SWA upgrades
 

I heard lots of senior FOs were bypassing so as not to be stuck at the bottom when the AT guys upgrade. What is the hire date of the last SWA upgrade?

I haven't heard that yet but that really wouldn't make much sense to me. The AirTran guys can't upgrade until after 2015 and that's only if SWA is offering upgrade classes after 2015. If the senior FO's were to upgrade now, they would hold a captain seat unless something drastically bad happens with SWA, which I highly doubt is going to happen. Bypassing upgrade to not be junior to the AirTran guys who upgrade after 2015.....IF they even get a chance to upgrade, would be a little odd. Just my $.02

Says the guy that doesn't work at AirTran or SWA.

UPS has around 25% of FOs bypassing.

A couple of dynamics at work here. Like many places, SWA has had a pretty stagnant seniority movement since Age 65 went into effect so many senior FO's have been enjoying a great QOL for the past 5 years so there's no rush to jump to the bottom of the Captain list when they can make almost as much money and wait until their seniority can let them bypass commuting to sit reserve as a junior Captain. Another factor is the inbalance of east vs west seniority--almost 3 years between the most jr Captain on the west coast (spring 2004 hire) vs the most jr Captain on the east coast (summer 2001 hire).

Be that as it may, how close to the truth was he?

The most junior Captain has hundreds of F.O.'s senior to him. What their reasoning is for that has multiple answers.

I understand that. I'm just curious if what Blakman7 posted had any validity.

For that answer you would have to ask one of the hundreds of F.O.'s that have bypassed upgrade. I'm not one of them and neither is he so it would only be speculation as to what their reasoning is.

They are likely bypassing for the same reason people do at DL- as a senior FO you get the pick of the litter trips and can make as much or more than a junior captain.