[QUOTE=Skeet20;3341763]Sorry you see it that way. I totally don’t.

explain it for all of us….. please

This is all the more reason for you to run as a rep. I agree with you it is a shame how many do not vote .

So from reading through this thread it looks like a 10 year upgrade time (or not anytime soon) with the potential of that decreasing over the next few years just bc of the amount of pilots needed?

I’m 43 and am retiring from the Air Force now that I’ve crossed 20 years. If it’s an 11 year upgrade I’d be around 54 or 55 before headed to the left seat with 10 years until the mandatory 65 year retirement. Given the long upgrade time would you guys recommend I try for SW or look at airlines that upgrade faster? I’m still researching Delta, but Frontier is on a 3 year upgrade for example. Frontier is a low cost carrier but from researching that the qol is pretty good and the domiciles work for me, so I keep looking at that one. However, I’ve always liked Southwest and the way the company operates, so appreciate any advice you guys have to give on this one.

Thanks

I would guarantee you could have just as good or better QOL at a Legacy airline…..IF you lived in base and drive to work…with their massive retirements and under 5 years to upgrade….why come here?. I was in your same shoes back in 2017. Same age and retirement and I came to SWA. I would only recommend coming to SWA if you can live in base. Do not come here and commute across the country…we don’t have the best commuter rules.

To add on to this, major selling points that SWA *had* was financial stability and the "We have never furloughed" mantra.

Southwest management JDAM'd the second selling point on 12/3/20 with the WARN notices that were sent out just in time for Christmas. They sent the 4 emails from 4 different VP's of something in the HQ on 12/3/20 and a hard copy arrived in the mailbox ~10 days later, just in time to ruin Christmas. Legally they were required to notify 60 days prior to the furlough date. They sent them 120 days prior to the anticipated furlough dates of early April 2021. Catastrophically poor strategic decision on SWA management's part.

Hindsight is 2020. I wonder if the management team wishes they had kept those WARN notices locked up in a drawer somewhere as much as I wish I had kept updating FedEx and the Legacy apps.

Guarantee they wish they’d left Pandora’s box closed. Using employees as negotiating trash to get taxpayer money they didn’t need will cost them huge (one way or another).

The company definitely stepped on their d$@ks with the WARN notices. Some bean counter trying to game the government obviously convinced Gary that it was a good idea.

Southwest is going to be a different airline for every level of seniority. As a now seven year scale FO, upgrade is likely within three years or less. I’m not leaving. I bid 43% in base, get what I want, make good money. Not a bad gig.

If I’m a three year guy, I’m seriously looking at FedEx.

Yes, WN has the best overall balance sheet. For now.

Apply everywhere.

Does debt even matter anymore? We are no better off from our $16B cash than those that had $30B in debt thanks to the gubment. Not that I wished peril to anyone but what’s the point of the strong balance sheet?

nothing. Back to updating my United and FedEx apps, I suppose.