Originally Posted by
Wingnutdal
I believe the average SW pilot works on average more than 80 hours a month. I would say 85 would be more accurate. That includes reserves. This has been said, and bears repeating, that the $230,000 is an average. They are able to pick up to the max of 100 hours a month, and a lot do. Not all, probably not a majority, but a lot.
They have 15 days off on reserve, but there is no long call. It's all short call, and they don't get credit for the days they don't get used. But here's the thing, if a guy is on reserve 15 days, he flies 15 days. If he's on reserve 16 days, he flies 16 days.
They get incredible productivity out of their pilots.
And believe this, if DALPA went to the company and said let's get rid of ALV, it would be done tomorrow. And my happy butt and at least 1,000 of my fellow pilots would be on the street.
You need to adjust the number of hours by at least 85 to make it a reasonable comparison, and probably more.
Now having said that, I still want a fat raise.
What we are all forgetting is that the FT/DT will take away the ability of the SWA pilot to pick up the flying he/she currently does. It will put their scheduling rules and utilization more in check with ours. Simply put, less time to work your tail off at a fellow pilots expense. See SWA has never stagnated and that is why this practice has never come to light. As they stagnate more, it will.
Also go look at the mit stats for hrs flown per pilot. Heck I will give em to you.
http://web.mit.edu/airlinedata/www/2...er%20Month.htm
SWA is at 52.00 we are at 42.00. Again I cannot find data that would indicate that augmentation of 8+ hr flights has been taken here.