My wife makes more than me and I value my time at home, therefore I have worked a total of 2 days in the past 5 months (3 if you count the recurrent sim). We're overmanned and premium doesn't exist so people are snatching up trips left and right in TTGA. I'm not sure if you can pull that off at AA but I really don't know. I love to b*tch with everyone else and do it everytime I'm on a trip, but our flexibility is really second to none if you value time at home. Of course, YMMV due to manning, the economy, seniority, etc.

 

It’s amazing that being undermanned I still get used every single reserve block.

 

Importing and/or burning reserves on junky trips that even the most desperate won't fly straight.

It will be very interesting to see what happenes when all open time is fully rigged. I won't fly an ATL-JAN-ATL two day for <3 TFP, but I'd be all over it for 13. Will these trips exist still and be all bid up or will the company stop making them? And if everything gets bid up straight, will they reduce the amount of reserve coverage?

 

They will just abide by the old contract and quote the old contract and do as they please. They love to make up the rules as they go .

 

I think that’s how they sold SWA on fully rigging open time. It will allow for fewer pilots if it’s being covered voluntarily as opposed to by a cadre of reserves.

 

Seiously, I would keep interviewing for something better. We still blow. AA is a Banana peel situation. Don't sell yourself short. I retire year-end so no bias.

 

certainly some things to fix, but “blow” is a bit ridiculous.

 

Yeah, typical internet comment. I can’t speak for anywhere else, but I doubt many folks who live within an hour of DFW feel that way. I have quite a few friends who have been hired in the last 5 years, and none of them regret coming to AA. I certainly don’t know anyone who wishes they were at SWA. Internet reality and real reality don’t even slightly align on the AA subject from my experience.

 

I joined SWA a couple years ago and live within an hour to DFW. Did thorough research on both (even during my time at SWA) and ultimately decided this is the better place for me. I think AA is a good airline and know many who work there. When comparing things like trip construction, schedules, vacation bidding, trip trading/ELITT, and how much flying we can pick up, I just found myself getting more control over my schedule here than at AA. The benefits at AA were WB flying, earlier upgrade, less flying per day, and the ability to sit reserve and get called less than at SWA. I care more about staying in the same time zone (ish), control over what days I go to work, and less days working per month (I don't count 18 day reserve as less work personally, but I see the appeal).

I found many at AA didn't really know what the pros were at SWA and just thought we were a single fleet airline that "works a lot" and nothing else, so I'm not surprised you don't know anyone who wishes they were at SWA. I know people at both and many chose to go to SWA in the Dallas area including those who live closer to DFW than DAL. My goal had always been to work at AA and I knew practically nothing about SWA, but the more I learned about what I truly wanted during my time at the regionals the more it made sense to come here and stay. That does not mean SWA is for everyone and/or is better than AA, just that it could be a better fit for some.

In my opinion, once you're passed the 5 year mark at any major you shouldn't be wishing you were anywhere else unless you're within driving distance to another airline and you're permanently commuting to yours.

OP you'd have a tough decision make if you were within driving distance to both. But long term commuting to one makes the other a much more appealing option without any other details needed.

 

You are killing me Smalls