SWAPA calls all former AirTran pilots

[madjack]

The "music stopped" fall of 2008 (Last SWA upgrade class) and 100 of the last upgrades have subsequently downgraded to FO...FEB-MARish 2001 hires are the junior CPs at SWA. I was hired fall 01...

 

[dicko]

The "music stopped" fall of 2008 (Last SWA upgrade class) and 100 of the last upgrades have subsequently downgraded to FO...FEB-MARish 2001 hires are the junior CPs at SWA. I was hired fall 01...

Ahhhhh, I see. That blows.

I hate it when the music stops.

 

[roughneck]

The "music stopped" fall of 2008 (Last SWA upgrade class) and 100 of the last upgrades have subsequently downgraded to FO...FEB-MARish 2001 hires are the junior CPs at SWA. I was hired fall 01...

That was about the time we started building up our cash reserves for this acquisition.

I hate it when the music stops.

The AirTran pilot's music can start again in SWA genre as soon as we have a fair SLI.

 

[txav8r]

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.

It would also be interesting to see how these folks feel about that decision now, in 2011.

 

[jonjuan]

That was about the time we started building up our cash reserves for this acquisition.
LI.

Who's "we?". You and the mouse in your pocket?

 

[Full of LUV]

I look forward to the day that this is all over and we are one combined list...I go back and forth on how we should integrate "fairly"...I am a 10 year FO at SWA looking at having 800 AAI CPs seat protected ahead of me...based on SWA retirements my upgrade is about 3 to 5 years out...if we grow because of the merger maybe sooner...I did not go to JB or AAI because SWA was major airline and growing...I would have gone to DAL at the time because my friends went there and they had a much better contract (thank GOD i did not get hired)...I went the "safe" route and it may come back to haunt me as far as my ultimate seniority goes after integration...if I had been interested in rolling the dice for a quick upgrade at JB or AAI I would have taken that chance...I did not...it seems a little disingenuos to now fault the AAI guys who took the chance with a "start up" and now may end up ahead of me...if I really was a gambler I would have gone to JB or AAI and gotten the quick upgrade...I have been an FO a long time...I live a comfortable life, have a great schedule and work at a great place where people try to get along and management has not tried to screw us, they even value us...these are all GREAT reasons to work at SWA, they are INVALUABLE reasons...I want this company to be a great place after we integrate...like the AAI pilots I just want a "fair" outcome...should the AAI pilots be rewarded for their gamble at the expense of my seniority?? That is the concept that, as selfish person, I have a hard time accepting...should I be financially rewarded for taking the safe route (upgraded at the expense of AAI seniority), or should I accept that this merger will probably not affect my upgrade that much (even if it goes relative)?? How would I feel if I was a 7 year SWA FO or the bottom SWA FO?? I do know this that every AAI CP that comes to SWA and retains his seat will receive a huge pay raise (I made 154K last year flying 700 hours, my SWA CP made 274K last year flying 720 block hours). Of course I want to upgrade, I fly with SWA CPs 6 months senior to me who have been CPs for 4 years...I have lived with a good contract and make more money than many AAI CPs make...do the AAI deserve to be ahead of me because they upgraded before I did?...I do not know, and I want to be OK with whatever the outcome is, I still want to look forward to coming to work even if I have to fly for a 7 year AAI CP, but part of me will not feel that is fair...

We can't have this, a non-chest thumping, non-member measuring, non-inflaming, honest post here on FI, what has become of this site?????

 

[Full of LUV]

That was about the time we started building up our cash reserves for this acquisition.



The AirTran pilot's music can start again in SWA genre as soon as we have a fair SLI.

Actually, wasn't that about the time that oil was peaking at $150, economy was falling off a cliff, and housing markets were crashing all over?

SWA traditionally has always been conservative in growth as to avoid shrinkage during the tough spots.

Granted this merger is a departure from the SWA tradition, but SWA is finding their newer strategy of flying to major airports more difficult to expand into with new frequencies in slot controlled and gate limited airports.

