SWA Schedule/QOL

[ebco]

Would anyone please tell me the typical schedule in days on and off at SWA. How many legs a day? Start and finish times of a typical day. What is a typical trip based out of OAK or PHX? Living in southern CA could someone be based in OAK or PHX, commute and start/finish a trip and be home the same day? Basically wondering how the schedule and QOL works out. Thanks for any replies.

 

[chase]

This is data for June 05

PHX days off 16.98 Avg Trips for Pay (TFP) 93.61
OAK days off 16.91 Avg TFP 95.18

I believe the last time they did the study the avg number for legs per day was around 3.8 legs per day.

Avg pilots fly around 68 hrs a month (this is an average spread across all line holders) Avg hours flown by persons flying between 93-95 TFP would be about 75 hrs of hard flying. OAK & PHX would be about the same.

Reserves fly 15 days in a 30 day month, other 15 days you have completely off...no JA, you are allowed to fly on your off days...30/7 still apply obviously. Reserve blocks are either 3 or 4 days.

To describe a typical day would be tough...65% of trips are 3 days, 20% are 4 day...remaining trips are 2 days & single day turns. There are certainly commutable lines between SOCAL & PHX/OAK...as a junior FO it won't be a factor for awhile but with the flexibility to move one's schedule around there are more options available to get the type schedule you like than in years past.

I think most commuters find their ability to commute from major metropolitan areas improves, every 6 months or so.....AM & PM reserve folks do have to be in the base since SWA only has 2 hr callouts for reserves...no long or short reserves. I think the folks who come from other places find the flexibility is greater here than in other airlines (generally speaking...I'm sure there are exceptions).

Hope that provides you some overview....thanks for your interest in SWA.

 

[ivauir]

Would anyone please tell me the typical schedule in days on and off at SWA.

There is nothin typical. The June hard lines for PHX ranged from 19 to 15 days off. The Reserve lines were all 15 off. There is quite a variety in the composition of these lines. I have never worked an entire line that I bid - it is just too easy to modify it through trip trade (tradring with other pilots) and line imporvement trip trade (trading with the compan)

How many legs a day?

one to six

Start and finish times of a typical day.
AMs - start way too dam early. The few I've worked got in around 3 or 4.

Typical PM starts anytime between 11 and 3 gets in between 10 and 12.

What is a typical trip based out of OAK or PHX?

Nothing typical.

Living in southern CA could someone be based in OAK or PHX, commute and start/finish a trip and be home the same day?

Most of our trips are not comuutable on both ends (on us). If someone else runs a redeye that works. Some guys in SOCAL bid Phx (most go OAK) because with their senority they have a better chance of getting a commutable line there (fewer sommuters in PHX)

Basically wondering how the schedule and QOL works out.

Commuting sucks, but guys make it work. When you first get here it won't matter because you won't have any bidding power. You'll be able to talk to folks that live near you and find out what works. It is hard to generalize because not everybody likes the same thing. The thing I think you'll like is that with even a little bit of bidding power you can modify your schedule pretty easily.

 

[OffHot]

Quick answer, as a new guy you will avg 2 four day and 2 three day trips a month, with a possiblility of 3 4 day and 1 3 day. (My reasoning for this is that I put those at the bottom of my list which puts them at the top of yours). Commuting, you pick, spend the night prior (AM), or after (PM). PHX is a better commuting base because hotel rooms are cheaper. If you sit reserve, it is in mostly 4 day blocks. Good news though is you don't stay junior for long. Once you break the 50% in base you can hold all 3 day on 4 off with an occasional 4 day.

 

[ebco]

Thanks for taking the time to reply.

ebco

 

[hyeflyin]

Does PHX or OAK have overnights in LAX or BUR? If so with a little seniority is it possible to have a majority of your overnights at these locations? Would appreciate your feedback. Thanks.

 

[chase]

Don't know the specifics but nearly every base has overnights at both of these locations....PHX & OAK may have more than others siimply because of location but in terms of holding them as a junior pilot...weekend probably sure after you get off probation...probably a couple months at each base you move to.

 

[mach zero]

Forget PHX. Your seniority will be stagnated there. You will move up faster in OAK. As far as SOCAL overnights, they are mixed among the bases. You can put preferences into WBID (computer bid program) for overnight locales. I would not count on having much control over your schedule for at least a year in a junior base or 5 years plus in DAL

 

[SWAPoolie]

How fast does the BWI senority move?

 

[N1kawotg]

with the expansion in MDW, BWI hasn't had much movement in senority. But with the new concourse finishing up now, who knows.
New hires can still get to BWI in a month or so but not to many come in under you.

 

[Benhuntn]

I broke the code...N1KAWOTG...No one Kicks A$$ without tanker gas..

