What Airtran brings to the table

[Lear70]

Whats going to happen to the 717? I really don't think that SWA is gonna keep them. More importantly what will happen to those pilots?

You need to read more of the press releases from Gary Kelly...

Air tranny boys >> have fun commuting to San Fran and Baltimore

Why? I think I'll stay in MCO, thanks. Unless they finally get around to opening BNA that is...

 

[Ty Webb]

Man, you guys need to bone up on your AirTran lore. Superman decided the fastest way to get to the front desk would be to skip the stairs or elevator, and just leap from the balcony to the lobby floor . . . . and broke his leg. Supposedly, he was only in his early twenties, had just upgraded, and wasn't used to partying like a rock star.

Additional fun fact: supposedly, the crew brought him back from the hospital to the hotel using a two-wheeled dolly. He's been back for a long time . . . 737 CA I believe.

 

[Ace McCoy]

Lets get to the serious stuff...Can AT pilots use Auto-brakes 1 setting on the NG's ? Can AT Pilots use the QC-2 headset ? Do your crews do room parties ?
Which is your best/worst layover hotel ?

All kidding aside, Welcome Aboard....we'll get this worked out.

I use my QC15 but I heard a nasty rumor that it may be going away after the merger. Can you confirm?

 

[Citrus531]

Whats going to happen to the 717? I really don't think that SWA is gonna keep them. More importantly what will happen to those pilots?

Q: This is a deviation from your single-fleet strategy. Will that impact efficiency?

A: With a fleet of 86 Boeing 717s, the fleet is large enough to schedule efficiently. We are excited about the possibilities of scheduling a slightly smaller gauge aircraft. We believe the 717 will allow us to better match seasonal demand without necessarily changing frequency in a market. In addition, the 717 will allow us to consider markets and cities that historically have been considered too small for Southwest service

http://www.lowfaresfarther.com/frequently-asked-questions/

 

[Newjetjockey]

SS,

The crews are blessed with superb relations between SWA and SWAPA/TWU446 (FA union).

Our Hotel committee is made up of aircrews exclusively. They screen the hotels, negotiate the contracts, handle the complaints (there are 4-5 paid admin folks who report to the head hotel committee pilot type), sleeping and eating in the same hotels as the rest of us are and keep the company informed of how they are spending the $70m that makes up the hotel bill each year.

Our contract has just a couple pages that deal with hotels vs. many others that have many more. Contract grievances on hotels are so rare I doubt if there are more than 1 or 2 a year. The committee deals with internally and the company trusts them to do the right thing.

We get great amenities and other advantages that you may find to your liking...at least I hope so. Welcome aboard.

BTW, trading trips and improving your schedule each month to work more if you like in order to make more money is a real option here. The last 6 months I've given nearly all of my trips away and fly around the system (a cartel of 1) trying to hustle for the buck but at my choosing. I sit well below 50% in my domicile also.

Great thread and I know you guys bring a lot also that will make us all more $$!!!

What a breath of fresh air. To actually work for a company that does things logically and actually gives a damn about the employees. Can't wait to buy the first round.

 

[livintheredream]

As a 3 year AT/FO I can say we are all very happy about the merger and hope it all goes smoothly. The rumblings aren't so much SLI but getting a TA that we have been ready to strike for in place while we wait for the ink to dry. This is the most hostile MGT around and we just don't want to see this MGT team walk away with millions on our back. Take some office furniture on the way out if you will. I look forward to working each and everyone at SW and hope to crush any airline that treats there employees remotely as Airtran does/soon to be did. Bring back the profession to a respected and well compensated position.

 

[Hose A. Jiminez]

Much better discussion guys, Thanks!

 

[DonVerita]

To answer the question originally posted by the thread title:

1. Major airline status
2. Profitable (never in bankruptcy)
3. Excellent product (Business Class, Assigned Seating)
4. International operations (Welcome aboard)
5. 136 Boeing jets with 1700 pilots to fly them
6. Proven track record
7. FAA award-winning Maintenance Program and staff
8. 50 B-737 700 & 800 series aircraft orders locked in. (This equals guaranteed growth)
9. Access to the busiest airport in the country - KATL (which SWA could not get into on its own)
10. A stronger merged airline than either airline could have been if kept seperate. (Achieves "critical mass" to compete with the other 2 mega-carriers: the combined Delta/Northwest and the soon to be combined United/Continental.

So, having said all that, we welcome you just as you welcome us. Looking forward to buying the first round for your entire crew at the FLL Sheraton.

 

[AFcitrus]

I think this will be the only thread on FI that I read from now on. I love the positie vibes. I'm thrilled at the opportunity to fly with you SW guys/gals. We can't wait to join the team and do our part make SW even more successful than it already is.

