You can always tell who hasn’t been in this industry for long from statesments like these. All these big shiny airlines over the last many decades have been headed in the wrong direction, or made it there, and have always worked against the pilot unions when it comes to new contracts. Just because they got a shiny new AIP doesn’t mean the airline or execs have a heart… it’s just the price of doing business.

If you haven’t been paying attention over the last 2 decades, this brave new world of corporate America led by Ivy League elites doesn’t give a crap about its employees or a moral foundation. The legacies and LLCs have been just another crony corporate scheme for the elites to put their mark on and governments to subsidize for a LOOOOOOOOOONG time now. SWA may have had a bit of a different corporate philosophy back in the day under HK, but that’s long gone and it’s just joining the party since GK to become another big corporation model that only cares about the bottom line for Wall Street. If you think the big 3 are much better at having a heart and giving its employees the best life possible without a fight and a few bankruptcies, you need to do some research on the recent history of this industry.

But yes, please leave so my seniority gets better as we fight to get our share out of the hide here.

 

You’re going to leave without retro and before you know the new pay rates? You must have a better reason to leave than money I suppose.

 

Hats off to you Frosty. You made the right move.

Signed,

Envious

 

$200k plus salary and seniority…ability to bid CA….yet you want to go be the new hire somewhere else making new hire pay under all those 23 year olds they’ve hired the last several years. And suddenly you would be on the furlough chopping block if the economy keeps its trend downward. Sounds like an emotional decision not a logical one. Good luck.

 

Woof, just took a look, not great. I hadn't looked at those numbers in probably a year. Crazy how much one year of gangbusters hiring can do. The answer is after 20 years you'd be 40%, so mid seniority narrow body captain. Sorry for the wrong info.

 

Yeesh.

I’m finishing my 8th year and just upgraded. I’ll be in the top 5% in 20 years.

It ain’t glamorous work, but I’d be a moron to bail.

 

As much as I respect everybody’s decision to leave and do what they need…..it’s great to hear some reality. I’m frustrated with SWA, and many of us are ready to write this place off. But, maybe fighting to make it better for pilots and every employee is the better option. We have a lot invested in this place and every airline has their downturn. Let’s do what we need to make people want to come here.

 

I played with the widget seniority site today. To borrow a quote from a very good friend: "The sell by date was last year."

Talking to friends at both UAL and DAL... yes, contracts and offers look mighty shiny, but the numbers and math simply don't care about one's feelings. And yes, those griping so much have either forgotten the aftermath of 9/11, the Lost Decade and the Great Recession, or they just weren't in the industry back then so they think hiring 2000+ pilots a year is the norm and they fully expect it to go truly indefinitely.

At SWA, I'm expecting to retire in 5-7% overall seniority as a 737 captain. Anywhere else, I'd maybe crack 50% at the end of my career and still be narrowbody captain. Uhhh... I'm a narrowbody captain NOW and I have almost half the seniority list below me now as opposed to a couple of decades from now.

I get the frustration, and I get the anger. Channel that anger and frustration into how you approach voting on any agreement and holding our NC and BOD accountable to delivering a truly industry-leading contract. That's where OUR money is...

 

My thanks to all for the thoughts and input. Perhaps they won’t call and I will have no decision to make. Until I do, I stand with my SWAPA brethren. Contrary to palm’s post above I have over 22 years in this industry. Not a spring chicken. The sentiment seems to be “stay the course”. The excel spreadsheet might bear that out. At least the Big 3 don’t pretend to be something they aren’t. Will they furlough in a heartbeat? Yep. But at least we were all honest with each other from the beginning. I’ve had dinner with HK, a rare treat. Yep, maybe I’m a little sad.

Let’s see what the wind blows in.

Poopoo still out.

 

Yeah, it's seniority.