What are the projected retirements for SWA?

[bizicmo]

How do you know that?? Really? I already have 1 greenslip this month ( a 3 day worth in total of 39 hours), topped on my normal 4 European Crossings. I think I probably make a lot more than you do. And, I get ice cream sundaes enroute! Enjoy your peanuts while they last!


Bye Bye--General Lee

general, i love you but i lose all faith when you brag about crappy airline food. it might be good for airline food but it still is overall crappy

 

[General Lee]

Upgrades will be longer than they ever have been at SWA. The stars are starting to align and the financials will work themselves out. Growth will return by late this year or early next but it won't be enough to override the 10 year FO.

10 year upgrades will be the norm, but a superior contract and an ever improving retirement strategy will insure that even the 10 year F/O at SWA has a far superior overall career at SWA over the alternatives at any other airline.

SWA growth will accelerate as the near international and South American markets are developed and mature. (10-15 years until full maturity)

Gary Kelley is no dummy. SWA will grow and we, the pilots, will flurish right along with it.

An ever improving retirement strategy??? Your guys were the leaders in the age 65 change. They probably want to go to 70. Talk about greedy, and they got stock and you didn't way back when too.

Your INTL flights will mature when again?? Say what? Your perfect company culture will come falling down the second Kelly decides he HAS to merge with someone. You won't be able to do a "Frontier" maneuver (make them take a staple or ELSE.....), and the mixing of your list will take away your unity. But, you will still have MAF and ISP.


Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[General Lee]

general, i love you but i lose all faith when you brag about crappy airline food. it might be good for airline food but it still is overall crappy

You haven't had Business Elite food recently, have you? I never buy my own food prior to leaving, which says something. I don't know much about the coach food, but the business class food is darn good, with multiple coarses and a choice of desserts (like my sundae). And, it is FREE for crewmembers..... We also do some domestic trips in our category and that means I have done a couple recently. The food domestically wasn't bad. The 1st Class stuff was pretty good (not as good as INTL), and the coach passengers are normally offered food for sale on longer flights, which had some good selections too. Better than the SWA pretzels and peanuts.


Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[satpak77]

you gotta admit the General does keep this board interesting

 

[redflyer65]

When a top guy at Delta retires, there is a huge amount of movement. Think about it, a 777 Capt leaves, then a 767-400 Capt moves up to the 777, then a 767-300ER Captain moves up to the 767-400, then an 737-800 Captain moves up to the 767, then an A320 or Md90 Capt moves up to the 738, etc.... all the way from DC9 FO or MD88 FO----everyone moves up. It might be 15 movements for one retirement. Some years coming up have more than 700 retirements in one year, and many have 400-500. That is HUGE movement, and pay increases all around. If a guy moves from MD88FO to 767 FO, there could be a $20 an hour difference. And, if you stay on a narrowbody instead of moving up the ladder, you can make extra money by being senior and picking up greenslips for double pay. And regardless of your movement at SWA, you will always still have to fly through ELP, a major downer.


Bye Bye--General Lee

General, what's so funny is that you are thrilled that your company is wasting hundreds of thousands of dollars by having to PAY FOR 15 training events....absolutely amazing. You don't get it.

I'm glad you were able to score a green slip, in the meantime we can drop or pickup as much as we desire. We have some guys that go after it for 130+ trips a month, at more than your hourly rate. To each their own, but we have those options each and every month.

You braging about one green slip trip really falls short, sorry.

 

[satpak77]

General, what's so funny is that you are thrilled that your company is wasting hundreds of thousands of dollars by having to PAY FOR 15 training events....absolutely amazing. You don't get it.

Not a defender of the General per-se, however this is the cost of doing business, is it not? Delta should own the sims, the instructors, etc. Who are "they paying" for the training events? How is it a "waste" even if they did, directly or indirectly?

DAL is an international airline, this moving up to the next cockpit didn't start last week. If you believe wikipedia, it is the world's largest airline. So I think these "training costs" have long ago been factored in as part of doing business.

On another note, I see the new UAL/CAL animal a serious threat to DAL. Would we see a DAL/AA merger? Never say never....

 

[Scope out RJ's]

General, what's so funny is that you are thrilled that your company is wasting hundreds of thousands of dollars by having to PAY FOR 15 training events....absolutely amazing. You don't get it.

I'm glad you were able to score a green slip, in the meantime we can drop or pickup as much as we desire. We have some guys that go after it for 130+ trips a month, at more than your hourly rate. To each their own, but we have those options each and every month.

You braging about one green slip trip really falls short, sorry.

There is so much misinformation on his posts, I don't even know where to begin. I'm starting to think that general dooshbag isn't even a DL pilot. He can't be this misinformed.

 

[redflyer65]

It maybe the cost of doing business, but it cost money to run those sims and pay all the excessive instruction. Are you telling me that Delta is an efficent airlines with all those fleet types? I don't think so. Just another reason why they lose millions of dollars each and every quarter.

The bottom line says it all.

The only Delta planes in see in ELP say Delta CONNECTION on them.

