Reality Check
 

Hello all,

Long time lurker, and first time poster. I was recently hired and offered a class date for November. I am currently employed with a carrier that is based in Europe. I have a home and family living in Europe. I live a very comfortable life right now.

I am here to ask few questions and prepare my self for the upcoming transition. I must acknowledge that it has been my dream to be a part of Southwest and I am blessed to have gotten closer to it. However, I am also nervous of the following:

1. Training pay
2. 1st year pay
3. Reserve and QOL.

I have been preparing my self and my wife for this transition. What I would like to know is some realistic numbers for both pay, and day off. How much money can I realistically make if I were to bust my behind in year 1? How many minimum days can I have off during reserve period? I understand and read it is around 15.

Please, share your experience, strategies, and technics to cope with the financial transition, at least for the first year. I do plan to move back to U.S and also in base, once I am awarded the base I seek (either BWI or LAS).

Thank you in advance,

Much Luv.

You can make over 100k in year one pretty easily, especially if you live in base, even with the lack of open time currently.

You’ll likely be able to get BWI out of training, and LAS shortly after.

73.56/tfp x 100 tfp/month on reserve= $7356/ month gross. Plus $400/ month per diem. Plus 15% into your 401k is another $1103 per month. $93k year one before taxes, not including $13.2k in your 401k.

Training is year one pay at the guarantee of 87 or 89 tfp/month. Lasts through IOE, total of about 2 months.

100 tfp per month is a reasonable assumption on a pure reserve line, with a fly preference. That’s picking up nothing extra (at second year rates of $106.37/tfp). At least 15 days per month off. Working in 3 to 4 day blocks, with 3 to 4 day blocks off.

You’ll likely get BWI right out of training. LAS shortly after.

Hope that helps. Sounds like a big transition. If you do make the jump here, Welcome!

I made $100,000 my first year and will make around $150,000 on second year pay. I also got profit sharing for my first year it was around $10,000 put into a seperate 401k, I started in late November. The QOL was pretty good my first year and continues to get better.

Great!
 

That’s good news! :)

Similar experience for me as well

$88k - yr 1 (old cba)
$163k - yr 2
$184k - yr 3

Should do around $200k on yr 4. Doesn’t include profit sharing. I work an extra 2-3 days a month depending on what’s available.

Thats pretty good! Im assuming you live in base to make 100K first year?

I hustled as much as I could because I took a large pay reduction in coming here for a very large upside... down the line. I earned $116K in my first year and will do around $180K in my second year if I continue flying how I am now, which I see no reason why I shouldn’t. At this schedule I normally have 10-12 days off per month, sometimes more depending on how things work out. 9 days off has been my worst. This figure doesn’t include 401K and profit sharing.

I made 100k first year with nothing more than a extra local or two a month, it’s quite easy to do.