SWA/Airtran pilot integration thoughts, what will the new list look like?

[BRA]

Not sure if it was true, but I heard the last few classes that SWA did have the other year were full of retired SWA pilots (guys that missed the age 60 cut off) deciding to go back to the right seat. If this is true, I would think in a few years the company would have a number of retirements in both seats.

 

[FR8dognit]

Not sure if it was true, but I heard the last few classes that SWA did have the other year were full of retired SWA pilots (guys that missed the age 60 cut off) deciding to go back to the right seat. If this is true, I would think in a few years the company would have a number of retirements in both seats.

There were 24 of them. They are affectionately called "the space cowboys" [reference the movie]. Some have already retired or are on medical leave. They all have about 500 pilots below them on the master list. Not a significant part of our list...but the older pilots that are over 60 are starting to become a significant number. 150-200 a year when retirements start back up.

 

[FR8dognit]

Deleted

 

[Flycatcher99]

Okay, I've skimmed through just about as many posts over the many, many pages of this conversation as I can. Basically, if I may sum up...

For the Air Tran folk, merger brings personal positives, namely much bigger paychecks, much more stability and guarantee of job security for the indefinite future, much better benefits (medical at SWA is unbelievably good by any business standard), etc.

For the Southwest folk, the merger brings a generally great picture of a bigger, stronger company, which will fly internationally (something already planned at SWA), with opportunity for growth (something bound to return in the next few years on its own regardless of an acquisition), and, um, a generally great feeling that we are a big, solid brotherhood of, um, something.

My own humble, personal, but realistic and reality-grounded opinion: as a SWA F/O, my relative seniority damn well better rise from this, or I'm getting hosed.

 

[funnyman12]

This aquisition is occuring because your senior management needed to grow with a profitable airline due to the consolidation of DAL/NWA and CAL/UAL. Gary Kelly called Airtran's CEO.....he obvoiusly saw the opportunity Airtran could offer SWA a competitive advantage. So maybe SWA needed Airtran in order to grow and offer the entire combined pilot group a great career opportunity. I agree that the SWA pilots should be given a slight advantage in the SLI but your airline needs us to grow in a cost affective manner and be competitive with the huge legacies.

 

[Dogwood]

Lets start the debate and keep it business like please.

Looking for input from current Airtran pilots.

My feelings are the integration of pilot groups should be a ratio between date of hire and current pay, I'm not sure what that would be as I don't have the numbers, anyone?

Sorry, I'm neither SWA or AT, but it seems relative position with a 5 year fence on the uncommon bases would be fair.

You just don't want to see someone who was about to upgrade at either airline, to have to wait several more years.

 

[Flycatcher99]

This aquisition is occuring because your senior management needed to grow with a profitable airline due to the consolidation of DAL/NWA and CAL/UAL. Gary Kelly called Airtran's CEO.....he obvoiusly saw the opportunity Airtran could offer SWA a competitive advantage. So maybe SWA needed Airtran in order to grow and offer the entire combined pilot group a great career opportunity. I agree that the SWA pilots should be given a slight advantage in the SLI but your airline needs us to grow in a cost affective manner and be competitive with the huge legacies.

Your post is subjective. I could argue that SWA does not "need" Air Tran or any other acquisition to grow, but is most certainly using it to grow more immediately than it might have otherwise. But to use this "growth" argument to buttress the position that the acquisition is a good thing for SWA pilots is to ignore the kind of growth we're talking about here.

Yes, SWA will now grow, as an overarching entity. In other words, the SWA world will have grown bigger, with more cities, routes, slots, and international destinations. But the airline also will have grown by 1600 more pilots, the same pilots currently in the employ of AT. So, this is not the asset of "growth" that will bring enhancement to SWA pilots' careers. Any further growth beyond the acquisition, per se, is purely speculative, and thus is no more a reality than the growth we were expecting without the acquisition.

Which brings us back to the original question: If SWA's pilots do not see a substantial increase in relative seniority, then what do they gain from the acquisition that balances with all the tangibles that AT's pilots will indisputably receive? One cannot make a reasonable suggestion that the windfall of fiduciary and tangible benefits to be gained by AT pilots, combined with an SLI that is based on DOH or relative seniority, is even remotely "fair and equitable" for SWA pilots.

 

[kc81900]

Sorry, I'm neither SWA or AT, but it seems relative position with a 5 year fence on the uncommon bases would be fair.

You just don't want to see someone who was about to upgrade at either airline, to have to wait several more years.

so you believe that one pilot group has super seniority over another pilot group. Lets just take one pilot the 50% pilot the airtran pilot at 50% would receive a 69% immediate raise and gain 3.5 years in seniority. And thats fair and equitable?

The AAI pilot would go from his Sept 04 hire date equal to a Mar 01 SWA pilot gaining 3.5 years seniority. The SWA pilot is a captain the AAI pilot is a FO so the AAI pilot now has the super seniority to upgrade and gain a 168% pay raise! All the while SWA pilots hired between Mar 01 AAI pilots relative seniority hire date and Sept 2004 his actual hire date leap frog over the SWA pilots.


Thats what relative seniority means. And somehow those posting here on AAI side believe this is the fair thing to do.

funny, how no one will argue those facts!

 

[Full of LUV]

so you believe that one pilot group has super seniority over another pilot group. Lets just take one pilot the 50% pilot the airtran pilot at 50% would receive a 69% immediate raise and gain 3.5 years in seniority. And thats fair and equitable?

The AAI pilot would go from his Sept 04 hire date equal to a Mar 01 SWA pilot gaining 3.5 years seniority. The SWA pilot is a captain the AAI pilot is a FO so the AAI pilot now has the super seniority to upgrade and gain a 168% pay raise! All the while SWA pilots hired between Mar 01 AAI pilots relative seniority hire date and Sept 2004 his actual hire date leap frog over the SWA pilots.


Thats what relative seniority means. And somehow those posting here on AAI side believe this is the fair thing to do.

funny, how no one will argue those facts!

I think when people say relative seniority they mean, ratio those who are/could hold captain together at each company. Then ratio those who are FO's at each company so the list is blended. If you are the bottom captain at AAI then you are the bottom captain at the new SWA, etc. Your right though that the second to bottom captain from SWA could have 10 yrs longevity and the new bottom captain from former AAI would only have 4 yrs longevity, but now you know why the captains rates start from year one.
Luv

Have know way of knowing that this is the way nor if it should be.... just stating what most think relative seniority means.
LUV

 

[waveflyer]

All of these posts prove one thing-
There are now 7500 strong opinions of what's fair- none of which should be as strong as NOT ending up like airways. Make your case to your rep, hold them accountable to make that case to your NC, the NC takes the collective case and maybe we'll reach an agreement- probably not- get to arbitration and get the deal done. Live with it and get down to the business of kicking every other airlines arse. Buy drinks for the other group as much as possible if you see them at a shared hotel- and AVOID the SLI conversation-

An SLI conversation between a couple of pilots is about as useless and irrelevant as it gets. Damaging too.

I disagree that joining up with the one carrier that holds it's own against us isn't a big gain for each Swa pilot. So let's stop the idea that AT is bringing nothing- we are better off with them and definitely stronger and more able to grow