SWAPA Comments about 717

[SWA Bubba]

If you're really looking for a serious answer in this, here it is: The 737-500 is more economcal to operate than the 717 because they are not leased. They are long since paid for. As long as the maintenance costs don't exceed operating revenue (so far), then they make money. And since we have the world's largest stockpile of 737 classic parts, and similar maintenance schedules to the rest of our planes, it'll be that way for a while.

Bubba[/QUOT

Actually nine are leased. Form the 10Q

http://filecache.drivetheweb.com/ir1_southwest/408/download/10Q+Filed+4.25.12.pdf

Wow, good for you for searching through all of that. I stand corrected. MOST of them are owned outright. But I presume that the leased ones are at rates considered attractive by SWA. One of the chiefs told me that we have some planes that we owned, then sold to someone else with a lease-back provision. I don't know if those nine -500s fit into this category or not, but I presume someone smarter than your average pilot figured it was a good financial deal for us.

But, as pointed out by someone else above, they're gonna' go away relatively soon as well. The trick to which -300s and -500s we're planning on keeping any length of time is whether they've had winglets added. The number-crunchers have to be sure we're keeping a particular plane long enough to make that particular cost pay off. The ones without winglets are leaving first. None of our -500s have winglets.

Thanks for the info.

Bubba

 

[redflyer65]

Bubba's correct, they did do some 'lease-backs' because the rates are sooo low. Just before the AAI purchase, Southwest owned around 83% of their airframes. After AAI the combination is around 72%. A very solid balance sheet.

 

[Just thinking]

Yeah we brought nothing to the table...................
How many of "your" seats went to any of these destinations?


Domestic U.S. Cities International Destinations
Atlanta Aruba, Cancun, Nassau, Montego Bay, Punta Cana,
San Juan
Austin Cancun5
Baltimore/Washington, D.C.
(BWI) Aruba, Bermuda1, Cancun, Nassau, Montego Bay,
San Juan
Chicago Midway (MDW)7 Cancun*
Ft. Lauderdale San Juan3
Denver Cancun2
Milwaukee Cancun
Orange County6 Cabo San Lucas/Los Cabos, Mexico City
Orlando Aruba, Montego Bay, San Juan
San Antonio4 Cancun, Mexico City
Tampa Bay San Juan
International flights are operated by AirTran and are not available for purchase from Southwest Airlines. Checked bags will not be transferred between any Southwest Airlines flight and AirTran flight.

*Subject to foreign Government approval

1Baltimore – Bermuda service will return on 04/10/2012.
2Denver – Cancun service will start on 04/16/2012.
3Ft. Lauderdale – San Juan service will start on 05/24/2012.
4San Antonio – Cancun & Mexico City will start on 05/24/2012.
5Austin – Cancun service will start on 05/25/2012.
6Orange County – Cabo San Lucas & Mexico City will start on 06/03/2012.
7Chicago Midway-Cancun service will start on 06/03/2012.

 

[Uppercrust]

AAI seniority ceased to exists the minute the airline was bought...that is a fact...every airline that SWA acquired prior to AAI, the pilots of the acquired airline started at the bottom...AA screws STL (and the TWA pilots) and we get a law...SWA buys AAI and mgmt and both unions overwhelmingly approve a SLI that gives former AAI pilots seniority on the SWA MSL...many AAI pilots go ahead of SWA pilots who interviewed, got typed and started at the bottom at SWA (some of those pilots were former AAI CPs and FOs)...so who is getting "screwed"?

Southwest signed the Process Agreement and failed to abide by it. Airtran pilots have been discriminated against by your management and SWAPA union and have solely shouldered the burden of this merger.

This is not over by any stretch

 

[humveedriver]

Southwest signed the Process Agreement and failed to abide by it. Airtran pilots have been discriminated against by your management and SWAPA union and have solely shouldered the burden of this merger.

This is not over by any stretch

You would know its over if you worked for either company. Go easy on those bath salts Crusty!

 

[redflyer65]

Southwest signed the Process Agreement and failed to abide by it. Airtran pilots have been discriminated against by your management and SWAPA union and have solely shouldered the burden of this merger.

This is not over by any stretch

How has SWAPA discriminated against a pilot that's an ALPA member? I'd say that's a stretch.

Let's be clear, this deal is over and we all need to move on from it. The company will continue to make business decisions that they think is best. I'm sorry that the last move (telegraphed for the last two months) has harmed the 717 CAs...even though they will make similiar money and probably have better QOL/bidding. If the company needed to make a move that harmed SW pilots I'm sure they would for the greater good of the company. I don't see us furloughing a single pilot with any of this. Gary takes a tremendous amount of pride in that 'no furlough on my watch' position.

Time to move on.

 

[texman]

If we still have a job by 2015, we all won!

 

[FlyinGuy]

Know how to tell when someone lost an argument? They use "discrimination" in their rebuttals.

 

[DonVerita]

If you really do not like it quit.

There you have it ladies and gentlemen...the scab mentality - cower and advise retreat when confronted with adversity. That has been your M.O. ever since your days at EAL.

 

[boeing717]

There you have it ladies and gentlemen...the scab mentality - cower and advise retreat when confronted with adversity. That has been your M.O. ever since your days at EAL.

I am not the person you think I am. Besides, how would you ever know who I am.

If you are unhappy with the deal then you have a couple of options. Either get over it or quit. You made your bed now sleep in it. Some people think SWA should show some compassion and give you the same pay before due time. Really, do you think that will happen? You got more than you deserve anyway.