the JetBlue model.

Because 15-17 years to upgrade will have people people lining up to instruct instead of just applying to a legacy with a good chance of upgrading on a WideBody in the same time?

Not everyone will wait 15 years. There are 680 FO’s bidding captain right now that are senior to me (I’m 7th year) according to the SWAPA vacancy calculator. That could mean an 8 year upgrade. Just saying.

Agreed, if you’re willing to be based in the junior domiciles. I’m at 5.5 years with 870 bidding CA in front of me, that’s end of 2023 territory at our current rate. That’d be 7 years.

This reminds me of the ole “how long to hold ATL?”
“10 years!” [emoji12]

Upgrade? 25 years assuming you wanna go to California. [emoji3]

Stepping their offer up. 30000 bonus after year one, another 30000 after year two. Automatically get an FO slot after two years. Positive space travel to and from Dallas and hotels while you are there. Wish they had done this about two months ago.

anyone know if they are offering with those 2 years of pilot seniority? Or just start at the bottom once you start as a FO

Email says after two years you will be added to a Pilot Initial Training class when available.

It’d be easy to solve this problem if the company weren’t cheap and the instructor union would allow it.

Hire line pilots as instructors like UAL. They get paid 9 yr FO pay, bid a schedule based on instructor seniority, work a turn or 2 a month for currency and return to the line usually when they can hold a CA schedule they want.

You can use the normal instructors for ground school and initial/upgrade. Line guys do CQT, CKA do type rides and LOE’s.

well I am glad they finally realize they need to put up some cash. Will it be enough? Who knows.

I think the problem is that to accrue pilot seniority would require a side-letter with SWAPA, and they are (rightfully) not very receptive to any more more side-letters/MOUs until we've got a new contract.

Definitely interested. Does anyone get picked up by United, Delta, or AA out of there? Worried won’t be competitive if not actively flying.

There’s a note in company email today. If you refer a candidate who becomes an instructor, and they complete training by Dec 31, you both get $5000!

Sooo… anybody who wants to be an instructor drop me a PM. 🤣

New perks according to the hiring page:

- $60,000 onboarding incentive: Offering a full-time onboarding incentive of $60,000 in return for a 24-month, full-time commitment as a Flight Instructor. The incentive would be paid in two installments – $30,000 upon one year of service from Instructor qualification and the second $30,000 two years after qualification.

- Flow through opportunity: A new flow-through opportunity for our Training Instructors to get a direct path to becoming First Officers with Heart! The program would begin with full-time Instructors starting in May of 2022 and would require new Employees to serve as a fully qualified Flight Instructor for two years. Following that time, they would be added to a Pilot Initial class once available.

- Quality of life commuter benefits: If granted, must-ride transportation on Southwest Airlines to/from DAL from your commuter location for work-related activities upon request.

Looking forward to seeing that for the crews, too. :D

Can you imagine? Game changer.

Imagine if you got hired as a corndog instructor in April.

I am Interested
 

I am interested

Stay AwAy
 

Interested
 

I appreciate the heads up. I have done this. I am also currently an instructor at another company in DFW. I would like to verify exactly what SWA has to offer. My hometown is a short commute away. This could be a good fit for family reasons.

Family? Consider that Southwest training center is a 5am to 1am operation (and could go to 24 hours per day if needed), 363 days per year. And you're going to be junior so...

We are asking the company to address our deficiencies and it seems they took at least a step in the right direction here. Too little, too late? I don’t know, but it seems that it would make the job at least looking into now. I wouldn't have said that a couple months ago.

sounds like fun! Good QOL etc…









NOT! https://makeagif.com/gif/borat-its-not-a-joke-nh12bfhttps://c.tenor.com/peKSxoz9haIAAAAC/not-borat.gif

By that rationale, no one should ever take any job anywhere in the airline world (which may be a valid point).

Can you name the better places to instruct in Dallas? FlightSafety or CAE? Both pay less and require more working days each month. American? Pays substantially less.

I think the biggest gripe has been from retired (over 65) instructors, doing it for 'fun,' deciding they don't want to work 20 days each month. Hopefully most of them will be allowed to go part time.

Pay continues to improve and I expect QoL improvements with the next CBA. There are multiple pros and cons to every job. Instructing is a different lifestyle from line flying and a different skill set. Not every pilot will enjoy it or be cut out for it.

I thought flight safety and AA both pay better than WN. That’s why we so short on instructors. So that’s not the case?

I thought flight safety and AA both pay better than WN. That’s why we so short on instructors. So that’s not the case?

Got a friend at FSI who said they’ve only been getting 5-6 days off a month lately….and even then…still take calls/emails at home. QOL/benefits may make a small pay cut worth it….

sounds like maybe that’s changed…

maybe they finally pull their heads out of the sand……

It has changed and significantly.

Leadership briefing in recurrent this week they said instructors making $170,000 for full time and they're going to start part time soon.

Can confirm, this is correct. 170,000 on offer, at least to the Captains that are retiring, and being cold-called. If they start training right before they retire, they don't need to go through the whole program. They are bringing the $$. At least they are trying!

That’s great! Maybe they’ll also call the guys within a couple years of retirement who regret not taking VSP…

$170k is about 75% more than they were making a year ago and significantly more than a new hire pilot can pull down on our current contract. Interesting.

I'd be interested to know the "break down" and how this works with the contract and other flight instructors. Is the pay higher for retiring pilots because current employees get full longevity or something? Are they including the value of hotels, travel, per diem, profit share?

FTCIs are unionized so you can't just make a separate work group that gets paid differently.

Are y’all reading that?! So they can give the instructors a 75% raise (good) but what about us like swine?!

Well, if the instructors start at 170k…by year 3 when they would hit the seniority list should be about 220k’ish for year 1 as a pilot? Making it easy.

I doesn't work like that. When you move to the line you move work groups and go to year one pay on the pilot scale, and to the bottom of the pilot seniority list for bidding purposes.

I do believe you keep you longevity for some things like vacation (weeks awarded, not bid seniority of bidding).

If they are paying more I think that's a great thing...I'm just doubtful of that "$170k" number until an explanation/breakdown is given and it's explained how that works with the current FTCI contract. Hopefully an agreement was made that benefits ALL of the FTCIs.

Good on them if it’s $170k to start. Supply and demand works. If I had to guess though….it’s around $120k and they’re adding in 401k match, medical/dental, etc

Got a buddy out on medical who applied and in his interview he was told around $120k…but things seem to change every week so who knows.

I’m aware. Jus’ sayin.