SWA Interviews

[redflyer65]

They have their audience here. As long a someone responds to their post they feel vindicated. Hopefully SWA keeps hiring and growing organically for a long while. I'm in no hurry to got through this crap again.

Agreed Humvee. This stuff is done and over. I'm looking forward to hiring and hopefully some growth for all.

 

[-9Capt]

So you immediately went from 152/hr to over 180 BECAUSE of SW.

Obviously you have no idea what you're talking about. We turned down higher hourly rates in a previous TA, before SW was in the picture . Was SW responsible for those rates also?

You are actually saying we gave Gary relief on our contract to screw you? You really need to put the crack pipe down. That's insane.

Do you have difficulty with reading comprehension? I'm saying that Gary wanted savings from SWAPA and SWAPA wanted 850 upgrades and a 10-15% seniority bump. They made a deal. Gary would publicly say some scary stuff and SWAPA would agree to no raises for the -800 or international flying, code share, red eyes, etc.

It amazing that you still feel the need to try and justify the most lop-sided seniority integration in history, where every captain from a profitable airline loses his seat. Your side played dirty pool and won. We all know what really happened here. Enjoy your victory.

 

[Cometman]

Obviously you have no idea what you're talking about. We turned down higher hourly rates in a previous TA, before SW was in the picture . Was SW responsible for those rates also?



Do you have difficulty with reading comprehension? I'm saying that Gary wanted savings from SWAPA and SWAPA wanted 850 upgrades and a 10-15% seniority bump. They made a deal. Gary would publicly say some scary stuff and SWAPA would agree to no raises for the -800 or international flying, code share, red eyes, etc.

It amazing that you still feel the need to try and justify the most lop-sided seniority integration in history, where every captain from a profitable airline loses his seat. Your side played dirty pool and won. We all know what really happened here. Enjoy your victory.

Why don't you contact Lear70 and PCl and ask them what they did to stop posting on this site. I am sure it help them and it could help you. What part of ITS OVER don't you understand? Do you think by posting all your feelings will change anything? Really, get a life so we can start reading some good information rather than how you feel. We all know how you feel and really don't care.

 

[-9Capt]

Why don't you contact Lear70 and PCl and ask them what they did to stop posting on this site. I am sure it help them and it could help you. What part of ITS OVER don't you understand? Do you think by posting all your feelings will change anything? Really, get a life so we can start reading some good information rather than how you feel. We all know how you feel and really don't care.

If you don't like what I have to say, please put me on your ignore list.

 

[Just thinking]

It is over but it is not forgotten. It is appropriate in an interview thread. Starry eyed F-16 pilots from Luke may have read Herb's book and may mistakenly apply to an airline that is nothing like the book. They have a management that is not in tune and out of touch. Senior pilots have said that the down hill slide has been happening since 2008. GK has left his mark. Unfortunately it is a skid mark on his tighty whities.

 

[canyonblue]

It amazing that you still feel the need to try and justify the most lop-sided seniority integration in history, where every captain from a profitable airline loses his seat. Your side played dirty pool and won. We all know what really happened here. Enjoy your victory.

Make sure you share your misery with an former Morris Pilot, they will just love to hear about your pain.

 

[Cometman]

If you don't like what I have to say, please put me on your ignore list.

Why not start your own thread so everybody else can read about the topic which is SWA Interviews.

 

[SWA Bubba]

"Really? Every single upgrade starting 1/1/2015 will be a former AirTran guy. Every one. Even with no growth whatsoever, that's several hundred per year, starting Jan 2015, based on retirements alone."................

ONLY IF THERE ARE VACANCIES!

SWA staffing numbers at 10.5 crew per aircraft. 800 upgrades in two years. When was the last time that SWA upgraded 800 in two years?

Retirements around 750 or so over the next four years. Aircraft deliveries deferred. Less than 60 Airtram 737's. MAYBE some foreign leased aircraft to replace 300's and 500's. ASM's will increase but pilot numbers will not.

Flattish will be what you see regardless of what your bag tag says. Your negotiating power was signed away with each and every SL that has been signed away. You got your seats and now GK is going to get what he wants. He can increase the RASM with increased ASM's and the international operations that will eventually evolve at the current glacial place. He will show the board that he can get his 15% ROIC and keep his pilots in line.

