Um, sorry but you must not be talking about the same AirTran that I work at. AAI corporate culture is kinda about as far to the other end of the spectrum as you can get compared to SWA. The beatings will continue until moral improves.........

AirTran employees as a whole will indeed fit in well with SWA employees because we will appreciate the culture the most! In fact, I think we'll flourish quite well. After you get beaten down for so many years, you tend to really appreciate it when you're finally treated like a damned human being. May our management team get tangled and suffocated in their golden parachutes. A-holes.

It's no big mystery that over the last decade, AirTran HR hired in almost exactly the same formula, looking for the exact same characteristics in their pilots that Southwest has for many years.

The last 9 years of hiring during AirTran's almost tripling in size means that 2/3 of the pilots hired were hired with extensive PIC experience, spotless records, and can-do attitudes that WILL blend well with the Southwest culture.

Heck, the hardest part will be getting them out of the "beaten spouse" mentality where they do the right thing because they WANT to again, not just because they'll get a nasty gram from Coach if they don't. I think you guys will be pleasantly surprised.

The last several posts are right on. Everyone is correct that I do not know what it is like at AirTran. Never worked at AirTran. I only know from what I have seen sitting on the jumpseats and walking through the terminals AirTran flies through.

My statements still stands about AirTran will be a good fit with SWA. The culture at AirTran is there, it just has been silenced by management.

I'd be cheering for SWA culture too ..... If I was getting a fat raise, better working conditions, lower costing better health care, better management relations, beter scope, a better union, and the chance at a senioty bump if I was a 4.5 year AT capt trying to hold out over a 9 year SWa f/o...... yay SWA culture...... we luv you guys! JV to Varsity...... go team!

Bring on the arbritration now please......

There aren't any more 4.5 year CA's. The most junior one is well over 6 years longevity. Still junior to your most senior F/O, but I'm told quite a few of your senior F/O's have bypassed and the most senior F/O who has a CA's bid in is at 7.5 years, so only about a year and a half difference?

Not that it's insignificant, just wanted to put some real numbers out there and by the time the fences come down in 2-3 years with projected growth and SL6 having all of it on your side of the house, it won't even matter, all the SWA senior F/O's that want to will have upgraded and it'll likely be a non-issue by then.

In truth, I'd be a little shocked if this thing didn't go DOH or really close to it with some fences to not only preserve CA jobs for a couple years, but also prevent a large training cost hit all at once.

SteelHorseFlyer, oh no you didn't start discussing SLI expectations..... :-)

Seriously though, I'm axin' you nicely to abide by our MEC's request and leave all that to the two MCs. Pretty please with cherry on top. Thanx man.

Yeah, we're looking forward to that stuff too but we're genuinely MOST looking forward to a much more pleasant working environment, so quit trying to tie the two together for your own SLI leverage.

Indeed, bring on the arbitration. We all know it's going there anyway. Oh yeah, and looking forward to working with you.......... and 3,2,1ing as well.

Won't be much 1,2,3ing together if this SLI goes the wrong way

So, to paraphrase, depending on your current status (AAI or SWA) its either DoH or Staple. And if it doesn't go that way, you're going to be an uptight screw for the rest of your career.

Wow. Just wow.