SWA QOL at 75-90%

[Tarheelherk]

Transitioning soon and want to get an idea what life will be like at the 75-90% relative seniority range. I've looked at the "myseniority" website but it seems a little rosy. Any real life advice I.e. East coast at 85-90% or west at 70-75%. Anything will be better than 4years stuck on the bottom. Thanks for the help.

 

[HowardBorden]

Transitioning soon and want to get an idea what life will be like at the 75-90% relative seniority range. I've looked at the "myseniority" website but it seems a little rosy. Any real life advice I.e. East coast at 85-90% or west at 70-75%. Anything will be better than 4years stuck on the bottom. Thanks for the help.

Well, at least you will be off reserve! Reserve is tough at SWA if you commute, but bearable if you live in base.

East or west all depends on where you live. If you have to commute anyway I would recommend going west for better seniority. Of course if the west commute is multiple hours longer or a two leg commute, closer may be easier.

90% will be working every or most weekends, but 75% will mean around 1/2 your weekends off if that is what you are interested in. YMMV.

 

[Secret Squirrel]

Commuting out of the ATL is tough and getting tougher each month.

 

[Tarheelherk]

I commute out of NC now to ATL. BWI 90, LAS 75. HOU 82. See you guys soon. And by the way, too junior to matter and too old to care,....much. Career 4.

Thanks for the comments.

 

[redflyer65]

With those numbers, you'll be working weekends no matter what. The 90% in BWI would probably be off reserve, or at least build-up/blank lines. If your working weekends anyway I would probably go with the best commute option. It wouldn't be worth it to commute across the country for a similar schedule. Just my opinion though. Everyone has different needs.

 

[mayoplane]

Flexible

75% to 90% overall? I think you're golden. I am about that seniority or lower.

Reserve will get about 16 days off if a month has 31 days.

If you are a lineholder (you will get about 17-18 days off), and if you are willing to get on computer often to trade with what is in the system, you can change your schedule A LOT. You can easily get weekends off by logging in to see if you can find a trip that starts on Mon or Tue rather than keeping the weekend trip. I know you can because I do it every month!!

With the same trading system (ELIT), you can put all the trips close together so you have most of the second half of the month off.

Some month, by shrinking your schedule with the system, and if other people pick up your trip or two, you may get most of the month off. It's happened to me even in the summer months where I had 26 days off. You get paid nothing with a sched like that, but you can go on a month long sailing trip without burning your vacay, or even combine with your vacay, pick up trips at a base near you, or wait for a nice open time if you live on/near base.

I do all of this with your seniority. I have been very happy at Southwest for the last six years I have been here. Welcome to Southwest!

 

[wood pecker]

Look into PHX if you are going out of CLT or where ever US Air flies out of now days. If you can hold trips that don't touch week ends, you can give them away easier some months allowing you to pick up out of BWI. Vacation is coming up in August (I think) so being in a junior base will help you get a better VAC as well. They have VAC poachers that trade bases just for VAC bidding then bid back to original base. Hence the reason we will never have right of return for junior guys who get screwed in MCO.

Don't buy into the hype in training that PHX sucks unless you wear flight gloves. I've gotten more free food in a month than I ever got at AT. Of course most of the CA are doing the trip for premium and use $20 bills for napkins

You will enjoy the checkride, very relaxed compared to the what powers this fuel pump type questions you are use to.

 

[orangebellyav8r]

Stay away from PHX.......We don't want you out here.

 

[ATLplt]

Stay away from PHX.......We don't want you out here.

Go back to popping zits on your mother's back, troll. The men are talking.

 

[ron burgundy]

If you had 50% Qol in the left seat..you will have 90% Qol life in the right seat.
Simple really.