SWA Rumor Patrol for Thursday 8/21

[Snoopy58]

Heard on the line today:

1. Four new cities next year
2. One new base next year
3. New hires: "400-600 minimum," starting in January.

Plenty of speculations as to "where" #1 and #2 would be, and the only bit of guess that hasn't already been posted here was the suggestion that STL might be the new crew base. Seems highly unlikely to me (the place is a ZOO every time the wx goes down), but I'll pass along the current banter. All the other usual suspects (MCI, TPA, LAX, LAS) were also mentioned. As far as cities went, places in PA were getting lots of discussion today, but that's at the pilot level, and we're STILL not getting the emails from the "THEY" who decide such things.

Good things ahead!

Snoopy

 

[RJones]

We used to have a division in the Navy called "rumor control." Where they were on the ship was anyone's guess, but rumors persisted to the exact location. Never did find rumor control, however, I enjoyed the rumors they put out.

So, does SWA have a "rumor control?" Most likely a little over 300 "rumor control" stations...and they fly.

Should be interesting to see all these rumors develop.


RJ

 

[Kool]

Rumor Control and STL

I've seen reference to STL over a few threads and what a zoo it is when the weather goes down. As I fly out of there on a daily basis I have to agree, although my aircraft aren't equipped like the commercials, so it's worse. But I digress, the point is that since STL is currently adding a third parallel runway on the south side sufficiently separated laterally from the northernmost one to allow simulataneous ILS approaches. The two current ones are not separated enough to allow this so they go down to single runway ops for landing when the wx gets bad...and therefore the zoo.

So my point is, can we really discount STL yet with this expansion in the works? The airport authority has already stated it will finish even with AA scaling back....hmmm.

P.S. I agree with RJ in that I also enjoyed the rumors put out by RC, and I never did find it either!

 

[737dude]

Heard at the Kool-Aid stand

Here's a very educated estimate of what's gonna happen-in the beginning of '04. This info has been substantiated by three different Chief pilots and by mine and other pilots' observations.
Age 60 retirements--143--add to that any early or med, retirements; but to be conservative stick with the knowns.
A/C deliveries: 42
-200 retirements 17--takes the total number of -200s left at the end of '04 to 4 (21 left at the end of '03)
net 25 blurple -700s with winglets!!
each A/C equals 10.67 pilots=267 dudes/dudettes

Total at this point needed is 410. !!!!!MINIMUM!!!!

Classes to start 5 Jan and should run 20 folks thru every two weeks.
Approx. 21 classes takes it until the end of Sept.

--Boeing is rumored to be slashing prices to SWA on all the deferrals from AA, DAL, UAL, and CAL. (Like 50 additional fire sale -700s.) Only time will tell if Gary Kelly can swing the deal.
--Training center was asked for max output numbers for next year. The company needed to know if 1000 was possible--training center said no unless we start in Oct. With a Jan. start then 800 is the number. Again the rumors are flying about.

2005 and '06 looking at 500+ each year.

Unverified number in pool--212. Don't know the number that have hung their spurs in another pilot lounge or decided to stay with Uncle Sam for a while longer. So there will be at least 200 people from new interviews needed fairly quickly--ie by May. It takes a good 5-6 weeks to run all the paper work under the old system.

Old system?? That means there must be a new system....The Company is looking into creating an all electronic data base to free up some of the labor intensive duties that the old system required. Don't have the specs yet--they may have all those currently in the interview pool resubmit to get the data base up to speed and current--preference will probably be given to the old heads that were just on the verge of being called prior to the interviews being stopped. The company is also seriously considering prioritizing who is called first by type vs no type then by experience factors--pic time, recency of experience, etc. No details yet.
They are also planning on speeding the process to the decision committee, and the committee schedule itself. In the past they needed to fly into town not only the interviewers, but also 10 or so Chief Pilots at great expense and time consumption. Estimates in the past said that each interview cost the company around $3000.00 to accomplish. Rumor is that in the future the Chiefs will choose the new hires via a teleconference with each person's info being seen by each Chief via internet. We'll see...

Things it seems are starting to happen in rapid fashion. Look for a new base to be named in the Spring--at least one if not two new cities. Where is anyone's guess.

So to the poolies, enjoy you last hoildays off for a while, and get ready for Dallas. For those waiting for the interview call--get ALL your paperwork in order--don't leave anything to chance--there are too many people in the flying community out of work these days that probably never thought they would be--the stakes have gone up considerably. You basically have one shot at it--take your best one!!! Best of Luck......

 

[HOUMAN]

737 Dude,
As a waterlogged poolie, I like your numbers. But don't you think the mandatory age 60 numbers are a little high? Last count from the senority list had it around 86 for 2004. Maybe I am wrong. Believe me, I would love it to be around 143. Anyways, thanks for the info, it makes bobbing in the swa sea more enjoyable.
By the way, I know for a fact of 5 poolies who have gone on to other airlines or signed on with uncle sam for an extended commitment (and for obvious reasons continue to keep their pool position at swa). With the rate that ATA and JetBlue continue to gobble up people, I seriously doubt the swa pool number is around 210; it is more like 180-190.

 

[ivauir]

age 60

According to the SWAPA web site there are around 110 age 60 retirements next year (I can only find a bar graph which is why I can't give you an exact number)

 

[737dude]

Amendment

I rechecked the retirements. Yes you are right--the number is more like 114. I was purely quoting a chief pilot on the 143--sorry for the confusion.

 

[Red Baron]

Rumors

I LUV rumors like this!!! I definitely will enjoy my holidays more knowing what is to come. Thanks for the info guys. I hope all of it is true, but dang, better to have some rumors rather than none at all. I won't need my scuba gear much longer in this pool!

Happy flying,

RB

 

[AJWick]

737Dude......Great Stuff

Just had another glorious week of being at Home and those numbers look like they may start earlier than January....Maybe I'll win that model airplane.

Gonna miss this house cleaning/cooking/diaper changing job I have....

aj