SWA Schedule/QOL

[canyonblue737]

If you want to live in Dallas what would be the best base to commute to while waiting to get enough seniority?

Houston would be #1 then Chicago #2. Chicago you can hold either right out of the gate or within 1 month, and Houston perhaps 4-5 months.

 

[JayhawkDude]

Dallas Commute

A large number of Dallas commuters end up coming up to MDW offline through ATA or AA. I think there are about 9 or so flights a day. A two hour straight shot (even offline) is much better than the 2-3 leg five hour process it takes to fly on us thanks to Mr Wright.

Everyone I talk to says it's a decent commute. Of course, the next sentence is that they're going to HOU and then DAL as soon as they can hold a line.

 

[Tripower455]

If you want to live in Dallas what would be the best base to commute to while waiting to get enough seniority?

HOU is the only easy one, especially if you want to go online.

Thankfully, I only have to make the pilgimmage from FL to Mecca for PT/PC twice a year, as it takes 3 FULL legs (just about every time) and a minimum of 9-10 hours, each way, from FLL.

Until the WA is gone, DAL is a bad choice to move to, unless you were hired before 1978........ If I already lived there, I'd seriously consider long term QOL and move to a more junior base, or at least to a SWA city that I could commute 1 leg to base on SWA. Offline commuting sucks... period... I did it for 10 years BEFORE 9/11, and it drains the life out of you.

Even if you can hold HOU in a few months after being hired, you wil be commuting somewhere else for a loooooong time once you upgrade. There is a long list of Captains that live in DAL waiting to get to HOU, not to mention DAL.

YMMV

FWIW, I have been at SWA for 9.5 years, and the most junior guy in DAL got hired 3 years before I did, and I'd have 4 guys below me in HOU. Conversely in BWI, I would be almost halfway up the list. I am in MCO and sitting about 1/3 of the way from the bottom, but have held a line since the base opened in 8/01. So, had I chosen to live in DAL, I would have been based there as an FO for about 5 years, then upgraded in BWI and been commuting either offline or online with multiple legs for 4.5 so far OR bounce in and out off the bottom reserve in HOU (some months in HOU and some months somewhere else due to the monthly +3/-3 vacancy bid system).


Unless you already live in DAL, I'd advise choosing somewhere else to live.........