Any "Latest & Greatest" about Delta?
08-29-2011 | 06:40 AM
Gets Weekends Off
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From: LAX ERA
Slow, have you ever dealt with the guy? Sounds like the professor type who has never actually worked in the industry?
08-29-2011 | 06:42 AM
veut gagner à la loterie
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From: Light Chop
From his website:
William S. Swelbar is a Research Engineer in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s International Center for Air Transportation, where he is affiliated with the Global Airline Industry Program and Airline Industry Research Consortium.
Prior to accepting his research position at MIT, Swelbar spent 25 years in the consulting world with a focus on airline labor cost restructuring, regulatory issues governing air transport, communication strategy and support, and air service development on behalf of airports and communities. In his consulting roles, Swelbar has represented airlines, airports, investors, manufacturers, and labor groups. He also currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors of Hawaiian (Airlines) Holdings, Inc..
Swelbar is also a much sought-after speaker and has provided expert witness testimony before various tribunals and before the United States Congress regarding the economics of commercial air transport. Swelbar is widely quoted in the financial and mainstream press on issues impacting air transport. In addition, Swelbar is published in the Journal of Air Transport Management and is a contributing author in an upcoming textbook entitled: The Airline Industry published by Wiley Press.
Swelbar holds a Bachelor of Science degree in economics with honors from Eastern Michigan University and an MBA with a concentration in finance from The George Washington University.
William S. Swelbar is a Research Engineer in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s International Center for Air Transportation, where he is affiliated with the Global Airline Industry Program and Airline Industry Research Consortium.
Prior to accepting his research position at MIT, Swelbar spent 25 years in the consulting world with a focus on airline labor cost restructuring, regulatory issues governing air transport, communication strategy and support, and air service development on behalf of airports and communities. In his consulting roles, Swelbar has represented airlines, airports, investors, manufacturers, and labor groups. He also currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors of Hawaiian (Airlines) Holdings, Inc..
Swelbar is also a much sought-after speaker and has provided expert witness testimony before various tribunals and before the United States Congress regarding the economics of commercial air transport. Swelbar is widely quoted in the financial and mainstream press on issues impacting air transport. In addition, Swelbar is published in the Journal of Air Transport Management and is a contributing author in an upcoming textbook entitled: The Airline Industry published by Wiley Press.
Swelbar holds a Bachelor of Science degree in economics with honors from Eastern Michigan University and an MBA with a concentration in finance from The George Washington University.
Isn't that scope? And does he run an airline or has he ever tried to? Has he ever tried to go through an air carrier certification process? Does he know what an Ops Specs is? Does he know the only thing required to have a commercial air carrier certificate is a pilot.
We all know the joke, those who can do and those who can't... teach. That's not always true, I loved teaching flying and could fly just fine myself, but, when you spend all your time in academia you're not doing and probably couldn't if you tried. You've never dealt with people, government, roadblocks, hiccups or banks. The only issues you know is your computer not saving your latest paper or the microphone not working well in your classroom.
Fail.
08-29-2011 | 07:06 AM
Can't abide NAI
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From: Douglas Aerospace post production Flight Test & Work Around Engineering bulletin dissembler
FTB,
Bill Swelbar has my respect, although he lags many of us by six months to a year in his published findings. Bill Swelbar was one of the first "authoritative" sources who documented ALPA's involvement in the selling of scope (bargaining capitol). At that time such a statement was highly controversial (yet true & I had been making that point based on ALPA's own publications for years).
Back then (early 2010) Bill's opinion was that unions had learned their lesson and would not repeat the errors of the earlier decade. I (for one) wrote him, saying that while I hoped he was correct, several of his own data points were not in agreement with his own conclusions:
Bill's mistake now, is that he assumes outsourcing is necessary to operate a small jet at reasonable cost. He also assumes that ALPA remains intransigent on small jet operating numbers. ALPA will also need to embrace other stakeholders as a matter of economic pragmatism. (pilots operating across certificates using one seniority number)
Bill Swelbar has my respect, although he lags many of us by six months to a year in his published findings. Bill Swelbar was one of the first "authoritative" sources who documented ALPA's involvement in the selling of scope (bargaining capitol). At that time such a statement was highly controversial (yet true & I had been making that point based on ALPA's own publications for years).
Back then (early 2010) Bill's opinion was that unions had learned their lesson and would not repeat the errors of the earlier decade. I (for one) wrote him, saying that while I hoped he was correct, several of his own data points were not in agreement with his own conclusions:
- ALPA's politics have not changed. The union members maintain an obsolete view of mainline flying which was the product of vastly different revenue and cost structures.
- To maintain a pre-deregulation fantasy career, ALPA has systematically sold off assets which harm its ability to negotiate future contracts. The greatest, of course, is scope.
- If Bill needed an example, he need look no further than the Delta MEC's handling of Compass.
- Economically, a "just say no" platform was not viable as a result of the effect of other stakeholders who would assert their interests.
Bill's mistake now, is that he assumes outsourcing is necessary to operate a small jet at reasonable cost. He also assumes that ALPA remains intransigent on small jet operating numbers. ALPA will also need to embrace other stakeholders as a matter of economic pragmatism. (pilots operating across certificates using one seniority number)
08-29-2011 | 07:07 AM
Gets Weekends Off
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From his website:
William S. Swelbar is a Research Engineer in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s International Center for Air Transportation, where he is affiliated with the Global Airline Industry Program and Airline Industry Research Consortium.
