PlaneBuzzNovember 11, 2008
Southwest Airlines Announces Codeshare And Some Pilots Are Not Happy



Today we have a new subject to talk about.

Well, I guess the main topic is a familiar one. Pilots who are not happy with things that management is doing for, er, to them.

But in this case, the players on the playing field have changed.

You may have read the news release yesterday in which Southwest Airlines announced a new codeshare agreement with Volaris -- a Mexican airline.

In the release Monday, Southwest said that the airlines will coordinate flight schedules and reservation systems, allowing Southwest customers to book flights to Mexico using both carriers. Volaris currently serves cities including Mexico City, Tijuana, Cancun, Guadalajara, Mexicali and Acapulco.


But wait just a minute.

Who stands to lose potential flying if the airline goes ahead with this codeshare agreement, as well as the agreement already announced with WestJet?

That's right. Southwest Airlines' pilots.

Today the PlaneBusiness email box has received more than a fistful of emails from Southwest pilots who are not happy campers. To say that this is an unusual occurrence would be a hefty understatement.

Here is an excerpt from one of the longer notes:

"In really simple terms, and feel free to use it (just don’t credit me, a bit of a witch hunt going on here), it should not be called Code Sharing, but Outsourcing.



[Southwest CEO] Kelly and SWAPA negotiated a codeshare (outsourcing) agreement in the new contract during the initial current negotiations. This was about a year ago. He stated publicly that even though it had not been voted on, that he would honor that agreement. He has since come back to our negotiators and said he wants to re-negotiate that portion of the new contract. Meanwhile, he is doing all the codesharing (outsourcing) he can while he “slow rolls” our contract negotiations.


WestJet has announced 15% growth after our agreement with them.


Volaris says they will double in size.


Kelly cut 6% of our flying.


Now the rumor is that Republic is negotiating with Kelly to take over our short haul intra-Texas flying.

 

I remember that they were using ATA to take people to Hawaii, I don't see how Mexico with Volaris is any different. I highly doubt that Republic is going to do "Inter-Texas flying." I guess with our new fleet of caravans that might be possible........nnnoootttt.

 

Please use some sort of Kung Fu accent when reading this aloud.
Ahh grasshoppa, Brickyard always negotiating.
That ones been floating around here for a while. The rumors are so think you can almost walk accross the water retention pond in front of the crystal palace in Indy.

 

When BB announces his wife is preggers we'll know we're getting a new codeshare. She just had one last summer so number 15 should be in the oven in a week or two.

 

BB may be trying, but the Texas flying is SWA's bread and butter; what the company was founded on.

That, and the SWA scope is pretty airtight. Kelly would have to give the pilots everything they want for them to even entertain giving up scope.

With the recent Volaris announcement paired with the WestJet deal, I doubt the pilots would stand for any more SWA related flying not flown by SWA pilots.

 

SWA pilots will give up scope when pigs fly. Anybody willing to release ANY type of scope AT ALL (even if it's for single passenger regional ramjet aircraft) giving what has happened in the industry in the last decade doesn't deserve to have a job at a major.

 

Or Low Cost Carrier.

 

Okay, now we must hate and talk badly about WestJet, Volaris, and Republic.

 

I can't see this happening, unless of course Republic "loans" Southwest a few million dollars in exchange for some contract flying.

 

yeah and south west doesnt need the money