Airline Pilot Central Forums

Airline Pilot Central Forums (https://www.airlinepilotforums.com/)
-   Major (https://www.airlinepilotforums.com/major/)
-   -   Southwest Pilots 10 yr and up scheduling... (https://www.airlinepilotforums.com/major/64415-southwest-pilots-10-yr-up-scheduling.html)

Protrident 12-31-2011 05:44 AM
Southwest Pilots 10 yr and up scheduling...
 
Southwest seems to go with a "ton of little flights" per day. What does it look like for a 10 yr CA or higher with scheduling. Ever get to where you can knock out some flying and are home a ton of days per month?

maddogmax 12-31-2011 06:00 AM
Originally Posted by Protrident (Post 1109911)
Southwest seems to go with a "ton of little flights" per day. What does it look like for a 10 yr CA or higher with scheduling. Ever get to where you can knock out some flying and are home a ton of days per month?
I may be wrong, but I would think a 10 year CA at SWA is at least 20 years away. Who knows what things will look like then.

Protrident 12-31-2011 07:47 AM
Good point, but I like reference points to see similarities/differences. :-)

PinnacleFO 12-31-2011 08:23 AM
dont work there but i know that the min days off even for reserves is 15 and most trips are 3 days commutable on one end. I think that if you live in base at SWA you can make a ton of money and have a lot of time at home.

shoelu 12-31-2011 09:11 AM
A 10 year employee at SWA would be a junior Captain or a very senior F.O with Lance Captain status most likely. A quick look at the average line values at one base show the following: Average line toal just over 91 trips for pay. Average days off just over 18. Highest paying line over 106 trips for pay.

A very junior pilot will most likely be near the average values, possibly slightly lower or higher. A very senior pilot will most likely be able to pick where they want to be as like anywhere. If you choose to max out pay you will probably sacrifice days off to do so. If you maximize days off you will obviosly sacrifice pay in that scenario.

Remember that SWA does not have pref bid. All lines are viewable in total and you are able to have some concrete knowledge about exactly what you are bidding on. Lines probably vary more in days off and pay than a company that employs pref bid where lines are built around a specific line total for all pilots. All other line totals are similar to the example shown.


BASE * AVG * CAP * AVG DAY OFF MAX LN
BWI CA 91.07 107.46 18.15 106.35
BWI FO 91.07 107.46 18.15 106.35

cesnacaptn 12-31-2011 02:04 PM
Originally Posted by shoelu (Post 1110033)
A 10 year employee at SWA would be a junior Captain or a very senior F.O with Lance Captain status most likely. A quick look at the average line values at one base show the following: Average line toal just over 91 trips for pay. Average days off just over 18. Highest paying line over 106 trips for pay.

A very junior pilot will most likely be near the average values, possibly slightly lower or higher. A very senior pilot will most likely be able to pick where they want to be as like anywhere. If you choose to max out pay you will probably sacrifice days off to do so. If you maximize days off you will obviosly sacrifice pay in that scenario.

Remember that SWA does not have pref bid. All lines are viewable in total and you are able to have some concrete knowledge about exactly what you are bidding on. Lines probably vary more in days off and pay than a company that employs pref bid where lines are built around a specific line total for all pilots. All other line totals are similar to the example shown.


BASE * AVG * CAP * AVG DAY OFF MAX LN
BWI CA 91.07 107.46 18.15 106.35
BWI FO 91.07 107.46 18.15 106.35
Are these stats for a 31 day bid period, i.e. you average just over 7 TFP (6 hours block) per day?

shoelu 12-31-2011 04:06 PM
Originally Posted by cesnacaptn (Post 1110142)
Are these stats for a 31 day bid period, i.e. you average just over 7 TFP (6 hours block) per day?
That is an example of the line values for January at the BWI base. The totals are for credit, not block. I am not sure what the average block totals are, but our minimum day pays 6.5 TFP, and I would guess that our average block per day is well below the 6.5 credit minimum. For example a 3 day trip credits a minimum of 19.5 and a 4 day at 25 TFP, but most credit over that amount and block tends to be considerably less than credit due to rigs.

MacMan 12-31-2011 05:48 PM
Originally Posted by shoelu (Post 1110033)
...a very senior F.O with Lance Captain status most likely...
What does Lance Captain status mean?

Albief15 12-31-2011 05:52 PM
Originally Posted by MacMan (Post 1110216)
What does Lance Captain status mean?
You have to watch countless episodes of James at 15 (later James on 16) while on reserve.

P-3Bubba 12-31-2011 06:55 PM
It's all about productivity.

Sniper 12-31-2011 11:55 PM
Originally Posted by shoelu (Post 1110187)
. . . our minimum day pays 6.5 TFP, and I would guess that our average block per day is well below the 6.5 credit minimum. For example a 3 day trip credits a minimum of 19.5 and a 4 day at 25 TFP, but most credit over that amount and block tends to be considerably less than credit due to rigs.
Originally Posted by P-3Bubba (Post 1110238)
It's all about productivity.
Sounds like the most productivity isn't in the pilots flying, but in the rigs kicking in, if "block tends to be considerably less than credit due to rigs".

Is the rig achievable (ie, could Southwest actually schedule a pilot to fly without the rigs kicking in), or is the rig just part of the pay package?

Rolf 01-01-2012 01:57 AM
Rig flying tends to go to reserves and peeps trying to keep their block time down for extra work. Being a fairly jr CA, my flying is rigged maybe 2 days per month. I trade to get as close to 8 hours/day as I can.

shoelu 01-01-2012 07:06 AM
Originally Posted by Sniper (Post 1110280)
Sounds like the most productivity isn't in the pilots flying, but in the rigs kicking in, if "block tends to be considerably less than credit due to rigs".

Is the rig achievable (ie, could Southwest actually schedule a pilot to fly without the rigs kicking in), or is the rig just part of the pay package?
I didn't state that very accurately, I might have started celebrating New Years a little early. The lines are built efficiently due to rigs would have been a better way of stating it. However, most segments do credit higher than actual block time.

MacMan 01-01-2012 10:01 AM
Originally Posted by Albief15 (Post 1110218)
You have to watch countless episodes of James at 15...
What is James at 15?

ipdanno 01-03-2012 01:31 PM
Originally Posted by MacMan (Post 1110216)
What does Lance Captain status mean?
A Lance Captain is a captain-qualified first officer--a senior FO in domicile who chooses to complete upgrade but maintain First Officer status.

The Lance can pickup up to 9 duty days of captain flying per month, if they can clear their schedule to be legal for the pickup. The Lance bids at the top of the FO food chain for schedule and vacation, then works to drop FO trips to pick up CA-pay trips. All without having to commute cross-country to sit reserve as junior captain.

Original purpose for the company was to have a ready pool of CA-qual'd pilots to fill any sudden fleet gains.


All times are GMT -8. The time now is 09:57 AM.


Website Copyright © 2026 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands