Originally Posted by
Lewbronski
To me, the value of these sorts of threads lies in debunking the idea that it’s “easy” to consistently score the 170 TFP and above monthly trip totals at SWA as a typical line pilot. It seems like a lot of our SWA guys like to casually throw those sorts of “easy” numbers out on threads for whatever reason, but when you get down to the brass tacks of how they actually do it, their story starts to unravel a bit.
To me, that’s important because the implication that we can “easily” out-earn our peers at other airlines also carries with it a sort of insinuation that we don’t really need that much better of a contract because, if you work 18+ days per month and expend much of your off-duty psychic energy orchestrating the pulling off of 170+ TFP month-in and month-out, your W2 can be bigger than a line guy at Delta or FedEx working half as hard as you.
this is exactly what I've been trying to tell people. When you start the month working 25% more for the same pay, then pick up 25% more and end up getting 25% more than them, that is a form of flexibly that is good to have in a pinch, but not one that one should rely upon in a yearly W2 bragfest.
You're getting 25% more because you're working 50% more.
Also, something to be reminded of: in order to realize these fat trips, etc, you must have an incredible working knowledge of the contract and audit every single trip you go on. I get over ten thousand dollars a year by re-auditing company audits that have been done incorrectly.
I should not have to work 50% more and do my own payroll to get 25% more than my peers just flying the line. But I guess that's too big for a picket sign