Huggy Bear

After you are hired by SWA, or I suppose any airline for that matter, can they let you go without recourse to them? Specifically, say I am hired by SWA in August and I have to wait for a February class. Can January come around and they say, sorry, we hired to many and we are really scaling back...

I just read about the 300 plus pool, the early buyouts, the scaling back on growth, etc.

5 months would be a lot of missed applications and interviews.

Fartknocker

Until you are in class with a seniority number, you are not officially employed. Keep that in mind.

Even after you get that seniority number, you are on probation for a year at most airlines. This means that legally, the company can let you go during that probationary period for any reason at all. I have heard that probation is really nothing to worry about, as long as you show up for work on time and keep your nose clean.

1Seat 1Engine

Until you start class they can realistically do anything they want and you have no real recourse.

HOWEVER, even after 9/11 they kept all the poolies who stayed with them. Some guys waited well over a year.

Albief15

Ditto FedEx....2002-2004.

Good airlines do seem to want to hire their poolies, however.

Falconjet

I waited for 26 months from 02 to later in 04. You aren't hired until you are sitting in class with an ID badge and a seniority number.

I think we had almost 400 in the pool back then, so if they have 300 now you could be in for a similar wait if they scale back planned growth as they have indicated they might do.

You have to keep your options open, don't turn down any interviews or potential jobs just because you are in the pool.

SW was great to me while I was in the pool, sending LuvLetters and stuff on a regular basis, but I had to find employment to feed my family in the mean time. Luckily I fell into a different gig and was too entrenched to switch gears when the class offer finally came.

Bottom line: Don't stop pursuing options until you hit the regulated age and the firetrucks hose off your jet on the way into the ramp.

FJ

Oldfreightdawg

Every airline is different, sometimes you have recall rights the moment you arrive for class, others when you complete your IOE, and still others after you complete probation.

We had a little over a hundred guys in class on 9-11-2001, by 9-12-2001 they were on the street, with no recall rights. Although in the aftermath they were issued recall rights. I'm sure they are long gone by now. It's a tough position to be in. Anything can happen in this business and with alarming suddenness. Try to keep your options open until you're issued a company ID. SWA is a great company, if that's where you are heading you should be OK.