SWA Poolies

[Tanker Clown]

500-600 pilots overmanned right now. You're right colonel. I'm sure SWA will grow 10% from this time last year and grow the fleet by another 50 jets this year. The point is, SWA needs to grow from it's present size by more than 10% just to get the manning right. When is that going to happen? Probably by late 2011 you'll be back up to that level. Then every company out there is going to wait until the last minute to hire in order to "keep their poweder dry." So now we're well into 2012...and then, maybe, barring a merger or double dip recession, you'll get your dream come true. The Bachelor will be on property with you and you can post on flightinfo about how dreamy he is.

 

[ChinaClipper]

Southwest...

will you accept this rose?

 

[Tanker Clown]

Nicely done China!

 

[texman]

500-600 pilots overmanned right now. You're right colonel. I'm sure SWA will grow 10% from this time last year and grow the fleet by another 50 jets this year. The point is, SWA needs to grow from it's present size by more than 10% just to get the manning right. When is that going to happen? Probably by late 2011 you'll be back up to that level. Then every company out there is going to wait until the last minute to hire in order to "keep their poweder dry." So now we're well into 2012...and then, maybe, barring a merger or double dip recession, you'll get your dream come true. The Bachelor will be on property with you and you can post on flightinfo about how dreamy he is.

We are 250-300 overmanned. With 182 in the pool.

 

[4 Fan Trashcan]

Yawn. Once again a "what's up Poolies" thread devolves into FI a$$-clownery. What a surprise. See you in class in 20XX!

 

[Tanker Clown]

We are 250-300 overmanned. With 182 in the pool.

Is that before or after you guys are done with all you extra simulator training?

 

[Terp737]

Phase 3 of RNP is done in April. Phase 4 starts in May and that will last until Dec. SWAPA says that even with the new flight schedule, that starts in May, we are still about 300 pilots overmanned and SWA will have to add about 25 airplanes before that overmanning is solved. My guess is there will be no hiring in 2010, unless SWA suddenly does some rapid expansion.

I think 737tanker has it right. Unless something radically changes, the sims will be used for getting Phase 4 RNP training done. Phase 3 took from Sep until Apr, so Phase 4 should take about the same amount of time. Our schedule ramps up this summer which should temporarily solve our overmanning problem. I think the key things to watch for are 1) do we retire acft as planned or hold on to them, 2) does the economy take an upswing which means more pax flying as well as maybe more 62+ guys feel comfortable with their savings that they start retiring, 3) do we upgrade the guys that were moved back to FOs, and 4) what happens to the flying schedule this fall--it always is reduced from the summer schedule, but will it be a big or small reduction.
Keep those floaties inflated and hopefully the rumors of a couple of classes at the end of the year will be true. My personal guess is that there will be classes around Jan 2011 to prep for the spring/summer flying increase in 2011.

 

[maxblast72]

3) do we upgrade the guys that were moved back to FOs,

Do you know how many captains got downgraded total and what is the DOH of the most junior captain as a result of the downgrades?

 

[Saluki Dawg]

Sorry guys but Tanker Clown's numbers are pretty accurate from what I've seen and heard on the line. We can opt to keep or retire 10 Classics this year and seeing as we have about 30-40 spares sitting in the desert not being flown right now, I think it's a safe bet that we will retire all 10 Classics this year. These airplanes aren't condusive to the full up RNP that we are heading toward. Barring someone like US going CH.7 overnight, I don't think we will see a newhire class until sometime in 2012, and that will only be for minor attrition. I hope that I'm completely wrong in my predictions, but so far I haven't seen any evidence that GK is interested in growing this airline unless he is guaranteed a profit almost immediately. Herb would grow the airline and worry about whether it made money after the fact. Gary does just the opposite, and I don't see that changing anytime soon.

 

[Tanker Clown]

Be careful Saluki. Agreeing with me will make a poolie and a kool-aide chugging junior SWA guy want to murder you. I suggest you delete you post and insert your head into the sand following the lead of the aforementioned groups. That way, you will not insite a poolie kool-aid fueled riot directed at you.