Flyby.....not sure where you got all your info from, but here are my thoughts.
There's no way we'll get a 10-30% pay raise...maybe cost of living, but not much more.
From my 18months on property I can tell you the pilot group is awesome. I've flown with one or two guys that I wouldn't RUSH to fly with again, but all in all the people are awesome and I actually really like going to work.
Look back at posts three years ago and you'll hear people talk about SWA hitting a wall. I don't have a crystal ball, but I don't think you're going to see it anytime in the next 5 years.
I usually drop a trip a month for mil leave, but even without doing that, I've very rarely had a line over 12 days. Usually 12-14...reserve is usually the only time I've seen 15 days.
You have the ability to pick up, give away, and work a ton or the bare-minimum. A little different then my friends at Delta, not sure about others.
Echo Ace's thoughts on growth.....we stopped hiring 5 months after I got hired and now we're on the fast track again! You just never know.
I never had a real desire to fly commercial, but I really enjoy the flying, the people and the company. If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to email me.
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Fox - 2.....Kill the bandit in a left-hand turn.
Faced with a similar situation as yours - I have spent a good bit of time reading through these forums in the hope that I may gain some insight into the industry. Having spent 95% of my flying career in the military, I was certain I was overlooking things and that my ignorance to the industry would lead to making an uneducated (ie, bad) decision. It doesn't take long for even the most casual observer to notice that there are virtually no SWA guys on this forum who are, in general, unhappy with their company. I'm not making the inference that they have no unhappy pilots, just that they don't seem to have enough of them to necessitate even the smallest thread or discussion about their woes. Of course, things could change tomorrow and this forum could be filled with their gripes. But it would seem that, for now, reading these forums is like a warm cup of validation for them. It's hard to discount the absence of complaints. I know it's anecdotal - but I'm sure you have heard the old adage about the #1 indicator of future performance being past performance. I really think the best you (and I) can do right now is look at the historical data and the current situation. Hope this helps - let me know what you decide.
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"Discovered by the early Germans, they named it San-Di-Ago, which of course means a whales......."
I agree with Otto...get lots of information before you leap. I remember about 10 years ago when there were alot of digruntled SWA pilots...things change and in this industry pretty fast. Now I agree...in recent history all of my friends at SWA are a happy group. What really sucks is first year probation...where ever you go!
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