Originally Posted by ZapBrannigan

I got lucky. Commuted in off line.
Two reroutes on day one.
Two cancellations on day two and ferried into be into position for day three.
Day three went fine even going through Denver.
Commuted home off line.

On day two we were delayed due to visibility in Southern California. The dispatcher and I wanted to push as soon as we saw an improving trend, so we boarded….and the visibility took longer than we expected to improve. The “A” FA (whose Dad is a Captain, and who is learning to fly herself) kept our guests entertained with Christmas music, jokes, games, and organized cockpit tours for the kids (and a few kids at heart). We sent many kick tails that day!

Bought dinner and drinks for two crews on night one. On night two I bought for the FO and another FO who was missing his crew. We ordered Dunkin Donuts and coffee on the app for the crew on day two and picked it up after we got through security. And we gave away a few hundred bucks worth of Starbucks gift cards to everyone we ran across from rampers, to Ops agents, to FAs - and especially to my commute crews. Even got one in return from a kind customer.

The key to happiness is commuting off line. 😉

So not a horror story, but I think we needed to hear some good news in the midst of the apocalypse we are seeing out there now. I learned something that somehow I missed over the last nine years of slam clicking. I learned that this company employs good people who will work tirelessly on behalf of our guests. I learned that a little recognition goes a long way. And I learned that there actually IS a somewhat unique culture here, but we can’t count on management to foster it. It’s up to us. Sometimes that means taking out your wallet, sure. But oftentimes it could be as simple as taking the gate checked bags down to the ramp to save tired rampers a trip. Or telling FAs “I know you’re not being paid right now because the door is open. I’m sorry about that. Here’s my phone, order anything you want on the ChickFilA app and I’ll run upstairs and grab it for you.”. Or even as little as reminding the crew, “We don’t fly hungry. Say the word and I’ll throw the flag and make sure we get food”. I never realized the culture was real…and I never realized that it probably wasn’t real to me because I never chose to participate in it.

So it was a tough Christmas and it’s probably going to be a tough New Years. But if we take care of one another (and find another way to commute to and from work), we’ll probably be ok… (provided we stay in business. #Eeyore)

Originally Posted by fasteddie800

Most pertinent to the above discussion though, was the ever-present attitude of: "We're SWA, we know better, we don't need expensive IT contractors, we can make it better with some good ol' elbow grease, Texas know-how, and good-ol-boy gumption."

One of those things that saves you tons of money, right up until the point it doesn't.

Originally Posted by OOfff

it’s the inevitable end result of capitalism: Large, faceless, bland, and exploitive corporations. We as a species asked for this.

Originally Posted by MainlineHopeful

Just finished OE, and thinking about jumping ship. The long term repercussions of this will not be good. Always wanted to be at SWA, and they got us super drunk on the kool aid during training, but this is definitely not what I (thought) I signed up for.

Stupid to leave?

Originally Posted by gzsg

You could be a captain in a year.

Originally Posted by Lewbronski

Pretty well said, IMO.

In a text to a fellow SWA pilot yesterday, I said the problem with SWA, IMO, can be whittled down to one word: "TEXAS!!!"

You did a good job of explaining what I mean by that. There are some good things about the TEXAS!!! thing but, IMO, they're outweighed by the blinding hubris that goes along with it.

The only other thing I'll add is that the TEXAS!!! problem isn't just limited to our IT infrastructure. It permeates everything.

Originally Posted by flyguy23

So true!!! Communism would have prevented this for sure…

Originally Posted by WHACKMASTER

Three words actually. Texas, Air Force.

Originally Posted by rickair7777

Yes, communism would have prevented this. There wouldn't be multiple large airlines, just one small flag carrier to provide for the Party elites, and the pilots would all be sons of the elites. Problem solved, the less equal animals would have simply stayed home where they belong in the first place.

Originally Posted by WHACKMASTER

Three words actually. Texas, Air Force.