shoelu

It seems that SWA is walking a very fine line right now. It is foreseeable that there is definitely room for growth, not just ASM's but actually airframes in the near future. Everything seems to be pointing that way. Take for example the huge expenditures at HOU and FLL readying them for international departures and the repeal of wright restrictions at Love.

Removing close to 30 airframes from the schedule in December will be a tough hurdle to overcome but it seems that they are trying to build the fleet numbers with used airframes to cushion that blow. In the end it seems that as they finally finish the long AirTran integration that there will be a reasonable justification for real growth.

The -300 airframes are beginning overhead bin expansion conversions signaling their retirements might be farther off than originally anticipated. Couple that with 36 firm orders on the books for '15 and the aggressive search for used NG's and we hopefully have a recipe for expansion.

I won't be terribly surprised if '15 remains relatively flat on airframes but flexes up ASM's. I think the current hiring is indicative of higher utilization as less of the total fleet is involved in the conversion process.

Moody's just upgraded the SWA rating indicating SWA is on strong financial footing and poised for expansion. Put it all together and I am cautiously optimistic. We could be in a lot worse position, and I am choosing to take the glass half full perspective at this point.

ZapBrannigan

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/must-k...170019618.html

I would think the bean counters would be getting a lot of pressure from the investment community to grow. Companies rarely stay the same size when growth opportunities exist. With load factors like these you can't squeeze much more out of the airplanes you have. That leaves either get airplanes with more seats, or buy more airplanes.

Even code share has limited value right now. Code share to feed what? There's no room on the airplanes to put the people who are feeding into the system as a result of the code share.

Laramie

Well, there is at least one more possibility. But we're just getting over the last one.

Woodbourne

How painfully true is that statement! And to think that our asks in section 6 are a "chasm" of a difference from what the company will give. Mediation is looking probable

Boogie Nights

Unless you are a AirTran guy how has this been painful for you? This is a serious question. What have you lost as a result of this merger. I can't see it.

Fly Safe
B-

WHACKMASTER

LMFAO. You know it's pretty insulting when even you get fired up. Face it man. You'll never change the way they look at us or the whole merger. They got the vast majority of our Cptn seats and a lot of our seniority and yet notice the way they still view things.

We're dealing with a mentality that actually proposed in SLI talks that all AirTran pilots get put on probation. Hell, a lot of them are itrate that some of our guys didn't have to pay for their B737 type rating and actually wanted to get reimbursed for theirs.

As I said before. It's an airline made up of people that have no other airline experience (perspective). That's the majority of the problem. You'll always be "one of them" whether you like it or not

As for that "other" possibility, highly doubtful. Why would they be hiring then? Unless they planned on buying the airframes and not taking the pilots.......

Woodbourne

Whack and Boogie

It is painful for many reasons. I am all civilian and this ain't my first airline, merger or bankruptcy. I interviewed and am completely over qualified to be a 737 gear *****. Now, every tranny is senior to me. No interview, no probation and a pay raise for most

So think about what kind of crap comes out of your trap before u open your hole. The acquisition was the choice of neither pilot group and it is just business; however, your assumptions regarding people you know nothing about perpetuate the attitude you supposedly despise.

MatthewAMEL

We are all over-qualified to throw gear in the 737.

Everyone interviewed and was on probation. Or did you think that was a SWA-only construct?

You judge people you don't have one-on-one experience with by their actions. SWAPA's (and by extension, the pilot group) have been deplorable.

Woodbourne

I blame Swapa and the rsw pilot group for voting yes on the Sli. Gary's lie re arbitration/Guadalupe holdings was enough to sucker 82%. My choice would have been to take it to arbitration. Loss of 717's would have helped my cause. It's a nasty business and like most I care about me and my family first

When at guys post on here that they were slighted more than others, that rings extremely hollow with me

Woodbourne

Btw, sorry for the thread drift. Is the 100 something"approved" new hires for 15 still a viable rumor?