Text was not red on my phone. Guess I am the dick.

No, no you had it right the first time.

You live in South Texas?

Let me see if I get this…

SWA is getting rid of the 717. The ATN 717 pilots will transition to the SWA 737 faster than originally thought. A senior SWA FO makes more than an ATN CA*. When they transition from ATN CA to SWA FO they will be toward the top of the SWA FO list-- have a better schedule--and make more money than they did as an ATN CA until Jan 2015, at which point they can upgrade (again) and start making a SWA CA pay—A LOT more money.


* I’ve posted real numbers about this in the past…if you are going to dispute this fact, then show the math.

Prior to the 717 announcement, I was scheduled (via the Transition Bid) to cross the fence in the Fall of 2014. The revised schedule (which keeps 36 717's at ATN through 2015) has me with a SWA ID in late 2015 or early 2016.

According to the SWA CP who spoke to us on Wednesday, the 717 will never operate for SWA (in SWA colors).

The ATN CAs make the same as SWA FOs argument is completely false. Complete information has been provided to Chuck McGill and Mike Van de Ven documenting that ATN CAs will lose about $25k/yr when they transition over.

Lets just stick with published straight rates (no per diem and no international rates) and published time guarantee.

A 10-year ATN CA will be making $170.10/hr on 1/1/13 @ 76 hours = $12,927.60 gross/month.

A 10-year SWA FO will be making $127.43/hr on 1/1/13 @ 89tfp (for a 31-day month) = $11,341.27 gross/month.

That's a straight pay difference in the ATN CA 'favor' of $19,035.96.

If you look at the SLI, you will note that on 1/1/2015, only about 300 ATN guys will have the seniority required to hold 737 CA in any domicile. This assumes the current fleet plan, published retirements and 1% growth.

Matthew,

The average over here is 100 trips/month and 73 hours/month.
You have a transistion schedule that shows you over here later than 12/31/14? If so, I would be very interested in seing that. Would it be possible to show the schedule without names etc?

I understand. The average here is higher, as well. I was just using minimum numbers for both sides to simplify.

I have no doubt there are SWA FOs that make more than some ATN CAs, but 'hour for hour' ATN CAs make more than SWA FOs.

The only published schedule I have is the Transition Bid results. There is no official revised schedule yet since there has been no re-bid. I am in the bottom 500. With 36 717s not scheduled to go to Delta until 2015, I made the assumption (I know, I know) I would be one of the last to go.

We are all on the SWAPA CBA still on 1/1/15.

Okay, thanks.
I thought the company had implied they were going to run you seperately. That wyould not be cool.

What Rolf said. Matthew, you should talk to some of your co-workers six months or so after they've crossed the bridge and ask them how big their pay cut has been. Even if you can't fog a mirror, most months will exceed 89 TFP. If you're willing to put a little work and some savvy into it most pilots (even commuters) can add an extra 15-20 TFP while adding no more than one extra day of work.

Rates seldom tell the whole story. Kinda like some Delta -73 pilots around here thinking their TA will give them "SWA pay" by 2015. ;) (and I wish the TA actually would!)

I understand, really. I average about 105 hours a month here, but I like to fly ($).

My point is, a ATN CA who likes to fly (100+ hrs/mo, premium pay trips, international override) is going to take a cut even if he flies the same high time at SWA as an FO.

My guess is this story got started before we got our new CBA. It may have been true under the old rates. It's certainly not now.

But you are right, we will know more when the 1st batch of guys has been on the line for a few months and can let us know how it works out.