Off the top of my head:

--Company is now run solely by the numbers
--Constant harping on the pilots because "we call is sick too much"
--RBF's now end with the dreaded "....up to and including termination."
--Scheduled 40 and even 50 minute turns with padded block times to compensate for chronic shortage of ground workers
--Captain has the least authority of any employee on the airplane (SWA Captains: go ahead and look at a flight attendant or ops agent cross eyed and see what happens)
--Management that will double talk and not honor the "intent" of anything (Remember the no ADG on open time debacle?)
--In house union with no teeth

The good is that we have lots of days off, excellent pay (for now) and AM/PM flying exclusively (for now). As a line holding Captain it's great. I just wonder with the coming 2,000 age 65 retirements/year if SWA will still attract pilots.

 

Interesting stuff. Padded block times are industry standard now. Because USA Today cares about on time departure.. we all have to push on time.. to arrive 20 minutes early...

REALLY interesting is the union comment... there are guys on here at DAL that think SWAPA are gods..

 

Nope!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Well I think SWA is still a great place to be, you might have lost some of the "culture" but believe me you are still light years ahead of the rest of the industry.

 

I'm curious, how many different airlines have you worked for and how long have you been at SWA?

 

12 year upgrade? Not going to happen if their new TA passes which includes a "promise" to buy new airplanes (won't happen), non-pay parity with SWA and scope that allows for more 70-76 seat jets.

SWA culture isn't dead; some don't want to see it, and others are just too stupid to. Not saying you're either one Barco, but a lot of the group is. Your pay and QOL far exceeds every PAX 121 airline in the world, and by the looks of the DAL TA, will continue to do so for years to come.

I, for one, would much prefer to work at SWA over any other 121 carrier. I have my reasons, and they're more numerous than just those listed above. To each their own.

 

As someone who interviewed last year unsuccessfully, and would love the opportunity to take another swing at it, I think that regardless of attrition, retirements, etc.. SWA will always be able to pick and choose the best candidates out there.

 

As a second year FO also looking at a 19 year upgrade, I will add that I like my job from the standpoint that - I work 12 to 15 days per month and I will make close to $110,000 this year alone. Life could be worse. If I want to see Australia, I will take my family there on vacation. I would rather go with my wife than with a bunch of cranky grandmothers.

And until you work for a carrier that outsources its mainline flying to regional airlines, you don't really know what "eating their young" means.

Delta pilots have a chance right now to take a stand regarding their "outsourcing". It will be interested to see how they decide to vote. My guess? They cave once management waves a little bit of money in the face of the senior pilots.

The AirTran baloney is nothing but a distraction. If they don't like SWA, fine. I hope they leave for Delta. The old school SWA culture may be gone, I don't really care. I never experienced it to begin with. But the current SWA culture is 110% heads and shoulders above the United or Delta culture I experienced while flying RJ's painted with their name on the fuselage.

(Note: before somebody accuses me of being a regional pilot hypocrite, all I can say is Delta/United thanks for the job! But I would have gotten to where I am all the same even if I had to do in a B1900.)

 

SWA is a company with a great reputation, and have many happy friends there. While I never say never, a real life change would have to happen to motivate me to interview there again, assuming they would even invite me.

Bottom line, for me at least, is you work and prep a very long time for that chance to shine on your flying skills and experiences. They were not interested in that in my case, and as it turns out, everybody in my demographic that I talked to afterward. In my personal experience never have I met a more arrogant, condescending, and unpleasant group of people than those I had the misfortune to spend time with in the interview and LOFT rooms. In the lobby the administrative and reception folks were super nice. Once we went in the back things though varied from blank stares to outright hostility to my background. "You will never make Captain here, what do you think of that? How are you going to handle flying with pilots less qualified than you?" from an ex SWA FA impersonating an HR rep. And it got worse...

SWA will go on and do OK. But they aren't Herb's airline anymore. They will probablyhave their pick of who they want to hire for awhile still. But as for me, they can keep their Nuts, but I will refrain from describing what they can do to mine.

 

I'd love to work there. I live less than 40 minutes from one of their bases, I could make more as an FO there vs. other majors, plus I'd work with much nicer people than what I work with now AND I don't have to worry about a CPA every few years or getting whipsawed. I'd love to fly the heavy stuff too, but when it gets boiled down I'll take the $$$$$ in the 737 with more of a chance to be home over the $ with other airlines. Having JSed with SWA for a while I can't recall one bad CA,FA or gate agent. Go to other certain airlines and you see nothing but the opposite. And upgrade time? No one can predict that.