SWA Rumor Update

[KeroseneSnorter]

Word from a couple of fresh interviewees and around a couple of A/F squadrons with buddies at the company is that SWA will cease hiring somewhere around May due to not getting a bunch of 737's from a source that has gotten financing to continue operating. (Speculation is USAir or ATA)

Same story from 3 different sources scattered around the country. Also that PHL isn't working out for SWA due to slow turns. (Hey it's Philly!! Had to see that one coming.)

Again I repeat, Just what I have seen and heard. Take it for what it's worth. A rumor.

Believe none of what you hear and half of what you see, and you will be half right half the time.

 

[Jim Smyth]

This is sorta old news on the not getting the additional airplanes but things change quickly. We could get those airplanes if we wanted too. The price was not right from what I was told for old round dial airplanes at USAir and the ATA 800's didnt fit our mix either. PHL is doing quite well for us at 40+ departures a day and we are still in a growth mode there and I dont see that changing any time soon.

 

[Hugh Jorgan]

Word from a couple of fresh interviewees and around a couple of A/F squadrons with buddies at the company is that SWA will cease hiring somewhere around May due to not getting a bunch of 737's from a source that has gotten financing to continue operating. (Speculation is USAir or ATA)

(or the persistent AQ rumor...)

 

[80drvr]

This is sorta old news on the not getting the additional airplanes but things change quickly. We could get those airplanes if we wanted too. The price was not right from what I was told for old round dial airplanes at USAir and the ATA 800's didnt fit our mix either. PHL is doing quite well for us at 40+ departures a day and we are still in a growth mode there and I dont see that changing any time soon.

Why wouldn't the -800s fit the SWA mix? Isn't there almost complete commonality with the -700?

 

[cactuspilot]

4 FA's, = scheduling fiasco

 

[mach zero]

Yes, the -800 is pretty much the same as the -700. ATA's 800's had everything we have including the HGS. The EFIS can be configured to our round dials by maintenance and the A/T's and VNAV are easily disabled. I have a close friend who works in the Technology Dept. at SWA. A couple of months ago he was asked to rewrite schedulings software to account for a 4th attendant. I think we looked at the 800's (maybe we still are) but the problem is ATA's are all leased. I don't think we can get the deal we want on them from GECAS or ILFC right now and that is why we won't see them.

 

[English]

Not getting aircraft from a source that has gotten financing to continue operating...hmmm...


Press Release Source: Aloha Airgroup, Inc.

Aloha Airlines Reaches Agreement With Leading Private-Equity Investor
Thursday February 24, 11:58 pm ET
Financing Signifies a Major Step Toward Emergence From Bankruptcy

HONOLULU, Feb. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Aloha Airgroup, Inc. and Aloha Airlines, Inc. today announced that they have reached an agreement in principle with MatlinPatterson Global Opportunities Partners II, L.P., a leading private equity investor, to provide up to $90 million in funding to the company.

"This agreement with MatlinPatterson takes Aloha Airlines to the threshold of exiting bankruptcy in record time," said David A. Banmiller, Aloha's president and chief executive officer. "Aloha is fortunate to have attracted a significant commitment from such a highly regarded private equity investment firm."

The deal is subject to U.S. Bankruptcy Court approval and other conditions. Aloha filed a motion with the Court today requesting an expedited hearing.

Aloha Airgroup, Inc, a Hawaii corporation, is the parent of Aloha Airlines. Aloha Airlines operates commercial air transportation services and is based in the State of Hawaii. Founded in 1946, Aloha serves the State of Hawaii with frequent, reliable inter-island passenger and cargo service and provides superior inflight service on daily non-stops between Hawaii and California and Nevada.

