Southwest looking to contain costs - article

[PCL_128]

PCL,
Take heart as there will be 500+ below you soon if you come over to the light!

No thanks. But I hope you're right. That would be good news for the other Trannies.

 

[redflyer65]

Islandhoper gets it as well. Excellent post, but you're never gonna convince them otherwise.

Bubba, you really need to stop telling us how we feel as a group. I guarantee the amount of frustration on this side of the partition is VASTLY different than what you believe or what you've been told. "Positive" is definitely not a word I'd use to describe it. "Coping" is more like it.

Coping with doubling your salary and working for a more stable company that's not looking to fire you at every turn like AirTran did? Yea, that must be tough. Please.

How many apps were on file? 600? 800? All willing to start at the bottom at first year pay. I wonder why?

 

[ATLplt]

Coping with doubling your salary and working for a more stable company that's not looking to fire you at every turn like AirTran did? Yea, that must be tough. Please.

How many apps were on file? 600? 800? All willing to start at the bottom at first year pay. I wonder why?

Doubling my salary?? So I'll make about $260k next year? Where do you get this sh!t? I'll make about $20k-30k more, at the most, and have to sacrifice my entire quality of life to get it. Now, are you referencing the rate I was earning while walking a picket line to improve, or are you referencing the ones we have now that we already turned down four years ago?

Apps on file? Who cares! What are the dates on the apps? Don't most people throw out apps to EVERY airline when coming from the regionals or military? You're freaking delusional, man. I'm sure some of our guys had apps on file in the 80's and 90's. Did you count those too?

 

[SWA Bubba]

deleted...

 

[redflyer65]

Doubling my salary?? So I'll make about $260k next year? Where do you get this sh!t? I'll make about $20k-30k more, at the most, and have to sacrifice my entire quality of life to get it. Now, are you referencing the rate I was earning while walking a picket line to improve, or are you referencing the ones we have now that we already turned down four years ago?

Apps on file? Who cares! What are the dates on the apps? Don't most people throw out apps to EVERY airline when coming from the regionals or military? You're freaking delusional, man. I'm sure some of our guys had apps on file in the 80's and 90's. Did you count those too?

Yea, your FO rate was 79/hr when SW stepped in. If you turned something better down, then that's on you isn't it? That's the management team you were dealing with. A constant Heisman, right? Get in line or be fired. So at the top end it would have been 79/hr vs 152/hr at SW, or a 92% increase. I'm sorry I rounded up and missed it by 8%. My apology.

Are you saying you made 130k before SW stepped in?

Your actually trying to argue that a Major airline keeps apps on file for 20-30 years? Haha. NO, I'm talking current apps. Guys that were at AirTran and looking to make a jump to a better company. But you know that already.

 

[27 driver]

Doubling my salary?? So I'll make about $260k next year? Where do you get this sh!t? I'll make about $20k-30k more, at the most, and have to sacrifice my entire quality of life to get it. Now, are you referencing the rate I was earning while walking a picket line to improve, or are you referencing the ones we have now that we already turned down four years ago?

Apps on file? Who cares! What are the dates on the apps? Don't most people throw out apps to EVERY airline when coming from the regionals or military? You're freaking delusional, man. I'm sure some of our guys had apps on file in the 80's and 90's. Did you count those too?

Save your key strokes. They believe we all wanted to work for SWA. Ya, we all had pas in and we are all doubling our pay. SWAPA said it so it must be true. The only reason we got a contract was because SWA. We were never going to get one otherwise. OH ya. Airtran fired 10 pilots a week. We all were scared of getting fired every day. Where do they come up with this ********************.

 

[islandhoper]

Coping with doubling your salary and working for a more stable company that's not looking to fire you at every turn like AirTran did? Yea, that must be tough. Please.

How many apps were on file? 600? 800? All willing to start at the bottom at first year pay. I wonder why?

Red flyer, to state that half or more than half of the AirTran pilots had a "current" app with SW is dishonest and or quite an exaggeration, as is the irresponsible comment about firings. No AirTran pilot ever felt threatened by firings until SW came along... AirTran was a great company to work for as is SW even though culturally they are so different.