The last part about negotiations progress is directly related to pilot cost. Got retro written in contractual language or are you reliant upon the good nature of GK and his minions?

Yes, really. Every upgrade starting 1/1/2015 will be FAT pilots. There will be vacancies for the reasons stated.

800 captains is roughly half of the number of AirTran pilots brought aboard. Adding 1600 new pilots added equals about 800 new captains. Do you have a problem with that math? Or are you really implying that the company purposely upgraded too many captains, and is paying them Southwest captain wages when they don't need them, just to screw you? Good God, you should see someone about your paranoia.

The fact is, the company generally runs lean on captains because they are so expensive. Captain reserves get used nearly every day of their blocks, while FOs do not get used as much. There will still be retirements and increased vacation coverage needs after the end of 2014 (and the resultant need for more captains). Despite your pessimistic doomsday forecast.


<begin rant>
On second thought, you're right. Southwest purposely frontloaded on captains they didn't need just to screw you. SWAPA conspired to help them do so. There'll never be another upgrade after 2014 for any reason, and Southwest will slowly wither away to nothing, all just to spite you. Too bad we can't be run as well as AirTran was. And you know the best part? I don't care. I'm happy you're getting screwed. I'd gladly destroy the airline and lose my job if it hurts you. I stopped caring when you couldn't stop whining like a little girl.
<sarcastic rant over>

Wow, I feel better now. Anything else I can do to help?

Bubba

 

[-9Capt]

What part of ITS OVER don't you understand?

That quote reminds me of Hillary Clinton testifying in front of congress...."What difference, at this point, does it make?"

 

[redflyer65]

Pretty weak -9.

Four guys died in Benghazi. Not even close to the same.

This fighting over the acquisition is over. The train has long left the station. If you want to stay unhappy about it going forward, then have at it.

 

[Just thinking]

"800 captains is roughly half of the number of AirTran pilots brought aboard. Adding 1600 new pilots added equals about 800 new captains. Do you have a problem with that math?"

Math is just fine. How quickly you forgot that his holiness GK has dumped over half of the aircraft that those 1600 pilots were operating..... oopsy.... slipped your mind? Watch the line values continue to dilute with the excess Captains on property.

Yes they did purposely front load Captains..... when have they ever upgraded that many Captains in two years without an aircraft order of biblical proportions?

Thanks for caring Bubba. It will be the uninformed and ignorant ones like you that will be complaining the loudest. Keep walking around with your eyes wide shut. GK has given the RSW pilots what Chase promised them. Now GK is coming for his pound of flesh and you will probably be all puffed up and indignant over the fact that GK does not give a teeny tiny piece of poop about you or the RSW pilots or the FAT pilots. Talk about whining. How is the pace of the negotiations working out for you?

He has the side letters signed that will allow him the room to make plenty of money without any increase in cost from the pilot group.

"Too bad we can't be run as well as AirTran was."............

Yeah, too bad. Maybe SWA would not be on the bottom for on time performance and at the top for mishandled baggage claims.

 

[SWA Bubba]

"800 captains is roughly half of the number of AirTran pilots brought aboard. Adding 1600 new pilots added equals about 800 new captains. Do you have a problem with that math?"

Math is just fine. How quickly you forgot that his holiness GK has dumped over half of the aircraft that those 1600 pilots were operating..... oopsy.... slipped your mind? Watch the line values continue to dilute with the excess Captains on property.

It's not just captains, it's pilots. 1600 pilots equals 800 captains and 800 FOs. He hasn't "dumped over half the aircraft," he's in the process of divesting the 717s, and in fact has started very slowly. Those 717s going to Delta are being "replaced" by used -700s and -300s that aren't being retired as originally planned.... ergo, there's a seat for all the AirTran guys. The "flat fleet" outlook includes total Southwest and AirTran combined. Not just Southwest, and not less the 88 717s that GK didn't want. Looks like that part slipped your mind. Oopsie. You must be getting old and senile or something.

Yes they did purposely front load Captains..... when have they ever upgraded that many Captains in two years without an aircraft order of biblical proportions?

