SWA Poolies

[vixin]

......................

 

[ableone]

It is third person hearsay but he did get his leave approved with an open ended start date.

 

[vixin]

Why would he go to China? Unless he likes it there. He can as a senior FO make darn near make CA pay playing the game.

 

[ableone]

He was a full time CA. At the moment he is a lance but the next phase of the contract (which goes into effect in May) will severely restrict the amount of CA time he can pick up. (This is also going to have an impact on the senior FOs when lancers stop dumping their FO trips)

He figures that furloughs in the fall, with all of the attendant cutbacks, will pretty much end his lance days.

No matter how much time he picks up he can not match his former full time CA pay. As these are his prime earning years he does not want to take the hit. ( I actually agree with him here and if I face a downgrade I too intend to go fly a Chinese bus. )

 

[Flying the Line]

If I called my coworkers scabs, I'd probably go to China too. (this is an "inside" reference...IOW if you don't work there you won't understand the reference).

 

[waveflyer]

"Perspective: use it or lose it."
- r Bach

 

[Moon-dog]

I just talked to a guy who said that there would be mass hiring starting next week and they were gonna make the clown CP!!

Silly rumors abound, SWA is making money and very well could see this as an opportunity to expand and be ready for the economic turn. Or they could continue in the conservative way they have over the last few years. Who knows? I am not sure Gary Kelly knows what tomorrow will bring, literally, tomorrow.

 

[Captzaahlie]

I just got off the phone with the pope, he and oboma are having lunch with tanker clown on monday....

 

[Quiet Flight]

This message is hidden because Tanker Clown is on your ignore list.

The monthly guarantee "truing(?)" ended in February. Someone is giving you old info. Line gaurantees are back to almost normal now. I'm in the camp that does NOT think we will hire here, but I have heard the re-interview scenario floating around in recent weeks. Just curious. And for the record, my understanding is it is not a full interview, but rather just a quick catching up session to make sure the candidates don't have any fresh DUI's, failed check rides, etc...

 

[Cruncher]

ableone, your friend may be just a "little" upset with what is going on and is speaking with a bit of emotion. I can't say I blame him per se.
I would not necessarily call him a fool to leave SWA to go fly for a Chinese airline (even as a bus CA), but it's close. A 10 year FO makes a decent salary and has the days off he needs / wants. He will probably bid 3 weeks of vacation this year (if he has not already done so). He gets the best premium time (for the most part IS CA pay). Gets the best Open Time (the CA side has had almost no OT, ELITT exists almost as an acronym only). I doubt a chinese carrier can beat the quality of life he now enjoys. Now, unless he wants to go to China, I would ignore his insight.

 

[RedDogC130]

He was a full time CA. At the moment he is a lance but the next phase of the contract (which goes into effect in May) will severely restrict the amount of CA time he can pick up. (This is also going to have an impact on the senior FOs when lancers stop dumping their FO trips)

)

Well at the same time I can't say I feel bad for him...he wants the best of both worlds....pick up CA trips and sit at the top of the VJA list of FOs...

Tough crap...I wish the whole lance program will go away fast. I want my chance of open time...vja...better scheds....maybe he will bid a line that he would not mind flying since he may not want to give it all away anymore... As for the furloughs....I can't see that happening any time soon.....loads are way up march was close to 5% higher than same time last year....we are not hurting for people in the seats...SWA did it right...get rid of the slack in the system so they are ready if and when something needs to be attacked.

We can't be too overmanned when they tried to junior assign me from HOME last week.

 

[MILPILOT17]

Well at the same time I can't say I feel bad for him...he wants the best of both worlds....pick up CA trips and sit at the top of the VJA list of FOs...

Tough crap...I wish the whole lance program will go away fast. I want my chance of open time...vja...better scheds....maybe he will bid a line that he would not mind flying since he may not want to give it all away anymore... As for the furloughs....I can't see that happening any time soon.....loads are way up march was close to 5% higher than same time last year....we are not hurting for people in the seats...SWA did it right...get rid of the slack in the system so they are ready if and when something needs to be attacked.

We can't be too overmanned when they tried to junior assign me from HOME last week.

I've been called at home no less than 10 times in the last three weeks for JA. Just the facts? Furlough, HA!

 

[Tripower455]

Mid level Capt, and they called me at home on Sat for JA. We are not furloughing any time soon.....

