How long have negoiations been going on and when is the current contract up? Are there going to be provisions that when the 65 age rule goes into effect the FO who will sit an additional 5 years an lose 60K a year. Will they get additional pay raises or any other compensation.

 

I started a thread asking the same question over a month ago and did not get a single reply. So, I did some digging elsewhere and could only come up with some vague expectations from a handful of SWA friends (straight line pilots, no special connections to the union or anything). While they were all short on details, they all agreed there will be nothing earth shattering. Basically, none are expecting a pay raise greater than cost of living. They are also asking for some minor QOL improvements, but generally everyone is happy. Nothing mentioned about 65.

 

What is the average perdiem per month one recieves at SW?

 

$400-$600 Depends on how much you want to work. I dought anyone will respond to this question, as ELTT opened today, and we (mostly all of the 5500 pilots) are busy re-arranging our schedules. Give it a few days.

 

How true that is 328dude.

 

to the top

 

What is ELTT?

 

Electronic Line Improvement Trip Trade. It's actually spelled ELITT for short.

Just another system we use to trade trips around with the company and each other to improve our schedules by either picking up more or giving stuff away and flying less, thus opening up your schedule for extra pay trips/days off. You can move trips around, but it's not based on a day for day or hour for hour. For example, say you have a 3 day on the 5th,6th and 7th, you can trade it for another 3 day anywhere you want on any day if the trip is available say the 25th 26th and 27th. I just has to be the same amount of days for the most part, but occasionally you can trade a 3 day for a 2 day or a 4 day for a 3 day, but that get's more complicated and what most people are after when ELITT opens at 12 noon local time in each base. It's kind of hard to explain, just know that on the 25th of each month, it get's freaking crazy around on our intranet and most people are glued to their computer.

I've even seen guys use two computers at once trying to snag the better paying weekday trips or waiting for the net zero to change to a one (this is what allows you to trade trips from a 3 day to a 2 day etc and is based on total pilot productivity in each base. It's all first come first serve and changes every second. So using 2 computers allows you to refresh the page that much quicker.

Hope that helps, but you will learn it as you progress your career here.

 

So you are doing a three or four day trip what hotels does SWA stay at (is it a chain or random), does each person pay for there own room and then get reimbursed or do you charge it to the company?

 

Gotta say that SWA does hotels really well. Airline pays for room, and negotiates the best discounts in the industry (mostly 10 to 50% off on food, good bar discounts, etc.) Pays around $50/day ($2.15/hour for every hour away from base) per diem to cover food costs, no expensing back to the company. Mostly top line accomodations including Marriots, Hyatts, Hiltons, etc. It is probably the best non-negotiated benefit that I have at SWA. After working for SWA for 6 years, I am a hotel snob (I may have it too good.)