If SWA wasn't changing, they'd be adding a couple of jets and increasing PBI to ISP flights by 2x a day. But this SWA is not your daddy's SWA. Not sure if better or worse, jury still in deliberation.

 

[FlyinGuy]

......

 

[General Lee]

That was about the time we started building up our cash reserves for this acquisition.



The AirTran pilot's music can start again in SWA genre as soon as we have a fair SLI.

No, the Airtran pilot group's major celebration will start AFTER they see the arbitrated SLI. Guess what? The cockpit will normally have 2 pilots in it, and if one is upset, too bad. Most of the pilots are based now where they live, and even though some will transfer from base to base, most will fly with their own group of pilots. And, one group will be smiling, A LOT. Get used to it. It's a merger. BTW, I LOVE YOU GUYS. ALL OF YOU ARE FANSTASTIC GENTS.


Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[scoreboardII]

By choice, chose not to commute to the upgrade.











This message is hidden because General Lee is on your ignore list.

 

[flynvixen]

Get used to it. It's a merger.



Ask Guadalupe Holdings (airlines) about merger. It is not a merger no matter what the ALPA job killing machine tells you guys.

I will say it again for the hard of hearing SWAPA is buying chain link fence buy the truck load and has located real estate in ATL to erect the citrus RJ corral. The citrus JV squad will be housed inside the wire until they come to their senses take the raise and all else that they have coming to them and stop demanding what is not theirs.

GK and Guadalupe holdings will keep the RJ corral filled with the citrus hold outs until the RJ's are offed and the crews go with them.

Keep the fight alive don't give in and SWAPA better be up for the fight. They better not roll over and give in to the demands of the Clampett's. They are getting a world class deal already and only a bunch of greedy airline pilots would hold out for more.

Keep them fenced forever if that's what it takes, they do not have rights to our left seat.

Cheers Vato's

 

[Kharma Police]

Get used to it. It's a merger.



Ask Guadalupe Holdings (airlines) about merger. It is not a merger no matter what the ALPA job killing machine tells you guys.

I will say it again for the hard of hearing SWAPA is buying chain link fence buy the truck load and has located real estate in ATL to erect the citrus RJ corral. The citrus JV squad will be housed inside the wire until they come to their senses take the raise and all else that they have coming to them and stop demanding what is not theirs.

GK and Guadalupe holdings will keep the RJ corral filled with the citrus hold outs until the RJ's are offed and the crews go with them.

Keep the fight alive don't give in and SWAPA better be up for the fight. They better not roll over and give in to the demands of the Clampett's. They are getting a world class deal already and only a bunch of greedy airline pilots would hold out for more.

Keep them fenced forever if that's what it takes, they do not have rights to our left seat.

Cheers Vato's

You are starting to sound like the female version of Bob Dylan. Come up with something new besides your same tired flame bait broken record skipping material.

 

[roughneck]

Who's "we?". You and the mouse in your pocket?

We, is the collective SWA family. Every employee had a hand in making SWA a profitable enough company to be able to purchase AirTran with cash and stock.

 

[PapaWoody]

A very fair and honest post. I think if I were you, I'd be thinking the same things. Thank you.

I have a question. How did the part of your post that I highlighted come to pass.

D,
He's probably a lance around the 58-60k employee number that got stuck in the right seat when the music stopped in '08. Unless there are CA vacancies added, even though he is senior he can't bump a junior guy out of his seat. However, we downgraded 100 CA's and when those 100 seats get added, seniority will rule in that case. Hope that's clear. Feel free to jump in if that's not correct, MJ.

Cheers,
PW

 

[RedDogC130]

Deleted

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

 

[Dan Roman]

Get used to it. It's a merger.



Ask Guadalupe Holdings (airlines) about merger. It is not a merger no matter what the ALPA job killing machine tells you guys.

I will say it again for the hard of hearing SWAPA is buying chain link fence buy the truck load and has located real estate in ATL to erect the citrus RJ corral. The citrus JV squad will be housed inside the wire until they come to their senses take the raise and all else that they have coming to them and stop demanding what is not theirs.