 

[Luv2BFlyin]

Coping with doubling your salary and working for a more stable company that's not looking to fire you at every turn like AirTran did? Yea, that must be tough. Please.

How many apps were on file? 600? 800? All willing to start at the bottom at first year pay. I wonder why?

How long will it take to make over 400K? You are full of cr@p. As far as stability, that can turn on a dime. I was never fearful for my job, even after the merger announcement. While not happy about it, I never thought I'd lose my job in the merger.

Every time I start to try to embrace the suck, someone like you comes along and tries to tell me how luck I am. Keep it to yourself and we'll all be better off.

 

[redflyer65]

How long will it take to make over 400K? You are full of cr@p. As far as stability, that can turn on a dime. I was never fearful for my job, even after the merger announcement. While not happy about it, I never thought I'd lose my job in the merger.

Every time I start to try to embrace the suck, someone like you comes along and tries to tell me how luck I am. Keep it to yourself and we'll all be better off.

You can tell ATL that as far as I'm concerned. You won't find too many on this side that will stand to listen to any of this. It is what it is.

400k? I make half that as an FO and anyone that's a CA can make >400 if they want work their ass off. If that's not your gig, then the base salary is still impressive.

I'll admit their might not have been half the AirTran pilots trying to get on at SW, but the number was quite impressive. Many had tried 2-3 times already.

 

[ATLplt]

You can tell ATL that as far as I'm concerned. You won't find too many on this side that will stand to listen to any of this. It is what it is.

400k? I make half that as an FO and anyone that's a CA can make >400 if they want work their ass off. If that's not your gig, then the base salary is still impressive.

I'll admit their might not have been half the AirTran pilots trying to get on at SW, but the number was quite impressive. Many had tried 2-3 times already.

You won't find ANY on this side that want to listen to your constant "win the lottery" bullsh!t either. Like 27 Driver said, you're not to be convinced otherwise. You're living in a reality full of propaganda and half truths to spin the facts to suit your argument. It's pathetic.

As far as telling us how bad we had it with our management... It seems these days you're living in a big, glass house, constantly throwing stones. Our management was just like every airline management. Yours has been acting the same lately, but they're better at making you feel good about yourselves while not giving a damn about you. How long have you been in contract talks now? How are those going? Didn't your beloved management just try to fire a guy for giving more than adequate notice of leave? Is this the same management that pounded their chests about "Plan B" to a bunch of future employees? Sure sounds a lot like all the other airlines out there.

 

[waveflyer]

So.....anyway....

How are things on the air tran side lately?

I've drawn down one fleet type and opened a base

I'd rather not do anything like that again. To that end, yes, air tran will have earned those few months off -
Probably not break even though vs line holders if it's as weird and inefficient as my past experiences were

 

[Luv2BFlyin]

You can tell ATL that as far as I'm concerned. You won't find too many on this side that will stand to listen to any of this. It is what it is.

400k? I make half that as an FO and anyone that's a CA can make >400 if they want work their ass off. If that's not your gig, then the base salary is still impressive.

I'll admit their might not have been half the AirTran pilots trying to get on at SW, but the number was quite impressive. Many had tried 2-3 times already.

You said I was doubling my salary immediately. By my calculations, that may eventually happen thanks to my age and the devaluation of the dollar, sometime around 2035 or a little later, Lord willing. And, that could have happened at the Tranny as well. Our International could have continued growing while WN remained the largest domestic carrier.

BTW, if somebody brings it up and I respond, if they can't stand it, to bad. They can ask for me to be removed from the trip.

 

[madjack]

Ok...

 

[waveflyer]

I love this idea that we'll have pilots in their 40's now that will never upgrade-
15-20+ years to go! but you guys all know that you'll never upgrade.

 

[vixin]

Yea, your FO rate was 79/hr when SW stepped in

That was top FO pay by the way.

 

[PCL_128]

That was top FO pay by the way.

Which nobody came close to, because upgrade time was 3-5 years. That's now become 20 years. You guys love to miss that point.

