SWA or DAL

[jherk02]

My .02c

Go to SWA. You cannot directly control the business plan or future of either company, so you may as well try to control where you live. Also, I hear it is a good time to quickly get back to Dallas at SWA because of the recent increase in flying.

Your upgrade to Captain will be slow at both airlines unless you are willing to commute (LGA or BWI). DFW has one of the lowest cost-of-living in the country, so it is a good place to be an FO for a while.

Even if DAL completely turns it around, they still have to deal with some serious competition from other legacies that are at least their equal not to mention SWA itself. I still don't think SWA's business plan has any serious comptetion.

Also, my bet is that over the course of your career SWA will go international. When that happens, I think the legacies will crumble into whatever their final form will be.

Good Luck!

 

[mokitty]

I have had an interesting development.
I have been hired by DAL and am waiting for a class. I just received an e-mail inviting me to a SWA interview in April. What are your thoughts on this. We would love to get back to TX, but is SWA a good move for someone who has a job at DAL and is one of the first 30 or so hired.


Anyone?

You are in a great position. Something to think about. Two former DAL pilots were in my class last year at SWA. One was the old man and had taken an early retirement. The other left as a FO with just under 10 years at DAL.

 

[radar_contact]

Choose Delta!!

Quite true.
I have never really wanted to go to SWA as weird as that sounds. I love the pilots and all, but hate the legs and the cattle care mentality. I do like the diversity that DAL has to offer. Now if they would open up the DFW base again all would be right in the world.

With that attitude, why even waste your time (and theirs) by going to Dallas?
Trust me, they'll see right through that and you won't have a decision to make.

Do yourself and everyone else a favor and stick with DAL.

Just my .02

 

[chris69]

Take the interview. If you get hired and turn it down...oh well. You may be pleasantly surprised by the interview and find out that you really want to be there once you see the place and meet the people. I interviewed in PHX in 01, had SWA as #2 in my mind before than, but came away excited and pumped afterwards. Never saw DAL until IOE, so I probably would have been more pumped if I'd interviewed there. Give it a shot, you never know.

 

[Howard Hughes]

I know I have looked at the numbers and when I would retire at SWA I would only be in the 64-66 percent. IE a long way from the top. It does not really matter though since they all fly the same equipment and get paid the same. It would just be a QOL issue. I do know that they have 131 more aircraft that need to come, but frankly I think that after that their rapid growth and business plan will hit a few potholes.
With DAL I would be in the top 15-30 on the seniority list. Even if we merged with NWA it would be the same since NWA has a very top heavy list. Upgrade would be about the same at either place. Somewhere around the 10 to 15 year mark

Wow, is it really that long to upgrade at SWA given their growth? Just curious. I have read everything you have written and your heart seems to be with Delta. This industry is very cyclical. The legacies have just had the largest stomping in pay and work rules collectively than any time in history that I am aware of. If US Airways is making money now out of BK already I would say there is a very high probability Delta will emerge and be profitable in not too long as well (keep in mind it would be better to paint the sky as falling as much as possible during BK, then unload or renegotiate contracts/leases etc to the max....its a one time oppertunity to "reset" the numbers as management knows this new low will be the starting point for all future bargaining so they show the numbers looking as horrific as possible). Dont be surprised when you see Delta bank a half billion dollar year after having shed so much operating cost after 911. I predict this will happen no later than three years from now in 2010. This will finaly put the pilots back in the drivers seat for negotiations again. I have a hard time believing the 777 and potentialy 787 will pay less than the SWA 737 for very long. Prior to 911 wasnt the top pay on the 777 over $300 an hour at Delta? Food for thought anyway. SWA is a great operation and there are many positives things to be said about it but if you went on historical data going with the top player at any given time usually means you will be much lower on the totem pole later on. My dad had a standing offer with TWA (they were the bomb diggity then) back in the sixties but for some reason (hes still not sure why) he stayed at a smaller operation. after 37 years of flying, one buyout and three mergers he ended up number one at NWA his last three years making a paycheck he never would have dreamed of (hes a very conservative guy with money). His pilot brethren over at TWA were by then making half his wage and ultimately as we all know TWA went under. You wont know if you made the right choice until the end of your career but look at history and what type of flying you want to do...the upward potential, volatilty (which is still higher at Delta RIGHT NOW, but who knows in five years), lifestyle, fatigue factor in runnin really fast all the time (ie SWA) and make your choice. Good Luck!

 

[Howard Hughes]

My .02c

Go to SWA. You cannot directly control the business plan or future of either company, so you may as well try to control where you live. Also, I hear it is a good time to quickly get back to Dallas at SWA because of the recent increase in flying.

Your upgrade to Captain will be slow at both airlines unless you are willing to commute (LGA or BWI). DFW has one of the lowest cost-of-living in the country, so it is a good place to be an FO for a while.

Even if DAL completely turns it around, they still have to deal with some serious competition from other legacies that are at least their equal not to mention SWA itself. I still don't think SWA's business plan has any serious comptetion.

Also, my bet is that over the course of your career SWA will go international. When that happens, I think the legacies will crumble into whatever their final form will be.

Good Luck!

Just curious why you dont see all the altern ego LCC airlines (ie Skybus, JB, AT, VA, and maybe more to come) all encroaching domestically as a threat to SWA over the next ten years? It would seem to me that international is the place to be with Asia growing faster than any other economy and international landing slots working as a natural barrier to entry for new blood such as so called "LCC international operators" trying to get in. Not tearing you down as you may be right but I would be interested to hear more of where you are coming from. Thanks.

 

[Howard Hughes]

You are in a great position. Something to think about. Two former DAL pilots were in my class last year at SWA. One was the old man and had taken an early retirement. The other left as a FO with just under 10 years at DAL.

Could it be possible they were thinking DAL might not make it at that time? I had a friend who flys for DAL also interviewing at Cathay and some other carriers to hedge his bets. If chapter 7 became more imminent he was trying to build a foundation to jump to. Now he is content to stay at DAL as he sees the prospects for DAL as looking good going forward.

 

[SWA/FO]

I just think its funny how a person can be optimistic about Delta and then be so pessimistic about Southwest. not to smart, if you ask me.

 

[Howard Hughes]

I just think its funny how a person can be optimistic about Delta and then be so pessimistic about Southwest. not to smart, if you ask me.

Ha Ha, we all know its human nature to slant things in the direction a person might be going. Helps one feel better about the decision they are making. No offense intended on my part. I think SWA is a model all airlines could learn from without question!

 

[REK]

Having been part of the "Delta family" in the past, I would put my faith in the management team at Southwest over the guys at Delta that probably won't be there in 5 years. But I am a little partial to SWA since I work there.