SWA scheduling question

[Daddy]

Sounds like the myth of the SWA FO pay is a little over talked. No wonder you were all eating each other to upgrade. Where are all the guys with the big pay and TFP per month ?

AirTran 9 year Captains will be the same seniority as this guy and will now be a junior FO's in Vegas .... ? Making less, working more and commuting.

GFYS

No myth...but it totally depends on how you work the program. If you are not smart enough to clear your board, then you get to work for straight time all month. You also get stuck working for straight time if you are not flexible or are always jumping at trips and flying for them at straight time. It is not enough to just look at what's available in base, you have to look at other bases and the wx to see if the entire system is going to be short. Even in the most desperate times for the company there are still knuckleheads out there picking up at straight time and for less than 6.5 per day. It is hard to watch at times, but even in the thinnest month, there are great opportunities. As far as seniority goes, all you really need is a line which you get at < 10 percent off the bottom....trade everything and dont get married to any of it and you'll do fine. There are plenty of guys in the bottom 50% who average 170 tfp per month...of course you have to work 20+ days a month to do that.

 

[Tripower455]

No myth...but it totally depends on how you work the program. If you are not smart enough to clear your board, then you get to work for straight time all month. You also get stuck working for straight time if you are not flexible or are always jumping at trips and flying for them at straight time. It is not enough to just look at what's available in base, you have to look at other bases and the wx to see if the entire system is going to be short. Even in the most desperate times for the company there are still knuckleheads out there picking up at straight time and for less than 6.5 per day. It is hard to watch at times, but even in the thinnest month, there are great opportunities. As far as seniority goes, all you really need is a line which you get at < 10 percent off the bottom....trade everything and dont get married to any of it and you'll do fine. There are plenty of guys in the bottom 50% who average 170 tfp per month...of course you have to work 20+ days a month to do that.

Some of us have lives outside of work.

The old agage "a bird in the hand is worth 2 in the bush" describes the straight time flyers aptly.

I've gotten premium pay maybe 4-5 times in the nearly 16 years I've been here. I don't live in base, so the commute dictates my work schedule. I live and die by ELITT and TTGA (which is one of the reasons I had so much heartburn with TA1,2... DTC KILLS me). I average around 110-115 per month with 4 trips to the airport, usually done in 13-15 days worked. It used to be a lot better before DTC completely screwed the weekend flyers. For the first few years of ELITT, I would, every month, trade my 87-90tfp 12 day line to a 100+ 13 day line.

I've taken straight time at less than 6.5tfp a few times, but there were always other circumstances involved (starting or ending at commuter city etc.)

I've recently started to bid on open time, and at 40% of base seniority, I haven't been able to get a single trip. Even at straight time!

 

[flint4xx]

I just flew with a 78000'ish number guy and he has 160TFP this month.

 

[slaquer5]

Some of us have lives outside of work.

The old agage "a bird in the hand is worth 2 in the bush" describes the straight time flyers aptly.

I've gotten premium pay maybe 4-5 times in the nearly 16 years I've been here. I don't live in base, so the commute dictates my work schedule. I live and die by ELITT and TTGA (which is one of the reasons I had so much heartburn with TA1,2... DTC KILLS me). I average around 110-115 per month with 4 trips to the airport, usually done in 13-15 days worked. It used to be a lot better before DTC completely screwed the weekend flyers. For the first few years of ELITT, I would, every month, trade my 87-90tfp 12 day line to a 100+ 13 day line.

I've taken straight time at less than 6.5tfp a few times, but there were always other circumstances involved (starting or ending at commuter city etc.)

I've recently started to bid on open time, and at 40% of base seniority, I haven't been able to get a single trip. Even at straight time!

I did 115 trips this month w/ 9 days worked( no sick calls)


That is about average for me.

 

[Wesb737fo]

Ok. So I'm going to have to commute for the first time in six years. I live in ATL. If I wind up based in Las, around 86% seniority. How easy is it to trade and start trips on the east coast? Or if I go to BWI or MDW can I hold a line at that seniority. Looks like I have some research to do.

 

[dicko]

Join a "Cartel", the senior guys hate those things, it circumvents their seniority!
KBB

"The Tranny Cartel".

I like it. The name says; 'we're freaky and we're freaky'. My personal tattoo girl is already working on something special.

Does SWA frown on a full sleeve ?

 

[Tripower455]

I did 115 trips this month w/ 9 days worked( no sick calls)


That is about average for me.

Nice.......

 

[DougCorp-9]

I did 115 trips this month w/ 9 days worked( no sick calls)


That is about average for me.

What percentage are you in your seat and what base? Is that all premium flying?

 

[GuppyWN]

I'm in the bottom 1/4 on the Captain side and I'm at 130 this month with 12 days worked, or 18 days off. Almost all premium.

Work smart, not hard.

Gup

 

[saabcaptain]

I average 105 with 12-13 days worked. I pick up nothing and do a bit of ELITT trading as I like max QOL to be home with my wife and young kids. If I ever needed I could go 115+ without thinking about and most can. The crazy totals 150+ require detailed knowledge of our system and how to work it, living on the computer to bod/trade and no set schedule to pick up when best. No thanks.

 

[Ky.BrownBourbn]

I averaged 130 a month last year, fourth year pay, Had planned to stop in August but then the contract was signed, I got the retro/Back pay, that made me hit the 401K max ($16500) and I kept going through the end of the year to put money into my remodel...I COMMUTE, I work much "Smarter" now, average 100 per month, work 11-13 days and spend time at home with my 5 year old. (Still hit the 401K cap in august 20th (I contribute 20%) so still got my "Self inflicted pay raise" and am much happier.)

Learn the system and it's much easier, for the first few months, it's gonna be super confusing and you'll be beating your head against the keyboard at the illegal messages (30/7, to many duty periods, etc) until you figure it out!

KBB

BTW, I can only hold weekend's due to my east coast "Seniority" and weekend trips average less pay in my opinion!

 

[shagadelic]

I'm in the bottom 1/4 on the Captain side and I'm at 130 this month with 12 days worked, or 18 days off. Almost all premium.

Work smart, not hard.

Gup

You suck. You must not commute. I fly over 120 a month on average...most of it the hard way. I don't work more than 14 a month though, normally.

 

[frqntflyr]

It should also be noted that there seems to be some seasonality in premium available to CA vs FO. Lately CA premium has been more prevalent than FO. It is also much easier to give away as a CA than as an FO due to the lances. Some bases have much more commuters than others which affects the way you can work your strategy. It wont take long to figure it all out. Good luck.

 

[vv100]

It should also be noted that there seems to be some seasonality in premium available to CA vs FO. Lately CA premium has been more prevalent than FO. It is also much easier to give away as a CA than as an FO due to the lances. Some bases have much more commuters than others which affects the way you can work your strategy. It wont take long to figure it all out. Good luck.

Thats because we are overmanned 200+ FO's

 

[seerickyfly]

This is gonna hit us 80,000 FO's based in MDW,BWI,and MCO in the shorts again. We keep taking it for "THE Company". I will be back to weekends, again. 5+yrs and counting.