n606tw

Correct ... the grass isn't greener but reading both threat it is inevitable to notice there are less whiners on SWA side. What might be reason?

ZapBrannigan

Oh you haven’t seen our Facebook contract 2020 page. We have PLENTY of whiners. (Myself included!) Just trying to help add some facts to the comparison/contrast.


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n606tw

Yes Zap ... you are great! You have a good reputation on APC.
Still trying to understand what is your real motivation ... apart from being a pilot

Sa227capt

Nice, giving a shout out to a Non Public Forum on APF. Not too bright are we?

BeatNavy

I could write a book about this, but I'll try to keep it short.

Over the years there's been a continuous erosion of QOL/benefits thru many unilateral changes made by the company. There used to be a ton of anti-union guys at JB (hence why it took 3 votes to get a union on property), but JB in the last few years has managed to get 2 unions on property, with more coming. That should paint the management picture. The labor dispute with the pilots didn't help (with management basically saying "while we can afford to pay you guys industry leading pay, we think you deserve less than DAL, AA, UAL, FDX, UPS, SWA, and ALK").

Icing on the cake, for all labor groups, was the insulting profit sharing. The unilateral change to the profit sharing formula (for the 3rd time at JB), pssed off a ton of people. PS payouts for the last few years:
2015: 11%
2016: 16.35%
2017: 2.9%
2018: 0.2%

Talk about disincentivizing people, especially when the company is making a ton of money and peers are getting a lot more.

Not saying there aren't issues and btching everywhere, but I think this forum, and other JB forums, has more than other airlines due to the labor war management waged, mostly due to their fear of rising costs and their Wall St. overlords (and Joel P.). There is more to it than just sport btching. Former company guys/blue juicers have flipped to either apathetic or anti-company. That said, out on the line, there are plenty of happy people at JB. Attrition to other airlines isn't that high. People at JB, even the loudmouth complainers on forums, want the company to succeed but are frustrated by the wasted opportunity and the repeated shortcomings of the company (labor relations, operations, etc.).

Management at JB really needs handle the next round of negotiations better, fix profit sharing, invest money to fix the operation, staff appropriately in all departments, and do more than have BBQs and pizzas to try to fix the culture problem. Buying back $1.25bil in stock (to please Wall St) while taking PS away from frontline employees and while watching the operation crumble wasn't smart. It's misstep after misstep by management on the operation and labor sides. There is one overriding concern with management: the next earnings call...to the overall detriment of the company and its future (at least in the minds of many). Lots of people at JB, despite the forums, hope the operation and culture turn around and things turn out well. I personally hope for the best for JB and all the employees chugging along, and hope both the operation and labor/management relations get a lot better over the next few years.

Edit: I was reading this thread and thought it was a JB thread. There are issues everywhere, some just have more than others at times. Spirit ranks above American

Southerner

That's actually not true. I've called to buy a room before as a commuter, and they've said that they have rooms blocked for JetBlue, but Crew Services has to assign them. (I couldn't buy it on my own because it was blocked for B6)

360KIAS

One reason could be that they are smart enough to realize that whining on a forum doesn't change anything. (OMG, it hurt to write that! Of course they aren't smart.enough, for they are PILOT!)

Another likely reason is that they are too busy flying more than we do.

Who knows what motivates another person? So hard to say.

360KIAS

Absolutely untrue. I've been put up in one of those rooms before. Can't say they do this in ALL our cities, but some DO have blocked rooms.

e6bpilot

Since the last incident that Zap is talking about where we had multiple crews basically crash in the lounge, there has been a major change in the way that SWA procures and distributes rooms. It used to be done by extra schedulers manning the “hotel desk”. It is now done by a full time Crew Operations Support team who is much much better at predicting the need, obtaining, and assigning hotel rooms. It was not uncommon 2 years ago to land in an overnight city with no hotel. I haven’t had that happen since they stood up COSA. To SWAs credit, after multiple meltdowns with stranded crews, I think (hope) they have gotten this one right. The Houston hurricane was the first big test of this, and they did a really good job. They even blocked and paid for commuter rooms for two months following the storm.
Our safety valve is also flight ops telling us that if we self procure hotel rooms when not assigned within a reasonable time, we will be reimbursed. I have done this with transportation but not hotels and I got reimbursed within two days of putting a claim in.

GuppyPuppy

Good to hear. I wonder how many are blocked and in which cities.

However, I don't ever remember waiting for several hours to get a room at any other company I've flown for (regional, cargo and legacy).

Maybe Bonnie's new app could help predict these types of events to help us block more rooms before all get taken!?!

GP