SWAPA Comments about 717

[4day]

This statment was sent to SWAPA pilots . Now let it be known ALL Airtran CA positions are now LOST to SW and he says this.

This is good news for our pilots for many reasons. First, management has stated there will be no jobs lost in this transition. The 717s will be transferred to Delta and our Classic fleet will be retired at a slower rate to account for the departing 717s. Add to that the availability of NG aircraft on the open market and our manning model will not be affected by this change.

Southwest's agreement with Delta will bring long overdue upgrades for many of our First Officers between now and December 2014. Movement on our seniority list is something we have all been waiting for and this will provide that movement.

Well I just don't know what to say.

 

[easydoesit]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica]22 MAY 2012
A Message from your SWAPA President
[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica]Fellow Pilots,

Southwest Airlines just announced they have a tentative agreement with Delta Airlines to sublease the B717 and transition them out of our fleet by the end of 2015. This announcement is one SWAPA has planned for from the original announcement of the purchase of AirTran Airways. Side Letter 10 specifically addressed this possibility and it was discussed throughout the SLI & SL10 process. Management has made no secret the B717 does not meet the Company's long-term fleet plan and if the opportunity were presented, they would be retired from our fleet sooner, rather than later.

This is good news for our pilots for many reasons. First, management has stated there will be no jobs lost in this transition. The 717s will be transferred to Delta and our Classic fleet will be retired at a slower rate to account for the departing 717s. Add to that the availability of NG aircraft on the open market and our manning model will not be affected by this change.

Southwest's agreement with Delta will bring long overdue upgrades for many of our First Officers between now and December 2014. Movement on our seniority list is something we have all been waiting for and this will provide that movement.

The Company has repeatedly said the 717 is a "fine airplane" but doesn't really fit into our system or long-term fleet plans. We have a long history of profitability operating a single fleet type and this agreement allows SWA to continue to operate with that philosophy.

Finally, we believe this will aid the transition and place us in a better position to achieve the stated synergies that exist as a result of the AirTran acquisition. From the beginning, the Company has asserted this acquisition and subsequent integration would put Southwest Airlines in the strategic position to realize growth and increased profitability. SWAPA believes this is one of many initiatives that will help in that endeavor.

While we wait for the deal to become binding, I encourage everyone to stay engaged and if new information is presented, we will forward that along. Thank you for everything you do day-in and day-out.

Fly Safe,

Steve Chase
[email protected][/FONT]

 

[easydoesit]

deleted for too much emotion...

 

[scoreboardII]

Steve Chase is no hero on this side of the fence, more like Nero of Rome era fame. funny how that sounds like Zero.

 

[redflyer65]

Agreed. Looking forward to the elections in November to make some changes.

 

[Capn Butthead]

Granted there will be quite a few captain seats lost. I can't deny that and I know it sucks. I am a 8 year fo here and I'm not even close to an upgrade. So I personally know it sucks. But not ALL CA slots are being taken away. I forget the number but I believe it's 36 717s will be transferred after 2015 to 2016. And even in 2014 to 2015 you will still have 70ish 717s. So it's not going to be a big flush of captain slots coming to us. Will it lead to faster upgrades for us? Sure. And I will gladly commute from Orlando to Oakland to do it. I said that even before the AirTran purchase. I agree with everyone. An Atlanta base needs to be opened ASAP. I think a majority of us will agree on that.

 

[Citrusflyer]

While the 717 saga stings, we all (AT guys) know it's business. Things happen, but ... seriously, extending the 'olive branch' would show the true SWA spirit (a spirit that to almost a man, no one here at Airtran has seen or believes in). ATL base, a bump in pay to mitigate the fact that we all now can barely eke out an hour or two above min guarantee month to month, etc.

Resentment is running very deep here in ATL today, and it's building very quickly. Your your chiefs evidenced that today in both RGS and the crew room. They did NOTHING to quell the anger. Then, we get the 'pile on' from this remnant of a man in your union president ... all SC is doing is lighting the fuse to the powder keg.

 

[Dan Roman]

This statment was sent to SWAPA pilots . Now let it be known ALL Airtran CA positions are now LOST to SW and he says this.

This is good news for our pilots for many reasons. First, management has stated there will be no jobs lost in this transition. The 717s will be transferred to Delta and our Classic fleet will be retired at a slower rate to account for the departing 717s. Add to that the availability of NG aircraft on the open market and our manning model will not be affected by this change.

Southwest's agreement with Delta will bring long overdue upgrades for many of our First Officers between now and December 2014. Movement on our seniority list is something we have all been waiting for and this will provide that movement.

Well I just don't know what to say.

Wow, saying that replacing AT Captains seats with SWA f/o's as something to cheer for and "everyone should be happy" is pretty weak, to say the least.
Is that part of the "warrior spirit"

 

[fuzzy077]

Pretty disgraceful if I may say so myself.

 

[Dan Roman]

That's so wrong in so many ways. It's obvious that SWAPA was planning on this when they agreed to the deal. Was the AirTran folks equally informed or were they not fully appraised when they agreed to the deal?
Have to wonder if the AirTran folks might have some legal recourse for being deceived if that's the case.