for spirits one flight a day to den? So they take the gate for an hr a day but we can still run 10 flights. a day out of that gate.
FWIW I've heard den will go to 1200 pilots as fast as it can for 3 yrs now. So who knows what the answer is but I think y'all being a little pessimistic.

Oh geez. That means we are definitely hiring.

Pilot hiring is, and always will be, a long lead time item. You can't just put an ad out and have 200 pilots on the line the next month. It takes close to 6 months to get from "we are hiring" to having a line pilot who replaces a captain who is upgrading.

That said, we still have about 500 FOs out. I think they will all be recalled by the end of the year. New hire classes start in March. Any takers?

only because I have plans till Feb 2022 I'll take the over.

For me I have three solid reasons not in any particular order:

1. I’ve been chasing this my adult life. I would like to make the seat at some point, a career goal so to speak. While I suppose making it to SWA (or any major) is significant, there’s still that next step.

2. Medical. Sick time pays out at the rate you are at. I’d rather have the left seat pay in that scenario.

3. Mergers. No question about where you want to be in the event of a merger.

You may both be kinda correct. The word I have heard is that in the “new” gates being built, Spirit and Alaska will be consolidated to the east end and get 6 gates (all common use but that’s where they will be) and then SWA gets all the other gates in C including the 3 vacated by Alaska and Spirit. So in the end we will grow by 13 gates. Have also heard the plan is DEN being 900 pilots a side by the time the expansion is complete.

Ask some AT folks how that worked out for them

If your a CA at the bigger airline it tends to work out for you. I think that's his point. No bigger airline is going to acquire SWA.


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so that's another 800 pilots in DEN. Plus they want LAX to be at 500 crew as well. (300 crew as of now I believe. )
By my math that's 1200 new pilots in what a year?
I dont see it but it does sound like a good goal.
Now wait for the company to say we can only grow this much if you take a cost neutral contract.

I have heard this mega base rumor at DEN for years now and I believe that's the goal. I might disagree with the time frame though.

All true, and I think March is even a bit pessimistic. Would also add that in my observations over the years, the longest-lead indicator in forecasting pilot staffing around here is flight simulators....and LEADS is most definitely over-sized currently for a 9000 pilot/700 airplane operation. That will be brought more into balance over the next year or two. In fact, I'll be back there next month and wouldn't be surprised to hear more rumors of extending the extended extension!

Anyone have any idea how many aircraft we have parked, or in long term storage?