Southwest FO to Captain

[bubble]

Hello all,
How many years will a pilot typically fly as first officer before he is upgraded to captain at Southwest?

Thanks!

 

[Juniority]

I'm in my sixth year of SWA FO (early May 2000 class) and I'm guessing (hoping) to upgrade in about six to eight months.

I've got my vacancy bid set for first available upgrade at Midway which is not quite as junior as Baltimore but I just can't see commuting coast to coast.

As long as I don't have to go back to the training center for a seventh year FO PC (that would feel like the "walk of shame")

 

[TR4A]

Hello all,
How many years will a pilot typically fly as first officer before he is upgraded to captain at Southwest?

The most junior captain for the July bid was hired on 02/17/2000.

 

[HalinTexas]

Wasn't there a hiring freeze following 9/11?

That would affect upgrade times for those hired before that time.

 

[conman]

As long as I don't have to go back to the training center for a seventh year FO PC (that would feel like the "walk of shame")


Timing is everything in this industry. I hope yours is much better than mine. I'm probably heading for my 17th year as an FO down the walk of shame!!!!
When I was hired by my company I was told seven years to upgrade. Good luck to you!!!


semi-pro walk around expert

 

[TriStar_drvr]

As long as I don't have to go back to the training center for a seventh year FO PC (that would feel like the "walk of shame")


Timing is everything in this industry. I hope yours is much better than mine. I'm probably heading for my 17th year as an FO down the walk of shame!!!!
When I was hired by my company I was told seven years to upgrade. Good luck to you!!!


semi-pro walk around expert

When I was hired by my present company, the VP of Flight Ops told my class that we'd all be Captains in two years. Five years later I made Captain, only to be bumped back to FO a year later. Now after seven years at the company, I'm getting very close to the bottom of the seniority list again, and am very much in danger of not making it to my eighth anniversary.

 

[bubble]

Thanks for all the info. Good luck with all of your upgrades, and I hope they happen soon!

 

[FlyBoeingJets]

Wasn't there a hiring freeze following 9/11?

That would affect upgrade times for those hired before that time.

SWA increased reserves from <11% to 15% in 2002. The guarantee was also reduced. Some new 737's went to the desert, briefly.

In short, they had too many pilots. Coulda fulourghed, but didn't.

 

[Dangerkitty]

In short, they had too many pilots. Coulda fulourghed, but didn't.

That right there is why SWA is so successful. Instead if doing what "looks good on paper" LUV realizes that people have families and SWA truly is a family. In bad times you work together with your family and help each other out.

In doing so you build strong relationships with your employees and a loyalty that will never be broken. It amazes me how other airlines try to copy SWA in terms of fares, costs, etc etc. But they are doomed from the start because they dont seem to understand what SWA understands all too well.

Treat employees with respect and "LUV" and you will reap rewards that Harvard MBA's and other companies still fail to understand.

 

[Tejas-Jet]

Wasn't there a hiring freeze following 9/11?

That would affect upgrade times for those hired before that time.

Very true....all the Pilots upgrading now were all on the property on 9/11 and are part of that slowdown in hiring.

Tejas

 

[Tejas-Jet]

That right there is why SWA is so successful. Instead if doing what "looks good on paper" LUV realizes that people have families and SWA truly is a family. In bad times you work together with your family and help each other out.

Oh yes....Sept 11 was a tuesday. On the following Friday, September 14, SWA was scheduled to pay out the profit sharing to all the employees. Now, no doubt that the employees would've realized that the company ( and the industry ) were in a crisis situation if it hadn't been paid out as scheduled.

But pay it they did....right on time...even though they had said that conserving cash was their biggest concern during those dark days.

SWA's President also said that in meetings during those days....employee layoffs weren't even contemplated.

Tejas