 

[vixin]

I didn't miss anything. I don't have it anymore because I just don't care, but what were 3-5 yr CA rates? Just realize there are just as many no make that more SWA pilots that aren't happy with the purchase either. Get over it move on. Or in your case out. To be delusional of the likelihood AAI was going to survive in today's environment. Well it's just ignorant. Wasn't it going about 7 yrs at time of purchase? Again not sure but I think that's what LEAR70 said on SWAPA forum.

 

[DUBLINFLYER]

the 3 to 5 CA upgrades was pre 911?, the post 911 was 10 years todate

 

[27 driver]

Prior to the stagnation period that everyone hit in 08 it was 3-5 year upgrade. After 08 like everyone else it was 0 growth. IMHO it was the CEO that screwed that up. He was a bean counter. The previous CEO actually wanted to grow an airline. Sound familiar?

 

[PCL_128]

the 3 to 5 CA upgrades was pre 911?, the post 911 was 10 years todate

Incorrect. Upgrades were less than one year pre-9/11. It got up to 3 years later, and was around 6 at the time the merger was announced.

 

[PCL_128]

Just realize there are just as many no make that more SWA pilots that aren't happy with the purchase either.

I get that, and I can understand why. What I will never understand or accept is this insistence on their part that we "won the lottery," or similar nonsense. It's ok to be unhappy with it on your side. It's not ok to make it seem as though we were just working for a piece of trash airline and we were lucky that SWA deigned us with their glorious offer of employment.

To be delusional of the likelihood AAI was going to survive in today's environment.

You might want to explain that to Richard Anderson, who recently said that SWA isn't the competitor that AirTran was. Delta hasn't been impressed. In fact, they're laughing all the way to the bank. It'll be funny as hell when those former AirTran 717s start doing direct flights from ATL to DAL.

 

[Kenney G]

I didn't miss anything. To be delusional of the likelihood AAI was going to survive in today's environment. Well it's just ignorant.




So what airlines where you applying to? You are convinced AirTran was never going to make it. If that was the case for you not to put apps out and just sit around waiting for the end is, well it's just ignorant as you like to say.

 

[Tripower455]

Red flyer, to state that half or more than half of the AirTran pilots had a "current" app with SW is dishonest and or quite an exaggeration,

Yeah, it was only around 400, a little less than 1/4, not 1/2........

How many SW guys had apps in with AT on 9/27?

 

[PCL_128]

I'm still waiting for someone to show me proof of these hundreds of AirTran pilots who had apps in at SWA. I've never believed it, and I never will, until I see some evidence. Just more SWAPA propaganda.

 

[DUBLINFLYER]

PCL since your not a SWA pilot you don't know anything, the FO's that came on line in 2003 were only given to opportunity last year to upgrade - you can do the math

 

[PCL_128]

We were talking about AirTran, not SWA. You're right, I don't have a clue what upgrade times were there. I just know what they are now, and it ain't pretty.

 

[HowardBorden]

It'll be funny as hell when those former AirTran 717s start doing direct flights from ATL to DAL.

That might happen for a nano second, but in case you haven't heard, Delta doesn't own any gates at Love. As for the two that American must divest, the DOJ says Delta need not apply.

 

[vixin]

So what airlines where you applying to? You are convinced AirTran was never going to make it. If that was the case for you not to put apps out and just sit around waiting for the end is, well it's just ignorant as you like to say.

I work for SWA so no I wasn't applying elsewhere. Never applied to AAI.

I also understand there are a few things that aren't the best for AAI pilots, but really its time to unit and fight the right fight GK VDV and RB.

 

[Ty Webb]

I work for SWA so no I wasn't applying elsewhere. Never applied to AAI.

I also understand there are a few things that aren't the best for AAI pilots, but really its time to unit and fight the right fight GK VDV and RB.

Never say never, but on the CA side, there are 450+ of us that are still looking forward to losing our seats and bases this year, and the associated pay cuts and commutes.... We have more immediate and pressing concerns, to say the least.

 

[Dan Roman]

I work for SWA so no I wasn't applying elsewhere. Never applied to AAI.

I also understand there are a few things that aren't the best for AAI pilots, but really its time to unit and fight the right fight GK VDV and RB.

Vixen, don't I remember you absolutely slamming the AirTran folks on here? I believe something about AirTran pilots being inferior to SWA pilots? A lot of that went on here...you can't that back dude.