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Southwest New Hire/Airtran questions for Southwest guys/gals

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intooclose

Well-known member
Joined
May 6, 2004
Posts
83
I will be in class soon. I have a few questions that might benefit new hires as well.

Is it better to commute to OAK/LAS and get a line or a shorter commute to DEN/HOU/MCO/MDW for reserve?

Which is the easier schedule for commuting to out west, AM or PM?

Hotels? Crashpads? What do most people do?

Which base has the coolest crewroom?:)

How are we paid? Advance I hear but how much?

ANY FAT guys....what was your take home pay during training?

Do FAT guys get their uniform money during the beginning of training, is there a uniform store in corporate, and is there a tailor?

Does the store sell bags and can we use our Southwest money?

Is there food at corporate or do people go out to lunch during training?

Do people drive their cars to training....if not is it still easy to get around? Or does it matter because we are studying all the time.

Or anything Southwest guys think we might need to know. Thanks.

Im excited that the merger has created something that did not exist before...Flying for Southwest with the possibility of being based in ATL.
 
I will be in class soon. I have a few questions that might benefit new hires as well.

Is it better to commute to OAK/LAS and get a line or a shorter commute to DEN/HOU/MCO/MDW for reserve?

Strictly a matter of personal opinion. Different guys pick both. Depends on how much you you can stand commuting vs how bad you hate reserve.

Which is the easier schedule for commuting to out west, AM or PM?

I'd look at the flights from you home city to each base before you make this choice. Generally speaking, LAS seems to have more flights (incl nonstops) from more cities on more airlines at all times of the day and night than OAK. However, commuting the evening before for a next day AM does take some of the stress out of making sure you're to work on time. You'll occasionally see PMs that start fairly early.

Hotels? Crashpads? What do most people do?

Most pilots use hotels, except in MDW, which is crash pad-central. That said, I've heard of a few crash pads in LAS that are popular. Hotels are usually cheap and plentiful in LAS and OAK as well.

Which base has the coolest crewroom?:)

Not gonna touch that one!

How are we paid? Advance I hear but how much?

Paid an advance the 5th of the month for that same month. The balance of that month is paid on the 20th of the following month. An advance is 47.5 tfp x your pay rate, rounded up to the next even $100. It's based on half of the "average" month being 95 tfp.

ANY FAT guys....what was your take home pay during training?

Do FAT guys get their uniform money during the beginning of training, is there a uniform store in corporate, and is there a tailor?

Don't know about the money part, but yes, there's a uniform store at the training center, and they have a tailor as well.

Does the store sell bags and can we use our Southwest money?

Yes to the bags, and again I don't know about the money.

Is there food at corporate or do people go out to lunch during training?

They cater in a few lunches for the classes, but the rest of the time you're on your own. There's a pretty good restaurant at the General Office (right next door to the training center), and they have a very good selection of food choices, for reasonable prices.

Do people drive their cars to training....if not is it still easy to get around? Or does it matter because we are studying all the time.

A lot do, depending on where you would have to bring it from. "Getting around" depends on which hotel they put you up in. They provide transportation to and from the training center and airport. If you're at the Wyndham near the airport, you'll eventually get sick of the restaurants within walking distance.

I doubt you'll be "studying all the time." They do a pretty thorough job of spoon feeding you in training.


Or anything Southwest guys think we might need to know. Thanks.

I'd recommend briefly going over the booklet they send you, start looking at the flows they want you to do. You probably already know the plane--it's just now you have to learn the "Southwest way" of operating it. Relax and have fun.

Im excited that the merger has created something that did not exist before...Flying for Southwest with the possibility of being based in ATL.

Hope you enjoy training, and welcome. Hopefully some of the recent FAT guys can fill you in on some of the transition specifics, especially the money part.

Bubba
 
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I have heard that SWA is starting to use a hotel downtown Dallas for the FAT guys. They may or may not cover the paid parking. Not very convenient to the training center. Anybody know about this new hotel?
 
You can payroll deduct anything you buy from the uniform store.
What is it? $20 a check if you go that route until it's paid
 
Im in training right now. The hotel is the Sheraton downtown on Olive St. Nice. If you can, drive a car. There is a contract shuttle that runs two or three times per day. It makes life easier to have a car. You can park in the hotel for free. If you enter through the N Pearl St garage and go down, you can park next to the elevator that takes you closer to your side of the hotel tower. If you want to stay late and get into one of the cockpit procedures trainer you will have to find your own way back or ride the DART (light rail) It stops close to the hotel and training center (short walks).

It is about a 7 mile drive. You will get tired of eating out and a car will enable trips to the grocery store as well. If you can't, there will probably be enough people with cars to take care of everyone. There is a crew room on the top floor of the hotel with snacks and coffee (plus a full size fridge and you have a mini fridge in your room) and some paper tigers set up. The gym is decent. If you like wild turkey you are in luck on day one of training. The uniform allowance does not cover the Perrone Leather jacket or luggage. It is good for shirts, pants, blazer etc.

One note on the leather jacket. Its about $400. If you think you may need it for IOE (depending on when and where you do it) order it as soon as you can. Right now there is a 6 to 8 week backlog according to the Perrone rep who comes to the uniform shop every Tues. If you have an existing jacket from a previous airline, they can modify it for around $100. Thats what I did. Let me know if you want to know more.
 
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"Which base has the coolest crewroom?"

PHX by far. Can't tell you how many great F-Teen stories I've heard in that room. You may even run into Maverick.
 
If you're 48 years old making 150k a year working 16 days a month (and happy) would it be worth it to leave for SWA?
 

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