 

[skypine69]

What a breath of fresh air. To actually work for a company that does things logically and actually gives a damn about the employees. Can't wait to buy the first round.

LOL. The only time they give a damn about the employees is if it means more money. The first time it costs them a penny, the employee gets the shaft.

 

[skypine69]

To answer the question originally posted by the thread title:


8. 50 B-737 700 & 800 series aircraft orders locked in. (This equals guaranteed growth)

Is it still growth if they park 50 737-300s?

 

[jball2]

As a SWA guy in Atlanta, I can't wait to bring you guys on! I know we will come to a fair agreement because we have to. I am floating 3 feet in the air thinking about driving to work. I haven't done that in 11 years!

 

[DC10]

Judging by the positive attitudes on both sides, I think we'll all get along great. All of us at AT are excited but cautiously optimistic at the same time. We all hope things work out well for both pilot groups.

I'm really looking forward to being part of the combined company and working with the SWA people. We'll be a major force together.

 

[DonVerita]

Is it still growth if they park 50 737-300s?

Do you have that in writing somewhere? No? Then why speculate the negative?

This new combined airline will be able to grow markets and expand into new ones that neither could do by itself. You don't do that by parking airframes. That being said, will SWA eventually replace the -300's and -500's? Of course they will; but it will be with better aircraft; not necessarily out of the 50 that AAI has on order.

In the wake of the mega mergers, SWA and AAI both realized that they needed to achieve critical mass in a hurry and the only way was through a merger. Now the combined carrier has the clout it needs.

Another important and heartening thing to note is that AAI's staffing model was lower than SWA's. That means that SWA will have to hire in order to bring staffing up to where it should be.

 

[Bake]

I hope you're right. HIRE AWAY!!!

 

[DonVerita]

Here are some excerpts from SWAEmployeeNews, "A message from Gary" -

"Given normal turnover, we project that the combined Companies will need to hire approximately 2,000 Employees per year, just to stay even. There is potential for additional growth, and we foresee that this deal will add more jobs and more Employees into our Southwest Family."

-------------------------------------------------

"The decision to acquire AirTran enables immediate and significant growth and positions us firmly for future fleet growth. Absent this deal, we do not have plans to grow the fleet."

 

[GuppyWN]

Another important and heartening thing to note is that AAI's staffing model was lower than SWA's. That means that SWA will have to hire in order to bring staffing up to where it should be.

Just to clear this up. SWA is running under 11 pilots per aircraft. Airtran is over 12.

Gup

 

[Lear70]

Just to clear this up. SWA is running under 11 pilots per aircraft. Airtran is over 12.

Gup

Again, just to "clear this up", AirTran doesn't run 6 crews per aircraft. You're using the TOTAL number on our seniority list equating it to staffing, and you shouldn't.

We have an inordinately high number of pilots out on mil leave, long-term medical leave, FMLA leave, maternity leave, etc. The staffing is closer to 4.7 crews per aircraft, just shy of 10 pilots per hull in an active, flying status.

Trust me, you're gonna have to hire more. Which is a good thing.

 

[GuppyWN]

Unless the extra $60-100k a year and good schedules with flexibility draws them out of mil leave.

They are still bodies so they must be accounted for.

Someone smarter than us can figger that out.

Gup

 

[Benjamin Dover]

As a DAL guy, this is my first and last post about your merger.



I just wanted to say that it IS possible to have a good and relatively harmonious merger that makes the whole better than the sum of the parts.

Focus on the positives that both sides bring, and make sure you have an SLI process that ensures that you will probably have a pretty fair SLI in the end...like our process at DAL that had a 3-person arbitration panel (as opposed to one person who can always have some sort of weird below-the-surface perspective) and a series of hearings.

The bottom line is that there are positive merger examples out there.

But easier said than done. DAL/NWA was a SLI between two legacy carriers where DoH and relative seniority were not that far apart between the two.

Very different lists to merge in this deal. Time will tell.

I think this is a very good deal for Southwest as a company, but potentially not a good deal for Southwest FO's. Sure the SLI might delay upgrade for AirTran FOs as well, but who suffers more? Let's say upgrade for an FO from each airline is delayed by 5 years by the merger. Airtran FO gets immediate payraise equal to AAI captain pay now (and other work rule, QOL, and befefit improvements). And SWA FO get's what? A few more cities to fly to?

I'm not advocating anything like a "staple" either. But AAI pilots have more to gain than SWA pilots. The AAI TA and aircraft options are still just promises. SWA contract is known an would be immediate.