Originally Posted by
TOGALOCK
- I would really like an SWA FO to break down line by line, hour by hour how a FO is making more than a reserve captain at F9/NK. It’s true they can. I don’t doubt that at all, but all the SWA FOs I know who do work hard for it and are constantly trying to bash their schedule. The real indicator is if you compared the pay of a SWA FO who got their schedule, flew their schedule exactly as awarded and not a minute more and the pay of a F9/NK captain who flew their awarded schedule and not a minute more. More money is great if I don’t have to work for it. I’ve got better things to do with my time off than to constantly think about how I’m going to make another buck..
This is the thing about SWA's work rules. It is virtually impossible to fly our schedule exactly as awarded since the company treats us all as reserves once we check in. So the odds of reassignments that trigger premium overrides is high. The only sure way to end the month with the same pay total as you started with is to call out sick on every pairing or reserve block. Just showing up to work, especially on reserve, increases your odds of making more. And this is all without manipulating anything or being a "player". A reserve line that pays 90 will easily pay 105-110 by the end of the month. That's just how our contract rewards operational flexibility.