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SWA - AAI question

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Hey fellas..... I've said it before, but, once again, I don't think this thing is going to be decided by the .05% ( of the roughly 8000 pilots involved) who post on this board. I've followed a few of these threads and I have noticed that quite a few with very inflammatory opinions don't even work for either SWA or AAI. Some do, but most of us are casually observing. There is nothing more than the " haters " and the " selfish " would love to see more than these food fights escalate into something bigger.I refuse to argue SLI issues on a public forum.....however, I will take advice on learning how to play "Red Barchetta" (particularly the solo) on my guitar..bing.....bing....bing.bing...bing..bing...bing.bing.
 
Im an airtran guy, so I admit I naturally will have a biased opinion. I have a question for the SW guys.....Gary Kelly has said, as recent as the 1st qtr call last week, that his number ONE priority is a fast integration with Airtran. The slower the integration, the less revenue created. The less revenue = less profit, less profit = better advantage to our competitors. All this equate to less hiring and upgrades for all. Also having a company with two employee groups doing the same job and having different pay doesn't result in a positive culture. Any time in society you have a two class system, you have great turbulence. I agree no SW pilot should be not be negatively affected, but at the same time you could achieve this with AAI pilots getting a fair shake also. The question.....why would you choose this path if it will hold your company back from success. Delta would love the integration to take many years.
 
I didn't say anyone was holding up the progress, but many on here have expressed that we may be operated separately. Please answer my question.....very simple.
 
You guys are like politicians.....answer the question. I never suggested relative seniority or who's holding the process up. Though folks on here have suggested the desire to operate the companies separately.
 
I will answer your question as best I can funnydude. I agree that the faster all of this is said and done the better off SWA as a company will be. I truly believe when it is all done everything is going to be just fine. But until that point, negotiations is the game we are all playing. As someone said earlier, if A/T agreed to a staple this would be signed and delivered. I'm sure if SWA gave relative seniority along with the payraises A/T pilots would receive they would sign very quickly as well. However, none of these things are going to happen. A/T guys are protecting their pilots interest and SWAPA is protecting ours. That's negotiations. Fact is A/T guys will get a big raise, better mgt, etc. SWA pilots get nothing except more pilots on the seniority list that are fighting for a spot above CJ. You can count on SWAPA fighting very hard for our pilots and be damned the increase of revenue. I hope that explains it well enough. Personally, I hope all goes well if its going to happen. Like my buddy Clayton Williams once said, if your going to get raped you might as well enjoy it. Of course, that didn't work out to well for him and now we have the lottery. Maybe oil will hit 300 dollars a barrell with all this middle east stuff happening and this will just get called off. I think we can both agree that would be best. Then we wouldn't have to worry about any of this.

Bake
 
You guys wanna know my biggest fear.....im afraid that if arbitration is going poorly for SWAPA they will potentially try to delay the integration to force us to take something close to a staple. Iran and Israel get into it and im close to the bottom of 8000 pilots. At Airtran im no where close to the bottom. Guys im human like you, im afraid of having a larger chance of furlough due to poor SLI. Us guys at Airtran have families too. We have to consider the worst case scenario. Every SW pilot in my shoes would share the same concern.
 
Bake...if this acquisition goes smooth, it will make your airline larger and stronger. Why would you hope it falls through? Do you not trust Gary Kelly?
 
10% growth of 6000 pilots is 600 new hires and upgrades. 10% growth of 8000 pilots is 800 new hires and upgrades. Sound pretty good to me.
 
funnyman, I understand that completely. I'm sure our guys at the bottom feel the same way. It's not all about you except to you. No one at SWA wants anybody to get furloughed, that includes our tranny brothers.
 
When you have 8000 pilots and then hire a new pilot you must hire 4000 more to make him a captain and achieve his full pay potential (assuming no retirements). When you have 6000 you need to hire 1000 less. Think about it.

SWA may be larger and stronger when this is all done, I don't disagree. But we not very weak right now and I can live with that.
 
Bake, if your pilots are that quick to forego increased revenue for your beloved employer in favor of pursuing personal gains, did it ever occur to you that your beloved management may forego any efforts of mainting culture for their precious pilots so that they can pursue the financial gians for the shareholders? It would be ironic if GK actually sided with ATN ALPA in holding SWAPA to the 18 month deadline for integration. I wouldn't bet against it, GK will get this deal done whether any of us want it to happen or not.
 
I believe GK has always taken care of the shareholders first. That will never change and you are not shedding any light on any dark spaces. Thanks for playing though and don't call me precious!!!
 
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Bake said:
When you have 8000 pilots and then hire a new pilot you must hire 4000 more to make him a captain and achieve his full pay potential (assuming no retirements). When you have 6000 you need to hire 1000 less. Think about it.

SWA may be larger and stronger when this is all done, I don't disagree. But we not very weak right now and I can live with that.
Click to expand...

Actually Bake, if you start with 8,000 pilots you'll need to hire 8,000 more for the most junior to upgrade.
 
I agree but airlines operate on % capacity increases. Example... Southwest plans on 5% inxrease in capacity for the year xyz....you need to staff those increases with the appropriate pilots. Gary Kelly, on the 4th qtr conference call, mentioned needing a yield of 15% before expansion outside of the growth linked to the Airtran acquisition. I think he said they were at 11%. Without the acquisition no growth is planned. I listened to the entire conference call. The acquisition will benefit every SW pilot, especially long term. Unfortunately in this country the big fish get the food and you gotta be the big boy on campus.
 
funnyman, it may very well benefit our pilot group. What do you think it will do for yours? check your pm's
 
No doubt it will greatly benefit our pilot group. Just like to point out that there are actually a few benefits for the SW guys. Well im off to sleep. I am grateful for the opportunity to work with you guys. Just wanna remind you guys that we are all pilots. If I was you and you were me, we both be saying and feeling the same things as the other. Good night neighbors.
 
your beloved management may forego any efforts of mainting culture for their precious pilots so that they can pursue the financial gians for the shareholders?
Click to expand...
That ship sailed two years ago...
 
Gary Kelly, on the 4th qtr conference call, mentioned needing a yield of 15% before expansion outside of the growth linked to the Airtran acquisition.
Click to expand...
He has been saying this for 5 years, name one airline running a consistent 15% ROI? Microsoft doesn't garner 15% ROI.

What GK is saying to YOU, is, there will be no organic growth, ever. His growth is not PILOT growth, thats the difference. Once this AT deal is done, the only future growth will be more acquisitions. See the problem?
 
The hipocracy from AAI ALPA is amazing. Let's see..

1- We AAI pilots really don't gain much from working under the SW contract after we passed our new one, so give us realitive seniority.

Then..

2- We need to have an actual date when we can get the SWAPA contract before moving forward because we don't want it delayed forever.

Two polar opposite points to argue, but ALPA will try to split that hair.

I really see ALPA screwing the AAI pilots long term with this technique. When you guys get over here, you'll question why you ever voted them in to begin with.
 
funnyman12 said:
Without the acquisition no growth is planned. I listened to the entire conference call. The acquisition will benefit every SW pilot, especially long term. Unfortunately in this country the big fish get the food and you gotta be the big boy on campus.
Click to expand...

We have been no growth for 2 years....why....to save money to buy AT. If this deal fell through, SWA would step up the growth. As far as this benefiting every SWA pilot, that remains to be seen.

Does it seem funny to you that most SWA pilots do not want this deal but most AT guys do!!! Ever ask yourself why that is the case?
 

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