SWAPA calls all former AirTran pilots

[MILF Hunter]

Calling all former
AirTran pilots...

There are a significant number of you within our SWAPA ranks, bringing a wide range of experiences from your time at AirTran.
Your unique perspectives will offer valuable insight and we want to hear from you.

PLEASE SEND YOUR NAME AND
HIRE DATES AT EACH AIRLINE TO
[email protected]


This was a half-page ad in our Feb 15 issue of the Reporting Point. I'm hearing the number may be over 100. This is something I doubt any other SLI has dealt with...at least not this large a percentage. SWAPA seems to think there is something significant about this. I wonder if an arbitrator will agree?

 

[400ADude]

I wonder why there are so many former Aircritter pilots at SWA?

 

[Cobraair75drvr]

Sounds like swapa is getting desperate. Almost like getting opinions from ex-girlfriends. How do you think they are going to answer and do you think the arbitrator will give any merit to their feelings? Pretty weak.

 

[StopNTSing]

Sounds like swapa is getting desperate. Almost like getting opinions from ex-girlfriends. How do you think they are going to answer and do you think the arbitrator will give any merit to their feelings? Pretty weak.

Is it just the natural human inclination to root for the underdog, which causes so many from the FI peanut gallery (a curious number of whom are or claim to be Delta pilots) to automatically assume the worst from every action that SWA & SWAPA make?

Based on your statement, I guess it would be smarter for SWAPA to completely ignore these pilots and any insights they may have?

 

[roughneck]

It sounds to me like Swapa is trying to quantify where the 15% annual attrition rate at AirTran went. If the majority of those guys were leaving, paying $8000 out of their pockets for a type, and giving up seniority to come to the bottom of our list it would be an important fact to make note of.

Any arbitrator would be interested in hearing about the mass exodus from AirTran to SWA during the whole career expectation discussion.

I don't think Swapa sounds desperate at all. I think they sound like they are building a super case to protect my rightful place on the combined seniority list.

 

[Kharma Police]

Is it just the natural human inclination to root for the underdog, which causes so many from the FI peanut gallery (a curious number of whom are or claim to be Delta pilots) to automatically assume the worst from every action that SWA & SWAPA make?

Based on your statement, I guess it would be smarter for SWAPA to completely ignore these pilots and any insights they may have?

Very true, I think it would be wise for ALPA to request from it's members the same type of information from former Southwest pilots who left to go to Delta, United, FedEx, etc. in the 80s and 90s.

 

[roughneck]

Very true, I think it would be wise for ALPA to request from it's members the same type of information from former Southwest pilots who left to go to Delta, United, FedEx, etc. in the 80s and 90s.

I think the total number is 3 but might be as high as 5 but it won't really matter. I think the Arbitrator's question will more appropriately be, "How many left SWA to go to AirTran?" The answer there is zero.

 

[flynvixen]

Very true, I think it would be wise for ALPA to request from it's members the same type of information from former Southwest pilots who left to go to Delta, United, FedEx, etc. in the 80s and 90s.

I bet those guys wish they would have stayed at SWA. I also know the former citrus guys that I have flown with were glad to get out and on with us. They have also told me that we have a virus inbound and to get ready for the professional malcontents.

I think the training center and check airmen are going to have a full plate keeping the malcontents in line and getting them up to our standards both in the airplane and in the bar.

The ALPA job killing machine has brainwashed most of them to be sure so get ready for the fight, it will get ugly.

I just saying

 

[Kharma Police]

I bet those guys wish they would have stayed at SWA. I also know the former citrus guys that I have flown with were glad to get out and on with us. They have also told me that we have a virus inbound and to get ready for the professional malcontents.

I think the training center and check airmen are going to have a full plate keeping the malcontents in line and getting them up to our standards both in the airplane and in the bar.

The ALPA job killing machine has brainwashed most of them to be sure so get ready for the fight, it will get ugly.

I just saying

I would think the former Citrus guys are pissed that they left AirTran because they POSSIBLY might have had better seniority with the SLI if they had stayed. Hindsight and all..........