GK and Guadalupe holdings will keep the RJ corral filled with the citrus hold outs until the RJ's are offed and the crews go with them.

Keep the fight alive don't give in and SWAPA better be up for the fight. They better not roll over and give in to the demands of the Clampett's. They are getting a world class deal already and only a bunch of greedy airline pilots would hold out for more.

Keep them fenced forever if that's what it takes, they do not have rights to our left seat.

Cheers Vato's

Why would you want to fence them off, if they did I would think it is safe to say the airline with the lower pilot costs (AT) would get all future expansion and the airline with the higher costs would be frozen (SWA).

If they expanded with the higher cost unit they would be liable to the stockholders and set themselves up for a lawsuit. It would certainly be an effective way to whipsaw the two and lower SWA pilot pay.

 

[redflyer65]

Dan,

Normally you assumption would be right, but it's already been stated that ALL new airframes will come over to the SW side. I'd say fences probably are coming down the line. Very little solid info yet, and GK continues to be fairly quiet. Even refusing to talk to the Airtran guys yet.

 

[funnyman12]

I would imagine after DOJ approval much more info will be given. Shareholders vote on 3/23, historically DOJ approval within a couple weeks of the vote. Due to anti-trust concerns GK will not speak with ALPA. Rumor is GK is working out an equity share for the SW guys to grease the wheels. Im hearing that both unions will HAVE to submit a realistic initial proposal on on SLI or risk less favorable treatment from the arbitrators.

 

[relief tube]

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

How about a call out to all ex-SWA pilots now at Airtran?

Oh wait....there aren't any.

 

[climbhappy]

funnyman,
you're sayin that SWA pilots are going to get stock in holding company or airline in exchange for bending on some form of an SLI such as relative, relative after 1993,DOH after 1993, DOH, Nicholau, or staple?

 

[GuppyWN]

Any equity stake WN pilots are offered will have NOTHING to do with the SLI. It will have everything to do with allowing temporary easing of our contract so WN can realize the "synergies" of a combined airline sooner.

Gup

 

[climbhappy]

thanks, BTW, isn't this whole emotional debate way way too overblown? SWA bought themselves a company and any good businessman would bargain in good faith from a position of strength even if they conceded a few things. second, if your AAI...take the money, third, take the money fourth , take the money..this is the gift horse of the decade! this is the opposite of Usair guys not wanting to take an equivalent reverse pay cut (having no choice whether they did)and losing their pension over 7 years ago

 

[texman]

Does anybody know how many transactions (not transitions) will take place before former AT will be a sub/LLC of SWA?

 

[kwick]

Does anybody know how many transactions (not transitions) will take place before former AT will be a sub/LLC of SWA?

Yeah, SW will force a staple on the Airtran pilots, and then United will buy
Southworst and staple them, bumping all their Captains back to F/O's.

Be careful of the precedent you set.

"The Golden Rule" is the best policy!

 

[climbhappy]

by Golden Rule you mean

"whoever has the gold makes the rules" I presume?

 

[anewunion]

This merger will set SWA back about a decade.

 

[Hose A. Jiminez]

This merger will set SWA back about a decade.

In regards to?

 

[texman]

Yeah, SW will force a staple on the Airtran pilots, and then United will buy
Southworst and staple them, bumping all their Captains back to F/O's.

Be careful of the precedent you set.

"The Golden Rule" is the best policy!

The reason I ask this, is because your AT shareholders are about to sell you down the river, it is not SWA/SWAPA. I did not bring this up to be a smart azz, but to see if anybody really understands what the transactions will be.

 

[Lear70]

Are you talking about you and Ty and how ya'll got called out by your union?

*chuckle* Nope. Already chatted with MC, that blurb wasn't directed at me but thanks for asking.

 

[Lear70]

Does anybody know how many transactions (not transitions) will take place before former AT will be a sub/LLC of SWA?

1. SWA forms Guadalupe Holdings
2. Guadalupe holdings purchases AirTran
3. Guadalupe holdings is dissolved, leaving SWA holdings in direct ownership of AirTran.

That's how it was explained to me...