SWA class rumors

[737dude]

Jet Ratios

The current ratios that SWA is using for manning is about 11.2 bodies per AC. At 370 jets that is 4144 pilots. This is an approximate number and has fluctuated--but not to a 12: 1 ratio--more like +/- .1 ish.
Talked with a chief pilot yesterday and obviously confirmed the cancelled classes for August. They don't have any further word, except there will be a lot of meetings going on on August 19th. Probably some action will happen after the vote is done. Their conservative guess was at least one more this year, but then again with this company, reading tea leaves might be more accurate. Sorry that this is not more encouraging for you all.
Dude

 

[tredding@swa]

Dude...

Thanks for keeping us in the loop!

Actually, Thanks to all of our future fellow SWA family who are kind enough to throw us Poolies a life ring from time to time!

I'll speak for everyone (probably a BIG mistake on my part, knowing some of the "personalities" on this thread!!! ), but "we" appreciate those of you who take time to keep us up to date with fresh rumors, quotes, facts & other assorted data from the "inside"!!

Thankyouverymuch!!!

Sincerely - Tredding

 

[CoopDog]

Why go to all the trouble so soon?????

I just don't get it. Why did SWA go to all the trouble to interview so many people in Jan, Feb, and March and then stop cold turkey. If they only forcasted 250 or so new hires in '02, why not wait until the end of the year or even '03 to conduct interviews. It sounds as if there were already so many people in this pool anyhow. It looks as if they'll be easily able to fill all '02 new hire classes with '01 interviewees with a few leftovers.

Did somebody in planning just get a huge wild hair last December and January and decide to expand big time? And did the huge plans just get completely squashed by upper mgmt? Surely they can't be pointing the finger at the economy. We ALL knew that IF there was going to be ANY growth in the economy, it was going to be very small, and even smaller yet for the airlines. So I have a hard time seeing the logic in hiring huge for anticipated economic recovery.

So there was obviously some reason that so many of us were interviewed and dropped into this pool so early in the year. But I've yet to see or hear any GOOD reason for it to date. I've read all the rumors. Heck, I've even dropped a few of them on you guys myself (just trying to help). So what I guess I'm looking for is just ONE good answer to this. Then I'll feel better about my place here in this pool. ONE good answer might make this water a little more clear here.

Any clues?.... I mean answers?

 

[firstthird]

From what I've gathered on this board there were no August classes scheduled, at least not in the way you mean. I seriously doubt anyone got a call from a Chief Pilot and then had a class offer rescinded. If I remember correctly, SWA has never done that. In fact, they started a class a few days after 9/11 when the rest of the airline world was canceling everything and flushing their pools. So, I think it is not correct at all to say that people quit jobs on a promise of a class. This board is RUMORS, interspersed with a few facts now and then. It wouldn't be too wise a move to be quitting employment based on a "2 classes a month starting next month" rumor. Probably a better idea is to wait for that CP pilot call. Apparently, even when the People department tells you to expect such and such a class maybe 3 weeks out, they make it plain that until the CP calls, it is not a job offer.
Anyway, back to your post. I doubt anyone 'quit their jobs to make the August class,' a class was rumored but since no one ever got the CP calls, apparently there was no class.
(At least not yet, one can always hope.)

 

[Cropduster]

Well said Tredding!


Just fortunate to even be wet. Lets remember not to forget the guys and gals after us once we get on that hallowed ground in Dallas.


Thanks to all of our friends at SWA for at least helping us to breathe from time to time.

 

[Krunch]

Wanting to get wet...

Folks this web thing is as much entertainment as it is a place to vent, share and daydream... When you are all going through indoctrination and training in Dallas remember the rest of us just trying tyo get into the pool. In time we will all be walking down a corridor at an airport and see thousands of people daily embarking to and from SWA painted 737's. The smile on our faces will say it all.

The smile will say we all became part of a team that enjoys what it does and does it well... and you know the benefits/pay don't suck...

"Krunch"

 

[SWA/FO]

Actually, The guys assigned the 9/27/01 class were called September 14, 15 & 16 and told - "No Class til further notice". Most of the guys in that class had put in their two weeks notice at their current employer. (Except me, because I worked for an employment "at will" company - I did not want to lose out on any pay/vacation pay) We had already been called by a Chief Pilot and offered employment.

Rumors were flying....... Then out of the blue I got a phone call on 9/27/01 saying "what are you doing next week?" My Answer - "I'm there if you need me!" I quit my at-will employer an hour later.

The point is things change fast. I went from thinking that we might have to re-interview or maybe attend class in early 2002 to what am I going to take to training?. Things turned out better then I expected. Hang in there! I personally do think there will be more new hire classes this year.

* The heavy interviewing the first part of the year was due in part to all the interviews that were cancelled in September and October 2001

 

[ivauir]

We ALL knew that IF there was going to be ANY growth in the economy, it was going to be very small, and even smaller yet for the airlines. So I have a hard time seeing the logic in hiring huge for anticipated economic recovery

I don't know if you'll ever get the satisfactory answer you want... but let me try: there are two categories of reasons for SWA's actions regarding the pool.

1) It is a savy strategic move as part of a greater plan.
2) Someone steped in it.

Given the remarkable history of this company I'll go with one. In fact, I think your basic assumption ("we ALL knew") is false. People spend their whole lives trying to figure out how to predict the economy and nobody gets it right all of the time. It is relativly cheap and easy for SWA to screen a bunch of applicants. This is a process they will have to go through eventually anyway so why not do it sooner and build a pool when no one else is hiring so you can pick out the very best candidates you can find?

I am VERY confidant that SWA has a fairly precise plan to grow: they know what routes, how many planes, how many captain classes and how many new hires. They know how long it takes to line all of these things up, and (other than the pending contracts) how much it will all cost. The thing that drives us all nuts is that we don't know when we are going to class! But, I don't think they are holding out on us, I think they don't know either. This is because this "precise plan" doesn't work on a calender, it works on some economic data.

Just a theory, and I imagine none of us will ever know how the machine really works ...

 

[PTinbound]

The Big Picture: It's one of the things they show you when you retire.....