO and you get stuck with being on the bottom in MCO it is ok. The reason being all of the senior guys who will be coming over will bump you out of MCO giving you a better chance of getting ATL over a guy who didn't get bumped.

Did that make any sense?

The only way it helps is if the pilot gets displaced and is senior enough to hold ATL but there aren't any ATL openings. If a pilot is displaced out of a base, he can bump a junior pilot out of another base that he wants to go to. In the case of ATL, it'll be growing so needed to bump someone junior won't likely be an issue. In any case, you still can't bump someone senior--because that would be displacing someone senior.

Also, pilots senior to you can fill any openings. Once the shuffle gets down to you, there still has to be pilot junior to you to use your displacement rights--or an open seat if you haven't been displaced. Like the previous poster noted, the best thing is to bid what you want and not try to out think the game.