 

[jonjuan]

Mid level Capt, and they called me at home on Sat for JA. We are not furloughing any time soon.....

Doesn't mean squat. Just wait....

 

[maxblast72]

The monthly guarantee "truing(?)" ended in February. Someone is giving you old info. Line gaurantees are back to almost normal now. I'm in the camp that does NOT think we will hire here, but I have heard the re-interview scenario floating around in recent weeks. Just curious. And for the record, my understanding is it is not a full interview, but rather just a quick catching up session to make sure the candidates don't have any fresh DUI's, failed check rides, etc...

Just curious, Southwest just announced their March and Q1 traffic numbers and capacity measured in term of ASMs was down 6.4% in Q1 2010 versus Q1 2009. Doesn't that mean everyone is flying a little less than you guys used to?

Does that mean Southwest will have to increase flying (in terms of ASMs) 5 or 6 percent before additional pilots would be required (assuming Southwest management would like to crank back up employee utilization to pre-schedule optimization levels)? Is Gary Kelly still telling Wall St. or employees that Southwest capacity will still be flat for 2010?

 

[ableone]

Well at the same time I can't say I feel bad for him...he wants the best of both worlds....pick up CA trips and sit at the top of the VJA list of FOs...

Tough crap...I wish the whole lance program will go away fast. I want my chance of open time...vja...better scheds....maybe he will bid a line that he would not mind flying since he may not want to give it all away anymore... As for the furloughs....I can't see that happening any time soon.....loads are way up march was close to 5% higher than same time last year....we are not hurting for people in the seats...SWA did it right...get rid of the slack in the system so they are ready if and when something needs to be attacked.

We can't be too overmanned when they tried to junior assign me from HOME last week.

The death of the lance program is going to have a definite impact on the FO corps. The lances will no longer be dumping good FO trips, they will instead be picking them up. This effect will cascade down through the FO ranks. FOs who hate the lance program are short sighted. (Because the downgraded captains will still be lancing until May the FOs have not yet felt the effects of the downgrading. That will soon change.)

His information is that nothing will happen during the summer flying season but as SW has announced they will shrink 3% this year the fall will bring furloughs as the company does not want to pay the true up again.

To clarify he is considering taking an NG position in China, I am the one ( not a WN pilot ) who is considering a bus job. He has run the numbers and there is no way he can make the same money he did last year.

He figures he will need to stay away for 981 days.

 

[SO CAL]

For what it is worth just got back from training and spoke with the girls in the PD and they said that there is a good chance of classes at the end of the year. They are going to be doing the re-interview again to make sure there is no DUI's failed checkrides and that the poolies are current. This information is one week old. Good luck!

 

[Quiet Flight]

My thoughts are in blue.

The death of the lance program is going to have a definite marginal impact on the FO corps. The lances will no longer be dumping good FO trips yes they will. maybe not as many, but they will still drop trips in order to free themselves up for 9 DP's of captain flying, they will instead be picking them up. Uh...what? Why would a capt qual F/O choose to fly all of his trips in the right seat when he still has the ability to fly as many as 9 days in the left seat?? This effect will cascade down through the FO ranks. A little bit, but not that much. I've blocked an avg 90 plus hrs with 15 days off per month for the first 4 months of 2010. All LBB overnights of course. We may not be flying as much but it sure as hell feels like we are...


He figures he will need to stay away for 981 days. He could just retire and stay in China forever.

Good info SOCAL. Hopefully we start growing soon.

 

[DeucesWild]

Have you ever noticed that the best place to work today, is not necessarily the best place to work tomorrow? Hopefully Southwest does not become part of this list.

1) Braniff
2) PanAm
3) Eastern
4) TWA
5) United
6) Southwest

Rise and Fall of the Greats.

 

[Bigoober]

....or you could just start off working at one of the bad places and find out that it didn't get any better after 30 years.

You do have a valid point though, Deuces, and one that I think about every once in awhile.

 

[maxblast72]

Have you ever noticed that the best place to work today, is not necessarily the best place to work tomorrow? Hopefully Southwest does not become part of this list.

1) Braniff
2) PanAm
3) Eastern
4) TWA
5) United
6) Southwest

Rise and Fall of the Greats.

