Originally Posted by
Boogie Nights
Not trying to poke you in the eye but at 2355 in LAS I do not see any SWA aircraft pushing back for BWI or ATL. Nor do I hear SWA callsigns out of LAX and SFO. 15% override is great if you actually flew them. I fly them for 40% less than a similar seniority SWA pilot would without an override.
Redeyes are an increasing percentage of our 737 lines. Some lines have 6 redeyes a month but only get paid guarantee since the block may only come to 65 hours.
Word from management is that SWA lost its waters cert. It is fantasy to say it was not profitable to maintain it. Flying from BWI to San Juan is not more efficient hugging the coast line.
I am curious what the reality is of our SWA brothers taking on these two facets of the AT lines. It is only then that the AT 737 guys like me might actually be able to cross over.
Other words are that there will be as many as 33 AT aircraft left one 1 Jan 2015. (Again from management.) Do we get shutdown or furloughed? We have plenty to worry about on our side. It not hard to imagine why some guys are angry. Yes our average captain takes a $30,000 pay cut crossing over.
My earlier post about SWA needing to change to remain innovative addresses things like Key West. We AT were able to fly in and out full if the weather was good and make money doing it. It was one of the first markets SWA took from us yet SWA can't make money largely because of the way SWA calculates Takeoff and landing data. The limits we have been presented lately at AT on the new way to calculate our data (like SWA does) are crazy conservative. I like to err on the side of caution but we have never taken aircraft off prepared surfaces like that seems to happen at SWA. (3-4 last year?) Denver, White plains?
I just worry that there may be an inherent lack of standardization on the SWA side. I will have to wait to see but that is the feedback I have received from guys that have crossed over already.
I guess it boils down to I would like to have eyes and ears on what the truth is on both sides. I do know this. A guy hired four months after me is 1300 numbers ahead of me on the seniority list. Not very equitable in my mind.
Again I am leaving that behind but your post on redeyes got me going since I have to fly them a bunch.
Fly Safe
Boogie
Boogie, I'm sorry things are sliding on your side and as a realist I'm afraid it will probably get worse before it get's better. SWA will continue to operate its schedule as cheaply as possible, exploiting all savings available for as long as possible. In general that means exploiting the cheaper option as long as possible. The only good thing I can say is in 12 months we will all be on the same contract, no matter what.
15% override is great if you actually flew them. I fly them for 40% less than a similar seniority SWA pilot would without an override.
I agree that is unfortunate, but every small improvement we can eek out will benefit us all in 12 months.
Redeyes are an increasing percentage of our 737 lines. Some lines have 6 redeyes a month but only get paid guarantee since the block may only come to 65 hours.
Soon that will change. Any redeye placed on the end of a pairing will have to pay ADG for the last calendar day that included a duty period.
Word from management is that SWA lost its waters cert.
Word on this side contradicts that. Since we have very few WATRS certified A/C (only 175 seat -800's) it makes sense that deploying those A/C on more profitable routes increases yields.
Do we get shutdown or furloughed?
As of 1/1/15
EVERYONE is covered by the SWA CBA whether transitioned or not, that is indisputable. It seems counter intuitive to think SWA is currently hiring pilots only to furlough them far less than 12 months after they trained them. In the end, current new hires may have a reason to be nervous, but I see little reason for those that were on either seniority list prior to constructive notice to be genuinely worried.
We AT were able to fly in and out full if the weather was good and make money doing it.
SWA operates on a completely different business model. Hub and spoke is quickly being dismantled.
I just worry that there may be an inherent lack of standardization on the SWA side. I will have to wait to see but that is the feedback I have received from guys that have crossed over already.
Make that judgement when you get here. This is my 3rd airline and I see it no different than the other two.
A guy hired four months after me is 1300 numbers ahead of me on the seniority list. Not very equitable in my mind.
There is really nothing I can say at this point that will alter the SLI and since we all voted astoundingly in the affirmative we will all just need to learn to live with it.
Again I am leaving that behind but your post on redeyes got me going since I have to fly them a bunch.
Hopefully when all are transitioned you will be able to bid away from them or at least be adequately compensated for the inconvenience.