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SWA Update

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chase

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 27, 2001
Posts
1,217
Spoke to senior PD folk today. While everyone knows about the single class in April & no interviews in April & May some other "tentative" news is good.

1. SWA is hoping to transition to an on-line app & update process by this summer/early fall. Stopping the flow of interviews for awhile will allow PD to begin this process. Will make things much easier for those applying & updating. Will also ease the paper workload on the girls in the PD to allow them more interface with the folks applying.

2. While the temporary halt has been announced for April/May, nothing, nothing means it is in concrete. One source in payroll asked "what would it take to start a class in May?". Obviously, not much was the reply. Why did he ask? Who knows but obviously nothing is definite or permanent.

3. SWA took a break in Nov & Dec also. While it was painful to the folks in the pool, most of those players are now on the property. I would expect (IMHO) all the folks in the pool to be on property by Thanksgiving. We still have planes in the desert, we have more than enough capts/FOs to start filling aircraft immediately, gates coming on line at many bases soon.

4. SWA will make money for the 1st qtr, the toughest qtr around. No one else will. Our security process is getting better (DAL, MSY, etc. major improvements), fewer bugs, less hassles. Colored boarding passes go away this summer to allow checking from multiple places allowing for less waiting in line=customer satisfaction. Pax are coming back, long haul is raking in the money, shorthaul not as much but the growth is occurring in long haul bases/routes.

5. The number of folks who have types who apply is still far less than those without. Interviewing w/type vs. w/o type makes a big difference in when you get the call to enter the pool.

6. Some stop-loss (less than a dozen in the April 25 class) folks are being released but recent msg on this forum shows this release may be the last for awhile.

None of this will put food on the table or pay bills. However, hitching your wagon to SWA or any low cost carrier is (IMHO) the best way to go for now. Put as many lines in the water as possible, SWA, ATA, Airtran, Frontier, JB. Their forumla success appears to be good for now & it puts bread on the table. If SWA is first choice, don't worry about answering the question "are you applying to other airlines?" Not too in these conditions isn't smart for your family or yourself. If you're in the pool, hang in there, it will drain slowly but surely. Good luck & God bless,

chase
 
Thanks Chase

Thanks for the update Chase. It helps to hear from inside the company occasionally.

Slug
"patience is a virtue"
 
More Planes...

Well, I just finished a trip that had me in and out a of SEA a ton and today, while flying over Boeing field I counted 3 brand new blueberry beachballs sitting on the ramp at Boeing hopefully waiting for delivery. I hope one of them bad boys is my job!!!

Please, Please let there be more classes...
 
"4. SWA will make money for the 1st qtr, the toughest qtr around. No one else will."

Pretty bold statement that I think will not apply to EVERY company in this business.
 
Majors: Yes

I think what was meant was only Major to make a profit. I'm sure JB will do fine in the 1st.

slug
 

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