Every airline, industry, or business has their innovative, growth, and maturity phases. It is obviously much better to get in the ground floor as a pilot and to benefit from the growth phase as relative seniority increases quickly. It seems like the Low Cost Airline Business model has hit their maturity phase with airlines like Southwest, Jetblue, and Airtran growing only a fraction of what they were doing just 5 years ago. Southwest is still a well run profitable airline but the opportunities for those hired in the 2000's is not going to be as good for those hired in the 1980's or 1990's.

 

[ableone]

My thoughts are in blue.



Good info SOCAL. Hopefully we start growing soon.

You are forgetting that some of those lances will lose their lance status and they will not be dropping any of their FO trips. In order to make up for the loss of income they will be picking up from daily and monthly open time.

Ask yourself this question: "Have you picked up open time in the last month?" If you have ask yourself where it comes from and what it is going to be like when it is no longer available.

 

[vixin]

Its obvious another flaimer that does not know what he is talking about.

 

[Whataburger]

You are forgetting that some of those lances will lose their lance status and they will not be dropping any of their FO trips. In order to make up for the loss of income they will be picking up from daily and monthly open time.

Ask yourself this question: "Have you picked up open time in the last month?" If you have ask yourself where it comes from and what it is going to be like when it is no longer available.

In the airlines ONE thing is guaranteed: NOTHING. Doesn't matter what seat or airline.

 

[RedDogC130]

You are forgetting that some of those lances will lose their lance status and they will not be dropping any of their FO trips. In order to make up for the loss of income they will be picking up from daily and monthly open time.

Ask yourself this question: "Have you picked up open time in the last month?" If you have ask yourself where it comes from and what it is going to be like when it is no longer available.

The same number of FOs will be at the same base so that will make no difference. The fact that I may be able to pick up a daily trip over the LAnce that might have been off b/c they gave their trip away...means they now will be working and be 1 less senior guy to fight against for the trip...so now I win. FOs will not suffer. We will actually make out in my mind. Time will tell.

 

[slaquer5]

Have you ever noticed that the best place to work today, is not necessarily the best place to work tomorrow? Hopefully Southwest does not become part of this list.

1) Braniff
2) PanAm
3) Eastern
4) TWA
5) United
6) Southwest

Rise and Fall of the Greats.

I was at Eastern and am flattered that you put SWA with the above, but I think SWA is a far cry from # 2-4, thanks for looking at it that way.

 

[mt2]

For what it is worth just got back from training and spoke with the girls in the PD and they said that there is a good chance of classes at the end of the year. They are going to be doing the re-interview again to make sure there is no DUI's failed checkrides and that the poolies are current. This information is one week old. Good luck!

Thanks for the positive news. Things seem to be looking up in traffic, load factor, and revenue numbers. Hopefully that'll translate to better news for those of us treading water.

 

[SELFloadingCRGO]

Thanks for the positive news. Things seem to be looking up in traffic, load factor, and revenue numbers. Hopefully that'll translate to better news for those of us treading water.

One thing I'm sure you're aware of or anyone treading water for that matter is to not put too much weight into some of the experts here. Info out of the PD is where I'd be putting my focus on. If they say possible hiring by years end then there is a fairly good chance it's gonna happen. All the chicken littles whose buddy of a buddy of a buddy that says no hiring till 2012 or later is IMO full of it. When I got hired we were told only 100-150'ish and they wound up hiring over 500 that year. Simple fact of the matter is..only the gods know. After 6 pages of doom and gloom it's nice to hear good news though so keep your floaties aired up and know that some day the towels are gonna start flying in!


SLC

 

[BigDave]

One thing I'm sure you're aware of or anyone treading water for that matter is to not put too much weight into some of the experts here. Info out of the PD is where I'd be putting my focus on. If they say possible hiring by years end then there is a fairly good chance it's gonna happen. All the chicken littles whose buddy of a buddy of a buddy that says no hiring till 2012 or later is IMO full of it. When I got hired we were told only 100-150'ish and they wound up hiring over 500 that year. Simple fact of the matter is..only the gods know. After 6 pages of doom and gloom it's nice to hear good news though so keep your floaties aired up and know that some day the towels are gonna start flying in!


SLC

Good post and advice, thanks! Looking forward to getting dry soon.

 

[waveflyer]

And even then- the PD will be VERY conservative in their estimates. They do their best, but generally won't say "end of the year" unless it'll happen then or sooner.