BWI is do-able in a month and I work whatever it takes to stay in the same time zone. So i don't care if it is 3 or 4 day trips. I fly North and South. Then I maximize pay, and then days off. I am near the bottom but with ELITT you can make dog poop look like cotton candy with just a few trades. "How fast does BWI senority move?" I have been here 1 yr and 1 week. I have 54 below me.

Murf

 

[Flycatcher99]

BWI seniority...

I'm based in BWI, and like many others, only did one full month in OAK before I was awarded BWI. I'm a year in at Southwest, and since arriving in BWI in September, about 50 F/O's are now below me. After OAK, BWI and MDW are pretty close to most junior for F/O's.

As N1 indicated, the sudden MDW expansion due to the ATA deal really opened things up there, and thus slowed a lot of the new BWI awards. While we did see the new concourse open up in BWI (it's an awesome terminal, by the way), I hear we will only see slow growth until early next year, as they still have some work to do, namely installing underground fuel tanks along the B pier. After that, I believe we will see more flights added to BWI's slate, and thus a greater increase in pilot awards there.

Of course, this is all speculation, and much rides on new developments like the MDW deal.

 

[Skeet Shooter]

Okay, new questions:

1. when does the new terminal at BWI look to be completed?
2. Does anyone think the unpenetrable seniority at Dallas will ever be diluted (by some of the older CAs retiring)? If so, when? Because I had heard rumours that over the next few years Dallas and Houston might end up less senior (as guys retire) and places like Phoenix and Orlando will become more senior domiciles. Does anyone see any truth to this?

 

[Flycatcher99]

I vote for Pedro...

1. New terminal in BWI is, for all practical purposes, complete. That is, the gates are being used, and the terminal is fully open to the public, with the exception of the new check-in counters. The new terminal is, in my humble opinion, one of the best-looking terminals I've seen, and the food court is a HUGE improvement over the previous concessions. What remains to be completed is the underground fuel reservoirs on the B concourse.

2. DAL and HOU will eventually lose some their ridiculous loftiness in seniority, but I can't say how much they will even out with the other bases. They would each have to lose many captains before they become as junior as even PHX and MCO...I've flown with captains who are in the top 10-20% of BWI seniority who can barely even hold HOU, much less DAL. Plus, if the Wrong Amendment does not get the kaibosh (spelling?), DAL has no room for growth, which is not the case with the more junior bases. I doubt HOU has much more room for growth, either. Any added service will almost surely be on USAir's turf.

 

[Skeet Shooter]

Flycatcher,

Thanks. That makes sense. I had not thought of the lack of growth potential at Dallas as a reason for keeping the seniority so high. Hmmm...I'm but a simple mind...
So when will the wright amendment be repealed? (isn't that the million $ question) What's the latest on that effort?

 

[beytzim]

Anyone have any idea how long it takes to get PHX? I live there so it's PHX for me as soon as possible.

 

[phishn@daves]

1. New terminal in BWI is, for all practical purposes, complete. That is, the gates are being used, and the terminal is fully open to the public, with the exception of the new check-in counters. The new terminal is, in my humble opinion, one of the best-looking terminals I've seen, and the food court is a HUGE improvement over the previous concessions. What remains to be completed is the underground fuel reservoirs on the B concourse.

2. DAL and HOU will eventually lose some their ridiculous loftiness in seniority, but I can't say how much they will even out with the other bases. They would each have to lose many captains before they become as junior as even PHX and MCO...I've flown with captains who are in the top 10-20% of BWI seniority who can barely even hold HOU, much less DAL. Plus, if the Wrong Amendment does not get the kaibosh (spelling?), DAL has no room for growth, which is not the case with the more junior bases. I doubt HOU has much more room for growth, either. Any added service will almost surely be on USAir's turf.

What food concessions are there? We have 4 hour sits there some days and I've been looking for something good for the past year.

 

[lowlycfi]

What food concessions are there? We have 4 hour sits there some days and I've been looking for something good for the past year.

I had a couple hours of airport appreciation time there last week and I agree, it is really nice. Didn't know what city I was in for a few minutes. Here's what I saw:

Mamma Ilardo's
Quiznos
Au Bon Pain
Phillips Seafood (makes me wish we still had BWI layovers!)
Church's Chicken
McDonalds

...the list goes on.

Plus there was a Border's books to kill some time in.

Check out http://www.bwiairport.com/pdfs/BWI_ABweb.pdf

Now if they would just finish the new terminal in HOU.....

 

[Flycatcher99]

Much is going on in the way of both legislative lobbying as well as grassroots efforts, all in order to raise the swell of backlash against the amendment. Many Southwest cities and their media have issued statements supporting the abolishment of the rule. It remains to be seen what comes of these efforts and sentiments.

 

[milflyboy]

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