Uh.... never before. But they've also never before absorbed 1600 pilots. You think we should just bring on 1600 FOs, rather than have 800 of each? How the hell would that work? Sounds like your plan would work out to 800 2-FO crews that can't legally fly an airplane. What a great idea.

It seems pretty obvious that you have no idea on how airline staffing works. You need to have roughly equivalent numbers of pilots for each seat. Yet you still cling to the stupid notion that GK is purposely overpaying too many captains just to spite you. When you get over here, ask the captains on Southwest reserve, that are getting beat up on every reserve block, if they think we have too many captains. Until then I suppose you'll keep pushing your black helicopter conspiracy theories about GK throwing money away just to piss you off. God, it must suck to be you.

Bubba

 

[SWA Bubba]

Thanks for caring Bubba. It will be the uninformed and ignorant ones like you that will be complaining the loudest. Keep walking around with your eyes wide shut. GK has given the RSW pilots what Chase promised them. Now GK is coming for his pound of flesh and you will probably be all puffed up and indignant over the fact that GK does not give a teeny tiny piece of poop about you or the RSW pilots or the FAT pilots. Talk about whining. How is the pace of the negotiations working out for you?

Uh, the only one whining is you. I'm very happy. Oh wait,... you're whining now, but predicting that I'll be whining later. Got it. Good one, JT; you really told me. And the pace of negotiations is going about average for us, thanks for asking. I would have to say though, that it would be considered relatively speedy compared to how long YOUR last negotiations took. Have you already forgotten about that?

"Too bad we can't be run as well as AirTran was."............

Yeah, too bad. Maybe SWA would not be on the bottom for on time performance and at the top for mishandled baggage claims.

Yeah, too bad alright. Maybe we could have lost lots tons of money over the years and furloughed pilots a few times. Another stellar argument of yours.

Bubba

 

[ron burgundy]

Ya right. Like - I'm so sure.

It's quotes like these that show us how FOS you are.

Quotes like these indicate the mentality of a 16 yr. old.
Unfortunately,I don't think that it was sarcasm..lost in text.

 

[Just thinking]

I will be the first to tell you that Airtran was improperly managed. It was not the end all and be all of airlines. Many things were a constant battle. We were poorly represented by fellow pilots that ran for union positions. Management embraced an adverse relationship with the pilot group. We were continually pitted against other work groups within the airline. Schedulers would ask you for a favor and then screw you out of pay the next day.

The pilots worked very hard to make the operation a success every day. They took care of each other and supported other work groups and forged a team mentality to get the job done to take care of the customers. Huge efforts from the ramp made drastic changes over the years and they became proud of their accomplishments for on time pushes and low rate of mishandled bags. A single agent would handled tickets, board the plane, operate the jet bridge and handle mis-connects. Occasionally you would see them driving the tug at some of the smaller stations. When Club 169 was furloughed the rest of the pilot group adopted families for the Christmas holiday. We worked hard to make it successful IN SPITE OF MANAGEMENTS EFFORTS.

Airtran was not in the same place in the growth cycle as SWA at the time of the purchase on 10/27/2010. They did have the quickest growth to 100 aircraft of any airline until Jet Blue eclipsed the mark. I would venture to bet that Airtran outpaced SWA for growth and profitablility if you compared the first 10-15 years of operation. We were a profitable airline with a good product. Would Airtran survive the next 15 years in the current environment? Maybe.... big maybe. Will SWA be around for the next 15 years... probably so.

Your efforts to cheapen the the efforts and successes that Airtran accomplished are noted. We operated and competed and did well. Take a moment to read the financials and you will see the airline did not lose tons of money over the years.... they were successful and did well in economically challenging times. The pilot group is professional and proud. We succeeded in spite of management and took great pride in the product.

Herb built a great airline and worked diligently to protect what he made. Where was SWA in the first 15 years of its existence? Scrambling to grow and become larger. Now here you are 40 years later and you still don't have international. Many things you do are great and do very well. Training department is outstanding. Schedulers are easy to talk to and credit for three and four day trips is great. Do I trust GK or management? Not as far as I can spit. Do I think that they were in collusion with the union? Yes. Can I change anything that has transpired over the past three years? Nope. Will I continue to come to work and do my job as a professional? Certainly so. Will the paychecks continue until I retire in 17 years? I expect so.
Do I really care what you think? you very much. nite nite