SWA Feb Decision Board...

[140 Gal]

Ground school friend had a message left on his answering machine. Also, if a chief pilot calls they may call prior to Mon day. HR generally calls on workdays. Hang tough!

 

[Pseuodopod]

Any feeling for which CP's tend to call early versus late? I'm just trying to keep from pulling my hair out this weekend enduring the last part of the long, long wait.

 

[FR8dognit]

Bump....any calls yet? I saw psuedopod was online and I guess he is like me...checking the board every five minutes.

 

[highspeedgirl]

No phone calls here or that I've heard of (sound of drumming fingers in background)

 

[marinegunner]

Fr8, only checking every 5 minutes. Hmm, I don't feel like such a complete geek anymore.

 

[FR8dognit]

This thread has 8636 views by the same 7 people.

 

[FR8dognit]

BTW...talked to a friend who is a flight attendant and she thinks the Corp offices are closed tomorrow...can anyone confirm this and if so do you think it will affect when folks are called? THANKS

PULLING MY LAST THREE HAIRS OUT
FR8

 

[canyonblue737]

Calls have begun as of today, Sunday 2/19. HOU chief made some today.

 

[AimPoint]

Stop...too much pressure

Wow….I am not even on this DB and I am nervous as heck for you folks….I hope you all get calls. I suppose I will be worse when my DB meets. My Best.

 

[FlyBoeingJets]

They (SWA) grew to greatness on the backs of pilots who were hired during times that allowed most of the "top guns" of the world to go to what we now call legacy carriers. I know of very few pilots who put SWA on top of their list during the 80's and 90's. Most of the "best" wanted to be able to fly whales international (insert any of a number of cool/high paying types of flying) at some point in their career and considered SWA nothing more than a commuter that flew narrowbodies.

But now that those who wouldn't give SWA the time of day ten years ago are knocking their door down....

You are not entirely correct. You know very few pilots who put SWA on top of the list because you don't work at SWA. I have worked elsewhere and now at SWA and it has opened my eyes. In the '90s SWA was a secret. Very few understood their compensation in terms of profit sharing and stock options. They just looked at the ALPA standard, hourly rate.

There are many, many former fighter, military trainer, corporate and others that applied and interviewed nowhere else. Usually from Texas and Arizona. And they are very good pilots. "Top Guns" if you will.

Some pilots, often older retired military, don't want the chance to fly international in 5-10 years. They will be in their late 40's or 50's by then. They want to stay in the same time zone. They prefer 2 and 3 day trips instead of 5-10 day trips.

And then there is efficiency. Most lines are built well over rig. 3 days usally pay 18-22 hrs and 4 days pay 24-28.5 hours. Lots of days off for the SWA guys who are accused of working too hard.

No thanks, you can keep your less efficient flying to yourself. I'd rather have more days off.

And please...How about the 250-400 hour wonders hired at UAL. Southwest always had 1000 PIC as a minimum (as far as I can remember). SWA always had more experience as a requirement.

Don't get me wrong. Those that chose other carriers are not less intelligent, they just wanted a certain domicile, something different or just did not have all the facts. But saying those who wanted SWA in the '90s were lesser is not quite the whole story.

Calculating which carrier would make you $4.5 million (UAL and Delta) vs. $2 million (SWA) over a career with the FAPA or Air Inc income estimator did not make UAL/DAL oriented guys interviewing in the '90s any smarter than the SWA minded crowd. Many soon to be SWA guys just realized the SWA pay was more of a sure thing.


I almost forgot. SWA was a small irritant to the majors back then. It was much more probably that a pilot would be hired by the majors and not by a 200 jet operation out of Texas.....