The only measure of productivity between pilot groups is block hours flown per pilot. Aircraft usage goes up and down with the economy, marketing and type of operation. Usage varies quite a bit at Delta even among narrow body fleets. At the moment as a example we have a surplus of MD88/90 airframes and could fly them more if marketing decides the economy is improving by adding pilots. We needed as many as 35 pilots for each 777 but that is because of high daily hours flown and the need for 3 and 4 man crews.

 

Our 88/90 fleet is being way underutilized so your numbers don't have any meaning. The number used to measure productivity that is valid is block hours flown per pilot.
2011 numbers
SWA 62.1
DAL 42.9

Those numbers are being skewed some because Delta was carrying a greater surplus of pilots then SWA however we are no where near their level of productivity. 2012 numbers are not out yet.

 

The apples to apples measurement is block hours flown per pilot. Unless you know the average daily usage of each fleet comparing hulls to pilots is meaningless. The comparison posted also uses the total number of SW pilots including management, training, mil leave, personal leave, long term sick verses the exact manning numbers at Delta on the 88/90 excluding the above pilots. To get a actual comparison you have to add all those pilots back into the Delta numbers.

 

How else will us working people pay for Obamacare if not highly taxed? As I said last year, wait until this country sees welfare recipients triple with the new 29 hour requirement over 40. Its coming my friend and the damn working man beware.

 

I know your a smart guy from your posts so I can only conclude your are trying to mislead readers with your post. You are fully aware your using the total number of SW pilots verses a snapshot of one fleet at Delta that excludes a large number of pilots your including at SW. This includes management pilots, personal leave pilots, mil leave pilots, long term sick pilots, training pilots ect....

 

It was intentionally misleading. It used small nuggets of data broken out in individual sections to portray the TA favorably to other contracts. To say our vacation, for example, is even in the same ball park as SWA or FDX is just not true. Then, the overall wrap up for compensation was absent as well. I'll repost the AirTran welcome packet link. Every SWA pilot here has stated that this is truth data. So if you are so proud of the transparent presentation of the data in the 2012 contract comparison, why is there such a disparity? Try not to take this personally, I just wish people didn't have to do their own research because our union was providing FULL truth data. Scambo makes 30% less flying the 777 than his peer SWA buddy. That is a fact. It would be nice if ALPA would at least acknowledge that. They lose credibility, at least with me, when they don't. I am not as upset about making less than I am about being told that I actually am.

http://library.constantcontact.com/d...me-Booklet.pdf

 

We have 1095 pilots out on MIL, FUR, SUP, INS, SIC, etc, or about 10% of the group. 10% of 6400 pilots is 640. I can run the numbers on that is 5.1 crews for them vs 4.8 for us once we get the rest of these 90s and before we cut pilots out of the category.

 

Question for you, 621 vs 429 (I assume?), is that DAL domestic vs Southwest only? Because if it does include international pilots then that's skewed and not an apples-to-apples comparison.

 

This?

Compensation

• Industry leading B737 Pay Rates. SWA Captains average over $230,000 and First Officers average over $140,000.
• Approximately the last five years, SWA pilots averaged 105
• “Trips For Pay” (TFP) per month, or about 1260 TFP per year.
• Approximately the last five years, SWA pilots averaged just over 18 days off per month.
• Per Diem rates are among the highest in the industry: $2.15 per hour away from base.
• SWAPA considers our Duty and Trip Rigs to be the strongest in the industry, as they protect pilot productivity and efficiency.
• Minimum Daily guarantee is 6.5 TFP; Ex., a 3-day trip pays a minimum of 19.5 TFP.
• Duty hour rig is .74 TFP per hour, minimum.
• Reserve guarantee is 90 TFP per month; but actual months pay average around 105 TFP.
• Reserves are allowed to pick-up extra flying.
• Holidays pay 150 percent.
• Open Time trips pay up to 150 percent.
• Junior “forced” assignment pays 200 percent

Retirement

• Every SWA employee shares in the success of SWA through the ProfitSharing program. The five-year average has been approximately 8 percent of annual earnings.
• 401(k) Matching dollar-for-dollar up to 9.3 percent of annual salary.
• 95 percent of your 401(k) can be invested outside of standard mutual funds as directed by the pilot via a PCRA option.
• LUV Employee Stock Purchase Program, 10 percent discount.

Codeshare Protection

• Very strong scope language, including no domestic codeshare and no RJ codeshare as well as veto power for far international codeshare. Limited near-international codeshare. Max of 4 percent of total SWA ASMs.
• Any changes to scope and codeshare language are voted on by the membership.

Benefits

• Health care is funded by SWA through self-insurance.
• Premium rates are lower than many, if not most in the industry; a fraction of the cost of many plans.
• Plans offered include PPO, EPO, LTD, Pilot Mutual Aid, Loss of License.
• The cost for a family of four in the PPO plan is $197.96 per month. and EPO pan is $222.96 per month. Both amounts are maximum premiums for both of these premiere plans and include dental, vision and prescriptions.
• The “Regular” plan costs zero for entire family.
• Loss of license insurance available for all pilots.
• Maximums of: $11,500 per month for Captains, $7,500 per month for First Officers; until retirement age.
• Accidental death and dismemberment and longterm disability and term life insurance available.

Monthly Bidding

• Over 80 percent of trips are 3-days.
• Majority of lines have at least 17 days off.
• Reserve lines have 15/16 days off per month.
• No ready reserve or airport standby.
• Flexible training schedules with ability to bid for max pay or quality of life.
• Duty day averages less than 9 hours.
• Hotels picked by committee of pilots and flight attendants
• (not brokers). This ensures desirable locations and amenities.
• Additionally SWA food and beverage discounts have
• been described as the envy of the entire industry.
• “No question/No Chief Pilot call” fatigue policy. Pulled from trip with pay.
• Commuter policy requires only one available flight, even when commuting on other airlines.
• Sick bank accrual is 10 percent of trips flown per month; 1600 TFP max bank.
• Pilot-to-Pilot trip trade and giveaway.
• Pilot-to-Company trip trade.
• Vacation trade and buy back.
• Employee Pass Bureau for complete offline vacation planning and discounts.

 

International pilots normally fly more not less block hours then domestic pilots and are generally more efficient. The NRT operation at Delta is however very inefficient on a block hour basis countering that to a degree.
If you want to argue about block hours per pilot a much better case can be made based on the fleet at Delta. Managements decision to operate a fleet comprised of every orphaned and bastard child aircraft in the world builds into the system ineffiencies not found at SW. Still even adjusting for that SW is far more efficient.
In 2011 their average daily aircraft utilization was 10.5 hours a day. Delta was at 9.2 on narrow bodies. That alone should require SW to need 13 to 14 percent more pilots per airframe if all other factors were equal.