You stay classy Linden Hillman

[Lear70]

Lear,

I don't follow you, if SWA uses less pilots/plane than AAI, after SOC, we will be understaffed? SWA ops, as you know is point-to-point, I believe that is why we need fewer pilots/plane than hub/spoke operations...do you not envision former AAI aircraft being used in a more point-to-point type fashion, therey by requiring FEWER pilots? Do not envision layoffs, but we could see some stagnation as the AAI ops are transitioned to SWA ops...again sorry for the thread creep...stay classy ALPA...seems like negotiating posturing to me...

Again, it's a simple matter of block hours per aircraft. Here it is on a REALLY basic level with rounded numbers (numbers geeks, I apologize, just using round numbers for math comparison purposes).

IF we had 200 aircraft that flew 6.5 hours per day per aircraft, that's 1,300 hours per day, 39,000 hours per month (30 day month average). If you then have pilots flying 80 hours per month block on average, that's 487 crews if they flew EVERY DAY. Assuming each crew has 15 days off, double that number, 974 crews, 1,948 total pilots.

Now if you modify away from hub-and-spoke and increase the aircraft's DAILY utilization, that's great, but you still can't get around the fact that in order to give the pilots 15-18 days off, they're going to be capped somewhere between 80 and 85 hours for the month.

Therefore, do the math at just ONE hour more of daily utilization per airframe: 7.5 hours per day per aircraft * 200 aircraft = 1,500 hours per day, 45,000 hours per month. With pilots flying 80 block hours per month, that's 563 crews, doubled for 15 days off = 1,126 crews, 2,252 pilots. A total increase of 302 pilots, just by increasing the daily utilization of the airframes by 1 hour.

This is how Crew Planning formulates pilot needs. They recognize that a pilot can't simply be flown more if the plane flies more. When you have crews that are already flying 80-85 hours a month, you can't just make them fly more.

As far as the comparison of crew per aircraft, we carry a pretty high number of management pilots who don't fly the line but are on the seniority list, pilots out on union leave on any given day, people out on medical, mil leave, etc. I think our ratio on those may be a bit higher than yours, but not by a large amount.

I had a trip with our previous Scheduling Committee chair a few months ago who had talked with your Scheduling people at SWAPA and basically they said the same thing. When GK says this combination, after integration, will need 1,000 pilots, I believe him.

 

[Lear70]

I got the letter from snopes. It is already vetted.

To whom it may concern:

It has come to my attention that we will be merging our seniority lists. Seniority is very important to ALPA pilots. We have a long proud history of giving away scope which leads to the future unemployment of our junior members. Talk to our friends at Delta, that was a doozy.

I would also like to point out ALPAs need for a long drawn out negotiation. Over here at the office we really can't stand the idea of grinding out multiple four day trips. ALPA national also calls on a daily bases making sure they get at least another year or two of dues. In this regard everything from the process agreement to the arbitrator will require "extra" legal review. Talk to our friends at ASA. A five year time frame is what we use for a greivance.

I must now write an inflammatory paragraph with the full intent of pissing you off and stalling talks. First van de ven. The Dutch are known for smoking pot and folding in the world cup. We plan on you doing both in our negotiation. SWAPA prepare to meet the full power of ALPA! You have seen what we have done for Eastern, United, USAir, Delta, and the regionals. Prepare for scorched earth! Gerry we hope to prove that 1.4 billion is way too much.

Remember when you see a bag tag that says "My MEC speaks for me!" or "We are ALPA". They are me. I am ALPA.

Sincerely,
Linden

Well-played indeed, sir... lol

 

[Cruncher]

Lear,

...If the story has made its way all the way to recurrent, then it's something that had to have happened several weeks to a month or more back. Stories like that take a while to filter into recurrent classes.

Ahhhh, not in this girl's scout troop. Rumors move faster than the speed of light at this place.

 

[Hose A. Jiminez]

Start a rumor on the East coast and it'll beat you to the West coast. They fly faster than the jets.

 

[madjack]

Lear,

I follow you, but your math does not account for the SIGNIFICANT number of the pilot group that works extra (above their line average)...perhaps that is why SWA is staffed on the lean side ...the AAI pilots will probably ant to do the same...I do not see our ratio of pilots/aircraft going up (11/aircraft)...if AAI brings more than that to the table...we will have less extra flying or an excess of pilots...

 

[Crash Pad]

Here's the latest from our end:

Executive Blog - May 18, 2011

In Dallas today, Southwest Airlines held their annual shareholders meeting. Afterward, Gary Kelly made the announcement that Southwest is terminating the codeshare agreement with Skywest Airlines.

WHAT!!! We fought very hard to get Skywest on the property. We gave up a twelve year pay scale and a lot of other sweeteners!

Thats it! You messed with the wrong Union!!! Gary, if that is your real name, I assume you are replacing this regional feed with union feed. May we suggest ASA or another proud ALPA carrier.

We at ALPA expect a retraction or a change in feed within the week or lawsuits will fly!

 

[Crash Pad]

Let me also get in on the staffing discussion. They covered this in indoc. after we got our company ID's. Several memory items I have on my old flash cards.

1. Pilots always know exactly how airlines work the staffing
2. In the history of airlines, pilots have never thought the airline is staffed properly. (when I'm extended the idiots in Orlando screwed up. When I can't find a 26 hour, commutable, three day in open time that will fit perfectly between my check ride and vacation... the idiots in Orlando have overstaffed)
3. The only time my airline is perfectly staffed is when I'm in a discussion with another guy about his airlines staffing and I want to look like I have a better job.

Using these three simple memory items I have a simple formula. An airline should have somewhere between 1 and 200 crews per airplane.

 

[Ty Webb]

WHAT!!! We fought very hard to get Skywest on the property. We gave up a twelve year pay scale and a lot of other sweeteners!

Thats it! You messed with the wrong Union!!! Gary, if that is your real name, I assume you are replacing this regional feed with union feed. May we suggest ASA or another proud ALPA carrier.

We at ALPA expect a retraction or a change in feed within the week or lawsuits will fly!

Where did you find "the letter"? :laugh:

 

[Ty Webb]

2. In the history of airlines, pilots have never thought the airline is staffed properly. (when I'm extended the idiots in Orlando screwed up. When I can't find a 26 hour, commutable, three day in open time that will fit perfectly between my check ride and vacation... the idiots in Orlando have overstaffed)

3. The only time my airline is perfectly staffed is when I'm in a discussion with another guy about his airlines staffing and I want to look like I have a better job.

Waaaaay too funny. You're on a ROLL! :laugh:

 

[SWA/FO]

Hey Ty did you buy and LNKD stock today?