Thought I would follow up on this and thank everyone who helped me figure out the app process! I was lucky enough to get called for the interview this week, and got the call with the CJO the next morning
The interview process was very well-organized and the folks there made us all feel very welcome. The tour of the training center was...well, I can best summarize it with a quote from another regional guy at the interview, who said "Wow, so this is what it's like to work for a real airline"
I was quite honored to receive the CJO. I've wanted to work at SWA since forever ago. So getting that call was an experience I won't ever forget.
The one thing that gives me pause is the whole contract situation. The odds of the pilot group being actually released are pretty low, which means this could drag on for six more months, or more. It was even mentioned during the training center tour that if a strike were to occur, it would probably happen while our group would be in class
My gut instinct is that y'all will get a solid TA presented to you by the end of the year, with DL 757/ A321 rates (thereby putting SWA at parity with UA and DL's large narrowbody rates) but that's purely instinct and based on precisely zero actual knowledge. The idea of starting a job and then having a strike happen, is discouraging, as you might imagine. I've *always* wanted to be at SWA for a zillion reasons, so the situation is discouraging. But on the other hand, both AS and UAL pilots were considering strikes very recently, and that all turned out fine.
I now have to choose between SWA and AS. I have a bit of time to see how it all plays out, but...if you all were gamblin' men (and women)...what odds would you put on a solid contract being ratified in the next, say, 3 months?