Who might Southwest merge with?

[Reebo]

"Airscab?" Looking down my copy of the list, I see quite a few SCABs at your operation. Stones and glass houses and all that.....

Do we really? I've been to lazy to check the list.

Where are they from?

 

[PCL_128]

Do we really? I've been to lazy to check the list.

Where are they from?

Mostly EAL, but a few from CAL, and one each from Rio and Wien.

 

[Reebo]

Mostly EAL, but a few from CAL, and one each from Rio and Wien.

Thanks for the info.

 

[fool737700]

I am just sick of PCL 128 and his opinion of Southwest. Just because you got turned down by SWA or NEVER got the call there is no reason to be a hater. No ones dream is to work at Airtran!! Hey, I interviewed and got turned down by UPS my 1 choice, but I am not bitter at UPS or their pilots!!!

 

[PCL_128]

I never even applied to SWA, my friend. I grew up and live in tha ATL, so commuting to a SWA base didn't really appeal to me. Glad it works for you, though.

 

[JumpersAway]

The real question is whether SWA will make the AirTran guys re-interview for their jobs. With SWA's culture and the specific skill set they're looking for...don't think many Air Tran guys can measure up.

If they could, wouldn't they have gone to SWA to begin with?

It depends- How many Colonels does AT have???

 

[easydoesit]

Fool- you are being perceived as an A #1 DBag. Like stated previously, we are all professionals trying to make it in this career so we can provide for our families. No airline has better pilots than another airline. There are just as many jerks wherever you go. Trust me, I know a few guys that got hired at SWA who I was surprised got the job because of their demeanor. It happens everywhere.

Just because your airline was smart at hedging fuel doesn't make your pilots any better.

Lay off the testosterone dude.

 

[GuinessGuy]

I'm wanting more InstructorDude input, this thread is boring me.........

 

[contrail67]

Originally Posted by jke406
The real question is whether SWA will make the AirTran guys re-interview for their jobs. With SWA's culture and the specific skill set they're looking for...don't think many Air Tran guys can measure up.

If they could, wouldn't they have gone to SWA to begin with?

Uh...maybe they did not want or have the money to buy their required type rating for the job...

 

[DonVerita]

I can't believe we're having a discussion about re-interviewing. That may have been the case with previous airlines that SWA dealt with, but those airlines were made up of a meager handful of airplanes, or were on liquidation's doorstep.

It's a whole different dynamic with AirTran. With them, you're talking about a profitable company with 137 aircraft, a bunch more on order, and 1700+ unionized pilots.

If you merge with the AirTran network on Monday, you have to fly that network on Tuesday or else you will be in bankruptcy court by Friday. To do that you need the pilots who are currently flying those airplanes to stay with those airplanes.

Therefore, re-interviewing is illogical. It will be a merged seniority list with the new airline being very formidable.

The wild card is Delta. Would Delta want to go up against such a combined carrier? Would they abandon the NWA deal and instead shift all resources into perhaps a bidding war with SWA in order to merge with AirTran and thereby keep SWA out of their Atlanta backyard? Surely the DOT would have something to say about this. But Delta weilds a lot of political power with the city of Atlanta who in turn could carry some heavy weight up to DC to do battle with the Feds.

Only time will tell...

 

[funnyman12]

Well I got a job at Airtran about a year ago. Could I have gotten a job at Southwest...yes. It would have taken a 737 type ($6000+). I think WN is the best place to be at. Historically speaking, the key is to get with the up and coming company. So when the company one chooses is #1 and you are senior you reap the benifits. Granted I recently joined Airtran. Point being I could have gotten and interview at WN (provided I had a 737 type) and maybe if I interviewed well, gotten a job and entered the pool. Instead I chose to go for Airtran, an airline with a lot of growth potential. (not to say WN doesn't have growth potential). I think that I would have had the Southwest culture, but I didn't have the time or the money to compete for that. (family and that kind of stuff) Everyone I have flown with in the last year have been awesome. Granted there are always the 5-10% doushe ratio. If Southwest aquired/merged

 

[funnyman12]

with us....the culture would be very similar. Great guys that like to fly and want a great career. So anyone that thinks someone should re-interview for their job should remember....history. Im not an expert but, what comes around goeas around. We should try to help each other. Airtran and Southwest are in general great folks. If a merger happens, wht don't we merge fairly? I spoke to a NPA dude and he said we were in Dallas recently and worked out a fair integration. So the re-interview things seems unlikely unless we have serious financial troubles...

 

[easydoesit]

My situation parallels yours funnyman. Well put...I think a merged Airtran SWA would be VERY formidable...

 

[maxblast72]

I am just sick of PCL 128 and his opinion of Southwest. Just because you got turned down by SWA or NEVER got the call there is no reason to be a hater. No ones dream is to work at Airtran!! Hey, I interviewed and got turned down by UPS my 1 choice, but I am not bitter at UPS or their pilots!!!

Your right, seven years ago I wouldn't even have left Express One International (old Longhorn callsign) to go to Airtran. I never dreamed about working at Airtran.

One furlough, one terrorist event, and one crappy paying Saab 340 job later, I ended up at Airtran in early 2004. Looking around at my other buddies that got hired at Frontier, ATA, America West, or even Southwest, I wouldn't trade my B717 Captain job living 20 minutes from the airport for any of their's. Not digging on anyone elses company but not buying into the grass is always greener somewhere else either.

 

[XJ-spartacus]

Saab 340's are the shanizzle. I find myself daydreaming about the old days of rollbacks and FI stop malfunctions. Ooh ya, those were the days....... Oops, you guys were argueing about something else, my bad. Sorry for the interruption. Carry on.