SWA/AAI and the flight deck jumpseat

[Ty Webb]

Ty what info can you get from an IP address?

Depends what you combine it with.

Also, did you ever interview at SW, UAL, AA, FDX, UPS etc.

No. We were growing at 20% per year for most of my time here. I was lucky enough to upgrade at a time when the 737's just started arriving, so I was a lineholder within months. After that, the idea of starting over at the bottom negated the perceived benefits of other carriers. If I was on reserve for years, as some of our guys have been, I might have been more tempted. I wanted to fly internationally, but figured we would do ii eventually, although never on a scale like the legacies, probably just Caribbean and Latin America.

After SLI, what is your "dream base" including ATL. 9 bases to choose from?

thanks.

ATL. Probably the same for 70-80% of AAI pilots. Half live there already, and many more of us live somewhere that is a short, on-line commute.

Howxaboutchew?

 

[madjack]

All BS and posturing aside, is the average AAI pilot glad that SWA bought AAI?

 

[ATLplt]

All BS and posturing aside, is the average AAI pilot glad that SWA bought AAI?

I'd say the average AirTran pilot is cautiously optimistic.

 

[GhettoBeechjet]

Logical Fallicies

Just wanted to give the AAI pilots on this board something to consider. I have read the below comments multiple times on this board. From your perspective I could see how you would believe them. Please consider the comments below.


1. Pay is fleeting
Historically this has only been true when companies have had been over leveraged or have cash flow problems. Not saying that nothing ever could cause contract concessions at SWA but given the balance sheet and profitabilty there is no eveidance to suggest that would happen anytime in the foreseeable future.

2. SWA and QOL pay comes from management.
Only partially true. It comes as a result of the CBA between SWAPA and SWA. The CBA was negiotiated by SWAPA pilots and payed for with SWAPA dues.

3. AAI was a growth company with lots of deliveries coming.
Historically this has been true but as a buisness propostion it is unlikely that would have continued. The AAI CASM was roughly the same as WNs. To take more airplanes and remain profitable you have to find places to put them where the CASM/RASM makes sense. Given competitive environment profitable growth for anyone at this point is going to be difficult or impossible. With that in mind there is a good chance that you deliveries would have been sold off or differed.

4. We bring jobs to the combined company
The problem with this statement is that based on SWA operating practices and staffing models you are bringing more pilots than jobs.

5. Relative senoirty costs the SWA pilots nothing.
This is only true in terms of line bidding today. In terms of career progression this is false. Given the demographic differances between the groups relative would cost the SWA pilots QOL and upgrade times for the rest of our careers.

In closing this is not presented as flame bait but just things to consider from the other side of the fence. I hope we can get this resolved in a manner that is best for us all in the long term.

 

[SWA/FO]

MDW is my base of choice. BWI is second.

 

[Ty Webb]

Just wanted to give the AAI pilots on this board something to consider. I have read the below comments multiple times on this board. From your perspective I could see how you would believe them. Please consider the comments below.

Everything you have written here is opinion stated as fact, and much of it is inaccurate and contradictory.

Maybe someone else will bother to respond, but what's the point? Who's opinion are you hoping to change here?

And since anyone who disagrees is immediately villified, singled out, called out by name, etc.

Yeah, let's have an intelligent debate, shall we?

 

[GhettoBeechjet]

Everything you have written here is opinion stated as fact, and much of it is inaccurate and contradictory.

Maybe someone else will bother to respond, but what's the point? Who's opinion are you hoping to change here?

If in your opinion what I stated is "innacurate and contradictory" please show me where. I have no problem debating the points as I laid them out. I don't know who's opinion I might change. Mine for one has changed as a result of some of the posts of the AAI pilots.


Luv,
Ghetto

 

[ASADFW7]

Reading responses from Ty Webb does not create a desire to argue with him, it creates a desire to tell the NC to modify the SWA CBA for a matched rate of AAI wages to capture the B717 rate as is. If they do not want what we have to work with then split them up. Transfer the B737 to SWA list hire off the street and rope off the B717, down grading as needed. Is that fair? No. But that is what happens when common sense is lost when arguing without civility.

 

[SWA/FO]

3% of tranny Pilots are on this message board.

This is enough to call a Presidental election, but not enough to read the "true pulse" of the average Tranny Crewmember.... oh, I mean Pilot Crewmember.

 

[greenpilot]

You want to F&%k all the AirTran pilots because you don't like what Ty says? How about we take Ty and staple him to the bottom of the list one number ahead of Bob D. And then integrate the rest of the list based on what the 2 MC's come up with.