So last week we had a check airman on the jumpseat and when the topic of the recent hiring binge came up he repeated something that the big bosses told us during indoc; namely, that Southwest sees skilled and experienced pilots as strategic assets. As the pilot shortage deepens, airlines which haven't stocked up will find themselves behind the power curve. Southwest doesn't intend to find itself in that position.

So we're hedging on the future by hiring more pilots than we truly need today, I get that. As a recent hire, I'm grateful to be here and to find myself building seniority at a furious clip. But there's a part of me--the part that's been in aviation for twenty years and spent the decade post-9/11 taking in the 'nads--that has to wonder:

If we're getting away from our historically lean staffing model and carrying, let's say, 10% to 15% more pilots than we need to run the current operation, then what happens when oil shoots back up to $100+ per bbl, or the economy decides to soil itself again, or both?

As I said before, I'm thrilled to be here and proud to call myself a Southwest pilot. But whenever I hear people saying that I'm essentially a spare, I do tend to pucker.