SWA Base Assignments given during training

[OldManPilot]

I am an AirTran pilot about to come over to SWA.

1. I would like to know when during training will you find out your base?

My wife and I plan on moving to either Phoenix or Las Vegas, and I am assuming those bases will be easiest to get into out of training.

2. How do the SWA pilots like these bases? (feel free to private message me if needed)

3. A bit of direction on what area of these cities to look in for housing. I do not require a big house or neighborhood. Even a nice Condo is possible. We have no kids, enjoy eating out and good nightlife, so somewhere near this type area would be preferable.

thanks for any assistance.

OMP

 

[roughneck]

Vacancy bids close late in the month. Usually around the 25th or so. When you start class you will be able to enter a vacancy bid and you will be awarded a permanent base when the next vacancy bid closes. Could be right after you start class or it could be up to a month based on when you start.

Welcome aboard.

 

[milflyboy]

May be easy getting both Phoenix and Las Vegas right out of training, but if you look long term, Phoenix is much more senior than Vegas.
Also probably easier to pick up extra stuff in Vegas since it is more of a commuter base than Phoenix.
Phoenix has a bigger avoidance bid list than Vegas
Crappy air quality in the majority of Phoenix.

 

[ERfly]

What's the joke about Southwest and PHX again?

"We have 7 bases and a squadron."

 

[humveedriver]

I am an AirTran pilot about to come over to SWA.

1. I would like to know when during training will you find out your base?

My wife and I plan on moving to either Phoenix or Las Vegas, and I am assuming those bases will be easiest to get into out of training.

2. How do the SWA pilots like these bases? (feel free to private message me if needed)

3. A bit of direction on what area of these cities to look in for housing. I do not require a big house or neighborhood. Even a nice Condo is possible. We have no kids, enjoy eating out and good nightlife, so somewhere near this type area would be preferable.

thanks for any assistance.

OMP

No kids and you both have flight priveldeges. Why don't you and the misses spend some time in these cities first and make an informed decision. One mans trash etc...

I would think off the top of my head if you enjoy nightlife and eating out then LAS would be out of the picture. There is nothing to do there ;-).

 

[waveflyer]

No kids and you both have flight priveldeges. Why don't you and the misses spend some time in these cities first and make an informed decision. One mans trash etc...

I would think off the top of my head if you enjoy nightlife and eating out then LAS would be out of the picture. There is nothing to do there ;-).

Nothing at all to do here-

Tell you the truth if I had no kids and no business I'd move back to oakland-
Small airport, walk to work from the parking lot after a less than 20 minute drive, foodie heaven all around the lake, easy BART to the city-
Great life-

But then again, all that depends on if you're senior to me here in Vegas!

 

[crashman]

Where is the best place for a staplee to commute to reserve?

 

[HowardBorden]

Where is the best place for a staplee to commute to reserve?

Oakland.

 

[capt1900]

You have to interview for Phoenix. If the CP thinks your a good s**t you will get the position!

 

[GhettoBeechjet]

Where is the best place for a staplee to commute to reserve?

In all reality if you were hired at FL before the acquisition you won't be on West Coast reserve. 180 hired after the announcement plus the 200+ to be hired this year will be doing that. PHX OAK and Vegas aren't big enough bases to hold everyone that thinks they will be on West Coast reserve.

 

[milflyboy]

+1
Any former Airtran will at least be able to hold a blank line or better in OAK, LAS & PHX

 

[freightdogfred]

What base has the most amount of premium trips....assuming they still exist in a year or so?

 

[crashman]

Is it worth commuting from the east coast to the west to hold a blank line, or making a shorter commute on the east coast to reserve?

Yes, I'll be displaced and commuting out of Atlanta.

 

[GhettoBeechjet]

In all honesty you don't KNOW for sure that you'll be pushed out of ATL and if you are for how long because no one at this point knows how big that base will be in 2015. The last official word was that they intended to grow the base in 2015 but to what size they didn't say. Also no one knows how many people will choose to move and to where, and also unknown is where all the bases will be and the size of each. Will TPA happen? Will there be a mini base in say LAX STL BNA or SAT? The present bases must grow to accommodate the incoming FL pilots or there will have to be new bases. Each of the above changes the math on how things will turn out for any of us in the bottom percentages. If it really does happen the way you think it will I always thought the short commute was best especially if you can get into a crashpad. It's important to factor in the flight schedule because sometimes even on reserve you can commute to/from the right cities certain times of year.

 

[GhettoBeechjet]

All of the above being said the beauty of the WN never ending vacancy bid is that it's not a lifetime commitment. Try something and if you don't like it bid something else for the next month. Also remember we normally run less than 11 percent reserve so you don't need that much seniority to be some form of line holder.

 

[GhettoBeechjet]

What base has the most amount of premium trips....assuming they still exist in a year or so?[/QUOTE



This seems to vary month to month and even week to week. The guys who get the most live in domicile in bases where they have some seniority.

 

[Flying the Line]

If your wife is a flight attendant then I would rule out phoenix, it is very senior for F/As.

 

[FCPhotography]

The only pilots who will be forced to commute to OAK, PHX, or LAS will be SWA new hires (this round and last few rounds). You will be able to hold MDW, DEN, or HOU after Febuary-March time frame. Or further east.

 

[OldManPilot]

Ok... we went out to Las Vegas and couldn't find a house we liked, so we decided to build in Henderson. Contract Signed... House to be done in June... Vegas, here we come!!!

OMP

 

[OldManPilot]

Has anyone had SWA pay for your moving expenses yet?
If so, How much will they pay?