Prior to accepting his research position at MIT, Swelbar spent 25 years in the consulting world with a focus on airline labor cost restructuring, regulatory issues governing air transport, communication strategy and support, and air service development on behalf of airports and communities. In his consulting roles, Swelbar has represented airlines, airports, investors, manufacturers, and labor groups. He also currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors of Hawaiian (Airlines) Holdings, Inc..
Swelbar is also a much sought-after speaker and has provided expert witness testimony before various tribunals and before the United States Congress regarding the economics of commercial air transport. Swelbar is widely quoted in the financial and mainstream press on issues impacting air transport. In addition, Swelbar is published in the Journal of Air Transport Management and is a contributing author in an upcoming textbook entitled: The Airline Industry published by Wiley Press.
Swelbar holds a Bachelor of Science degree in economics with honors from Eastern Michigan University and an MBA with a concentration in finance from The George Washington University.
Oh, in his previous life he was a flight attendant for pre-merger Republic and LEC Chairman for their DTW council (back in 1980's)
William S. Swelbar is a Research Engineer in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s International Center for Air Transportation, where he is affiliated with the Global Airline Industry Program and Airline Industry Research Consortium.
Prior to accepting his research position at MIT, Swelbar spent 25 years in the consulting world with a focus on airline labor cost restructuring, regulatory issues governing air transport, communication strategy and support, and air service development on behalf of airports and communities. In his consulting roles, Swelbar has represented airlines, airports, investors, manufacturers, and labor groups. He also currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors of Hawaiian (Airlines) Holdings, Inc..
Swelbar is also a much sought-after speaker and has provided expert witness testimony before various tribunals and before the United States Congress regarding the economics of commercial air transport. Swelbar is widely quoted in the financial and mainstream press on issues impacting air transport. In addition, Swelbar is published in the Journal of Air Transport Management and is a contributing author in an upcoming textbook entitled: The Airline Industry published by Wiley Press.
Swelbar holds a Bachelor of Science degree in economics with honors from Eastern Michigan University and an MBA with a concentration in finance from The George Washington University.
Oh, in his previous life he was a flight attendant for pre-merger Republic and LEC Chairman for their DTW council (back in 1980's)
Wow. An expert obviously with his highly acclaimed pedigree and of course his spot on analysis. He has shown us the error in our ways. I can not believe that we, collectively as a group of tens of thousands, could be so wrong on scope!
Oh. Wait. I have an answer. How about they can have all the 50 and 70+ seaters they want. Mainline pilots fly anything larger than 50. Now, lets talk about how to deal with Alaska.
08-29-2011 | 07:09 AM
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Question, does he have tenure? Isn't that scope?
And does he run an airline or has he ever tried to? Has he ever tried to go through an air carrier certification process? Does he know what an Ops Specs is? Does he know the only thing required to have a commercial air carrier certificate is a pilot.
We all know the joke, those who can do and those who can't... teach. That's not always true, I loved teaching flying and could fly just fine myself, but, when you spend all your time in academia you're not doing and probably couldn't if you tried. You've never dealt with people, government, roadblocks, hiccups or banks. The only issues you know is your computer not saving your latest paper or the microphone not working well in your classroom.
Isn't that scope? And does he run an airline or has he ever tried to? Has he ever tried to go through an air carrier certification process? Does he know what an Ops Specs is? Does he know the only thing required to have a commercial air carrier certificate is a pilot.
We all know the joke, those who can do and those who can't... teach. That's not always true, I loved teaching flying and could fly just fine myself, but, when you spend all your time in academia you're not doing and probably couldn't if you tried. You've never dealt with people, government, roadblocks, hiccups or banks. The only issues you know is your computer not saving your latest paper or the microphone not working well in your classroom.
As far as the rest, Swelbar is in academia but isn't really an academic (masters degree only). While I strongly disagree with his hack piece ACL posted, he does have the background to belie your argument. He has been an LEC Chair as a flight attendant, so he has a labor leadership background. He started his own airline (AirTran) just 3 years after finishing grad school, then sold it in 1998 to the then ValuJet. He started Eclat consulting in 2001 which became one of the leading mouthpiece houses in the post 9-11 airline world. They got big because they were balanced, including former airline managers, labor leaders, and financiers in their consultant stable.
So he'd probably read your piece and say you should do a little more homework and come back with a more cogent argument!
08-29-2011 | 07:09 AM
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From: No to large RJs
Anybody care to advise the jackwagon that Southwest has the strongest scope in the biz. That would make a nice contradiction to his piece.
08-29-2011 | 07:11 AM
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08-29-2011 | 07:13 AM
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08-29-2011 | 07:16 AM
At home on the maddog!
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From: Retired (mandatory age 65)
From Swelbar's bio, I think this says a lot:
"Prior to accepting his research position at MIT, Swelbar spent 25 years in the consulting world with a focus on airline labor cost restructuring..."
One thing that really scares me is that a very prominent ALPA rep (from one of the biggest councils) posted some of this guy's work on the DALPA Forum to try and show that the difference is not all that much between what Delta pilots make and what SWA pilots make.
"Prior to accepting his research position at MIT, Swelbar spent 25 years in the consulting world with a focus on airline labor cost restructuring..."
One thing that really scares me is that a very prominent ALPA rep (from one of the biggest councils) posted some of this guy's work on the DALPA Forum to try and show that the difference is not all that much between what Delta pilots make and what SWA pilots make.
08-29-2011 | 07:16 AM
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From: LAX ERA
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