 

[Jim Smyth]

We had our preformance gurus come to Chicago and go over the 800 numbers as far as performance out of MDW. We wanted to expand Midway service and the 800 is a heavier aircraft than the 700. In many conditions the 800 wouldnt be able to make the left coast with reserve fuel out of Midway due to weather and alternates on the left coast. Our 700 for the most part never has this problem, or at least I have never seen this yet at MDW. Then they thought they may be able to use the 800s for the coast to coast stuff where runways werent the main consideration. Then you have to add a forth attendant, new model aircraft and I guess price also comes into play. In the end they decided to pass on it. But you never know and as Bob Barker says "If the price is right"! ;-)

 

[ualdriver]

Yes, the -800 is pretty much the same as the -700. ATA's 800's had everything we have including the HGS. The EFIS can be configured to our round dials by maintenance and the A/T's and VNAV are easily disabled. I have a close friend who works in the Technology Dept. at SWA. A couple of months ago he was asked to rewrite schedulings software to account for a 4th attendant. I think we looked at the 800's (maybe we still are) but the problem is ATA's are all leased. I don't think we can get the deal we want on them from GECAS or ILFC right now and that is why we won't see them.

Aren't all the 737's at SWA now all glass now that the last -200 is retired? Don't you guys use autothrottles/VNAV/LNAV, etc, anyway?

 

[mach zero]

Aren't all the 737's at SWA now all glass now that the last -200 is retired? Don't you guys use autothrottles/VNAV/LNAV, etc, anyway?

No we don't use A/T's, VNAV, derate the engines, etc. All of our 300's and 500's are steam guages.

 

[mach zero]

We had our preformance gurus come to Chicago and go over the 800 numbers as far as performance out of MDW. We wanted to expand Midway service and the 800 is a heavier aircraft than the 700. In many conditions the 800 wouldnt be able to make the left coast with reserve fuel out of Midway due to weather and alternates on the left coast. Our 700 for the most part never has this problem, or at least I have never seen this yet at MDW. Then they thought they may be able to use the 800s for the coast to coast stuff where runways werent the main consideration. Then you have to add a forth attendant, new model aircraft and I guess price also comes into play. In the end they decided to pass on it. But you never know and as Bob Barker says "If the price is right"! ;-)

What? Who ran the #'s? I flew the -800 from MDW to the "left" coast all the time at ATA...full. I also flew it from EWR to SFO no problem (except sitting in that seat for 7.5 hours). The 800 weight restricted about as often as our current planes at SWA do now. What could have been an issue was the 27K engines we had to have on the -800 to do it. ATA worked around it by derating to a 26 or 24K then putting an assumed in on top of that provided the T/O weight was low enough. Since we don't derate at SWA, they might not want to tackle the extra maintenance that a 27K engine requires.

 

[HalinTexas]

ATA's -800's operate to the west coast all the time. When it gets warmer, say above 80 degrees, or 31C is not available the airplane gets restricted. I've done many maxblast t/o's with flaps 25 and 160+ pax when it's warm. I think SWA's reticense is tied to it's philosophy of "change is scary." Anything outside of their business model must be bad. After all, why fix what ain't broke?

I understand the reluctance concerning VNAV, but not having A/T would be a pain. VNAV works well for t/o power, climbs and cruise, but the decent profile software was NOT written by a pilot that's flown in the real world. Configuring the EFIS to a pseudo-steam gauge seems like a waste of CRT's, but it's still fewer guages to look at than the L10. To each his own. Adjust, adapt and overcome, that's what we get paid for.

 

[ualdriver]

No we don't use A/T's, VNAV, derate the engines, etc. All of our 300's and 500's are steam guages.

Do you guys have a CDU and/or use LNAV? Do any of your airplanes have a EADI and a EHSI with a "moving map" type display or are the attitude and heading indicators mechanical as well?

 

[mach zero]

The 3 & 5's have 1 FMC that we use for LNAV. The 700's have 2 FMC's, moving map, EHSI, EADI, and the rest of the flight instruments are displayed as round dials on the EFIS.

 

[Jim Smyth]

What? Who ran the #'s?

This was told to me by our assistant Chief pilot in Chicago. They brought the guys from Dallas up for a few days. But I am sure cost is another issue. SWA usually pays 10 cents on the dollar for stuff as you know, thats why most of our technology is 10 years behind everyone else.