As far as a fight, the AirTran pilots have none. We understand the process and have no problems accepting the outcome. If you keep up with the threats and intimidation then eventually you will reap what you sow. The irony is that you are eroding on your own, the precious culture you claim to represent. The AirTran pilots are sitting back and scratching our heads at you guys. I'm trying (obviously rather poorly) to try and reason with you guys but the more I read the more I realize you and others like you have already become what you despise from other airlines.

 

[GuppyWN]

I'm not buying the intent of this thread.

Everyone knows a career at Airtran is no more or less valuable than a career at Southwest. If it were you'd have evidence of 100's or even 1000's of Airtran pilots that quit to advance their careers.

Gup

 

[GuppyWN]

I would think the former Citrus guys are pissed that they left AirTran because they POSSIBLY might have had better seniority with the SLI if they had stayed. Hindsight and all..........

I know there is not a snowballs chance you believe that. It's laughable at best. Guess the Great Lakes guys ought to stay instead of go to a major if called?

Gup

 

[Kharma Police]

I know there is not a snowballs chance you believe that. It's laughable at best. Guess the Great Lakes guys ought to stay instead of go to a major if called?

Gup

I understand, in your mind you can't get past anything but a staple but I will give it a shot anyway,

Example: An AirTran pilot in the upper half of the seniority list leaves AirTran and is now at the bottom of Southwest's seniority list.

SLI award comes out with his former classmates from AirTran POSSIBLY several numbers senior to him.

Result: If he had stayed at AirTran he would be in a more senior position with the combined list.

 

[GuppyWN]

I love your spunk Kharma.

Gup

 

[Dude]

Very true, I think it would be wise for ALPA to request from it's members the same type of information from former Southwest pilots who left to go to Delta, United, FedEx, etc. in the 80s and 90s.

Yeah.....but it's 2011 and our situation is different. Would you apply the same logic to a guy that came to SWA after Eastern went down and the only jobs at EAL were for Scabs?

We understand the process and have no problems accepting the outcome.

I wished you believed that, but I don't believe you do. It would make sense to GLADLY accept any outcome because of the obvious benefits.

 

[Marko Ramius]

I'm not buying the intent of this thread.

Everyone knows a career at Airtran is no more or less valuable than a career at Southwest. If it were you'd have evidence of 100's or even 1000's of Airtran pilots that quit to advance their careers.

Gup

No dog in this, just a driveby lurker, but I agree. Besides it doesn't take that much brain power to figure out that there were several UsAirways pilots who took jobs at AmWest during their furlough so it's not all that precedented. I'm sure you could go back through a lot of mergers and find the same. There are probably some UA furloughees at CAL, maybe even some NW people at DAL, etc.

 

[roughneck]

There are probably some UA furloughees at CAL, maybe even some NW people at DAL, etc.

I doubt you find UAL captains leaving to start over at CAL or NW captains leaving for Delta no matter what year in history you look back on.

 

[PapaWoody]

I'm not buying the intent of this thread.

Everyone knows a career at Airtran is no more or less valuable than a career at Southwest. If it were you'd have evidence of 100's or even 1000's of Airtran pilots that quit to advance their careers.

Gup

Please clarify this for me, Gup...is this sarcasm? Because obviously a career at Southwest is and always has been more valuable than a career at AirTran. Also, there is evidence that 100's of AirTran pilots quit AAI to advance their careers with SWA. Is it a major point? Maybe, maybe not, but I do think that it is one more talking point during the whole "career expectations" discussion.

Fraternally,
PW

 

[Tanker Clown]

Aren't there a lot of SWA guys who left for AirTran?

 

[Marko Ramius]

I doubt you find UAL captains leaving to start over at CAL or NW captains leaving for Delta no matter what year in history you look back on.

There's a rather 'famous' case of a UAL Captain leaving to go to Jet Blue a few years back. You can probably find something about it if you search on here. It was famous for PR reasons, but it was hardly unique. Life happens, remember all of the people AA tried to fire during their merger because they had previously committed the crime of leaving AA when their future was darker than TWA's?

 

[scoreboardII]

Aren't there a lot of SWA guys who left for AirTran?

only the ones who were "let go".