fcrx

There is a metric sh*t ton of things that are jacked up at SWA right now contractually…. And I would not recommend coming here currently to anyone unless it’s the only way they can live in base or as a stepping stone

however,
we still have 3 things no one else can beat imo.

1. Schedule flexibility once off reserve. Elitt has many restrictions but it works for most during most months. Exception is holidays, if you can’t hold them off via seniority in bid you gotta hope another pilot picks up your work. My first year Thanksgiving trip…. Picked up by another pilot and I sat at the dinner table with my family. YMMV.
2. Vacation. One week of vacation here affords about 16-18 days off AVERAGE…. I’ve had 24…. part of why some choose to work over “vacation” a lot do it for the extra cash.
3. Ability to work more or less than originally awarded. You can move workdays via Elitt sometimes into the next month. You can post to trip trade with other pilots, and very very rarely you can drop a day in Elitt when an additional day is picked up by another pilot. The ability to pick up Extra work is only limited by 117 and the asinine “buffers” the company adds to them. Definitely easier to pick up more than drop.

Having everyone qualified on ONE type is an additive force multiplier that helps pilot quality of life… our total pilots may be less than other airlines but the number of dudes qualified to exchange work with is a very large number.

Cyio

As someone that has lived PBS as well, I can agree it is far inferior to how it’s pitched.

Bottom line is the companies want PBS which automatically makes me know it’s crap for most pilots. I agree if you are a 30 year seniority number it’s great, for everyone else at least as I can tell so far WN is the better option.

e6bpilot

I don't think any of this is true.

The gateway to a flexible schedule at SWA is getting off reserve. There is a stark difference from those having a reserve line to those having any hard line. If you are willing to spend maybe a couple hours a month working your schedule and know the ins and outs of the contract, you can work any line into a really nice schedule with plenty of days off.

If you are a "I just fly my line" type of person, then yeah, I could see PBS being beneficial given the right set of parameters. If you view your line as a starting point from which to improve, then the SWA style line bidding system with elitt and conflict pulls opens up a whole world of opportunity to improve your pay per day and quality of life.

pilotrob23

You don’t want PBS. Unless you are in the 15%. But you should get paid parking, crew meals, and more than 17% NEC, guaranteed next year. 🙈

WHACKMASTER

This exactly. PBS rewards the senior and punishes the mid-level to junior people to a much greater extreme than line bidding. At least that’s been my experience after four different airlines.

hoover

I'm pretty sure SW won't use PBS. It cant make the pilots anymore efficient than they are. No one flys more block hrs already by a long shot. They could get the same results by changing our work rules and sick time. Which ain't gonna happen.
the inky thing PBS is useful for for the company is getting us to think they want it so we give up something to make sure we won't get something we never were going to get. Y'all been in negotiations before?

ZapBrannigan

They desperately want to get rid of the vacation overlap and month to month overlap. PBS would accomplish both. The only way I’d ever entertain PBS is if, #1 SWAPA administers it to ensure seniority is honored and #2. Vacation overlap is applied AFTER lines are built and awarded.

My biggest fear is that they decide to buy an off the shelf scheduling system as a response to the Christmas meltdown and, wouldn’t you know it, “the only thing we could buy is PBS”.

flyguy81

Don’t forget training post awards also. Nothing like having a trip, training, and another trip all in a row and uncommutable.

mulcher

This. Stop with the PBS boogie man. Pilots are the only ones that ever bring it up at SWA. Until you here from SWApA that PBS is on the table, then please just stop with it. SWApA years ago showed how much more PBS would cost SWA. We are already the most efficient pilots. SWApA showed that even with the month to month and vac overlaps. PBS was more costly. They also showed anything that changed the vac overlap would get turned down. That was when PBS was actually being considered by SWA. Since then it is only brought up by the pilot group. It stoked a PBS boogie man fear that lowers expectations. So, for the love of God until the association says it's on the table stop mentioning PBS.

Lewbronski

I do think it’s interesting that if PBS is truly that bad when implemented at a major airline level, that the pilot groups at Delta, United, and American did not make or have not made a return to line bidding one of the pillars of their negotiating demands in an environment of unprecedented leverage for major airline pilots.

Why didn’t Delta demand line bidding? Why aren’t United and American demanding line bidding?