FlyBoeingJets
YES, that's NICE
- Joined
- Mar 20, 2003
- Posts
- 1,802
My other story was the glass is half empty version. This is the half full.
SWA is a GREAT company to work for. The management works with the pilots and flight attendants and these groups largely work with the company. The pilot "union" is an association. Different than ALPA in organization and execution. The membership even runs off SWAPA officers that get out of hand. A different attitude with more power in the membership and a more company oriented membership than most. The flight attendants are not unhappy as you might have been told. In fact, they are friendlier than anywhere else I've been and the two groups respect each other. Good for your QOL and I know its good for passenger relations.
I can tell you all the employee groups are friendlier to each other. Yes, the gate agents aren't mean like at AA. They generally want to get another carrier's pilots on the jumpseat home. One reason for the good attitude is there are a lot of internal hires to flight attendant. Gate agents, baggage handlers, etc. That kind of opportunity is not lost on them.
The company takes care of its own. You will make it thru (pilot) training and they focus on keeping you as an employee as long as you hold promise and want to be here. They will even train non-pilots for a skill they need to LEAVE SWA if that is what they really want.
Most of what I can say about the finances is look at the SEC filings of SWA and competitors. Take a long look at debt and CASM breakdown. Debt burdens with rising interest rates are very bad. If SWA's labor costs are 1 cent more in CASM than competitors, how much are they paying per seat mile in debt servicing? Last, but not least, if JetBlue and Airtran really have an advantage over SWA, is there room for all 3 to grow? I think so.
The future, take a guess. My glass is half empty story above is as negative as I can get about the company and it is still positive, IMHO. The best case is very good.
SWA is a GREAT company to work for. The management works with the pilots and flight attendants and these groups largely work with the company. The pilot "union" is an association. Different than ALPA in organization and execution. The membership even runs off SWAPA officers that get out of hand. A different attitude with more power in the membership and a more company oriented membership than most. The flight attendants are not unhappy as you might have been told. In fact, they are friendlier than anywhere else I've been and the two groups respect each other. Good for your QOL and I know its good for passenger relations.
I can tell you all the employee groups are friendlier to each other. Yes, the gate agents aren't mean like at AA. They generally want to get another carrier's pilots on the jumpseat home. One reason for the good attitude is there are a lot of internal hires to flight attendant. Gate agents, baggage handlers, etc. That kind of opportunity is not lost on them.
The company takes care of its own. You will make it thru (pilot) training and they focus on keeping you as an employee as long as you hold promise and want to be here. They will even train non-pilots for a skill they need to LEAVE SWA if that is what they really want.
Most of what I can say about the finances is look at the SEC filings of SWA and competitors. Take a long look at debt and CASM breakdown. Debt burdens with rising interest rates are very bad. If SWA's labor costs are 1 cent more in CASM than competitors, how much are they paying per seat mile in debt servicing? Last, but not least, if JetBlue and Airtran really have an advantage over SWA, is there room for all 3 to grow? I think so.
The future, take a guess. My glass is half empty story above is as negative as I can get about the company and it is still positive, IMHO. The best case is very good.
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