7 year SWA pilot
 

I have officially submitted my app to a Legacy competitor. Never thought this day would come. It’s not an offer yet, but I need to take this step. There was nothing earth shatteringly surprising in the last Negotiation Update, but I see who I’m dealing with. It’s either astonishingly incompetent, or this company has terminal rot in its bones. I just don’t want it anymore.

Poopoo…is…out.

Totally understand and I have done the same. Don’t know if I would or will accept anything but the fact that I am looking speaks volumes.

FWIW, after 27+ years, even I've been exploring options outside of SW after the last meltdown. I've got a few in the back pocket, but I really want to see what the NC can pull out of their hat.

I am truly concerned that this company won't survive until I retire.

Very smart of you. How many years do you have left if I may ask?

I feel ya. I’m spending nearly every waking minute working on my side hustle so that I can generate enough income to not need this place anymore. I’ve been over it for a very long time. I should’ve listened to my gut and left before I’d hit V1, but I gaslit myself into staying and that was quite a while ago. I’ve known this place was a sh**show since before the end of my first year.

Only you know what's right for you and your family. Something to keep in mind... roughly 4,000 pilots hired at United just between 2021 and today. Think of the effect on your seniority down the road.

Delta has been hiring since 2014 and they've been gunning for the younger crowd.... the movement over there is also gonna be rather stagnant down the road.

I understand the anger and the angst about this place, but don't disregard the numbers.

Best of luck whatever you end up doing.

All great points. I'll add another. I was USAir in the late 90s, and every day the news media and the company would cry that the airline was only days from closing the doors. They furloughed till they hired then hired till they furloughed. They went through bankruptcy twice while I was on furlough. They closed their biggest hub and tried everything from Metrojet to MidAtlantic to keep the lights on. So when the recall finally came in around 07 or so, I just assumed they were going out of business eventually. Wasn't worth gambling my family's future on them.

Look at them now.

What I didn't understand then, and I wish I had, was that the seniority number was worth something. The likelihood that they were going to liquidate was slim to none and thanks to good fragmentation language that number would likely result in employment at some airline even if USAir were sold in pieces. Yeah they had a tough decade or two, but now my classmates from there are doing pretty darned good - far ahead of where I am on career earnings, retirement, and schedule.

What's the old saying? Don't throw out the baby with the bath water. There's still a lot of value in SWA and the likelihood that BoJo hangs a going out of business sign on the door is much lower than the company being sold in pieces and pilots going with planes. Might as well take that seniority with you.

May you live in interesting times.

(PS - If you were hired prior to 2014 you should probably go through. Especially if you're based in Dallas. 😏)

Welcome to the club. I start with UAL soon, and though it was a tough choice to give up 6 yrs of seniority at SWA, I came to the same conclusion. This company seems to be heading in the wrong direction. Seeing the UAL AIP that just dropped reinforces my decision. I sincerely hope that SWAPA can get a great contract soon, but it seems like the company would rather work against the pilot group & union than with them.

Good luck Poo. Yo) are making the correct choice. I doubt this place will be here in 10 years outside of bankruptcy.

Over 20. Thanks to all for your thoughts on this. FWIW, I do not believe that SWA will disappear, I do however think what, and who we are going forward will look very different 10 years from now. Without a heart, it’s just a machine…right?

Poopoo out.