 

[Scope out RJ's]

It maybe the cost of doing business, but it cost money to run those sims and pay all the excessive instruction. Are you telling me that Delta is an efficent airlines with all those fleet types? I don't think so. Just another reason why they lose millions of dollars each and every quarter.

The bottom line says it all.

The only Delta planes in see in ELP say Delta CONNECTION on them.

Like I said there's just so much misinformation put out by general dooshbag that I don't even know where to start! You would think that with 13000 posts he would be able to get something right, but I'm beginning to think that she doesn't even work for Delta.
Genital Lee, a "yes" voter,

 

[General Lee]

There is so much misinformation on his posts, I don't even know where to begin. I'm starting to think that general dooshbag isn't even a DL pilot. He can't be this misinformed.

Watch Out! Scope is on a rampage because I caught him not knowing how common bidding works.......He's going NUTS!!!


Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[General Lee]

It maybe the cost of doing business, but it cost money to run those sims and pay all the excessive instruction. Are you telling me that Delta is an efficent airlines with all those fleet types? I don't think so. Just another reason why they lose millions of dollars each and every quarter.

The bottom line says it all.

The only Delta planes in see in ELP say Delta CONNECTION on them.

Incorrect. 2 daily MD88s fly to ELP from ATL. I don't have to fly either of them.

And, Delta now has the ability to put the "right size" airplane on any route they choose. Before the merger, DL's smallest mainline plane was an MD88. Now, DL can choose A319s or DC9s to replace MD88s on certian routes to try to achieve more profits. Heck, they have now replaced CR7s with DC95s on GRR and FNT routes from ATL, which is a good thing! More fleet types can be good and bad for a business, and you obvioulsy can only see the bad.


Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[General Lee]

General, what's so funny is that you are thrilled that your company is wasting hundreds of thousands of dollars by having to PAY FOR 15 training events....absolutely amazing. You don't get it.

I'm glad you were able to score a green slip, in the meantime we can drop or pickup as much as we desire. We have some guys that go after it for 130+ trips a month, at more than your hourly rate. To each their own, but we have those options each and every month.

You braging about one green slip trip really falls short, sorry.

As SatPak77 states, it is the cost of doing business. If you want to be a TRULY Worldwide carrier, you can't just have one fleet type. Delta has to try to fit different type planes into different markets, and trying to find the right fit is key. Once you do that, good things can happen. Delta has worldwide needs, and domestic needs too.

And, a greenslip is a good thing, especially is you use qualifiers and get a free double pay trip to somewhere you actually WANT to go. I enjoy my trips and enjoy my job.


Bye Bye--General Lee

 

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[General Lee]

Not a defender of the General per-se, however this is the cost of doing business, is it not? Delta should own the sims, the instructors, etc. Who are "they paying" for the training events? How is it a "waste" even if they did, directly or indirectly?

DAL is an international airline, this moving up to the next cockpit didn't start last week. If you believe wikipedia, it is the world's largest airline. So I think these "training costs" have long ago been factored in as part of doing business.

On another note, I see the new UAL/CAL animal a serious threat to DAL. Would we see a DAL/AA merger? Never say never....

I don't think AA and DAL together would pass any Gov't scrutiny. Just a guess, but I would think AK and DAL together would again regain the top spot. A codeshare may be ok for now, but if anyone else tries to jump on AK, then maybe it could become more "serious." AK does use DL gates at ATL, MSP, and soon they are moving to term 6 at LAX next to DL. It just seems kinda "cozy."


Bye Bye--General Lee

 

[chase]

GL,

I provided the info on retirements. No diversion, I answered the question.

Sundaes are nice but they don't pay the bills at my house and I can't afford to not have the calories. Sounds like that is a very big perk to to you...good on ya. We have requested that in our Section 6 opener yet but will pass it along to our folks.

Long overnights don't pay the bills either, closing the door and flying does, something we do a lot of.

I bring up customer service because it has a long term impact on hiring....the better you treat the passengers, the more they will fly that airline and tell their friends about airline when the option is available. The more passengers, the greater revenue, fuller airplanes means capacity can be added which equates to more hiring. Growing from 8% to 16% wasn't because I got hired or that we serve peanuts. There were other low fare carriers out there throughout that time attempting to copy what SWA was doing. I would have thought you would've seen the relationship between customer service and hiring, sorry I didn't make it simplier and clearer for you.

I'll look forward to a more accurate portrayal of the life at SWA in the future unless you simply just want to admit you would rather share false imformation.

Why don't we agree that you're the expert on DAL along with those who work there and those who work at SWA who post on here are the experts on SWA, what do you say? At least that way the lurkers can make an honest assessment in deciding which airline they wish to interview with...i.e. Interview Board (maybe time to change that title Lear....hope all is well...tougher to moderator these days with the s--- word being used all the time ).

Cheers GL...have fun on your next international trip...BTW, don't usually share this info but the 3 day I'm on pays nearly $5K at VJA rates...got the lucky phone call and happy to use some of my days off for a good deal like that.