I think you are on the right track with my question. Obviously I have to interview to get the job offer but if my heart isn't set there right now I'm thinking it might be a waste to even go or that might come across in my interview. I think living in the city I want to with SWA is the deciding factor for me. I was just asking others if I wasn't considering every piece of this puzzle and I've read some good answers here to help me make a decision. Thanks everyone!

 

Just to add some more for you to think about...

I was hired in October of last year. When I run my seniority with zero growth it shows a 15 year upgrade. If I put a 2% growth in then it drops to a 9 year upgrade and increases our numbers from 8,300 to about 11,500 which is what we would need for 1000 aircraft which is where they say they want to eventually be.

With that said the joker in the deck is a possible merger/acquisition. Should that happen then the 9-15 year upgrade goes out the window and you and I are kicking ourselves in the ass every single day for the rest of our careers. Personally I don't trust that won't happen so I'm starting to look really close at FedEx and UPS right now and the commutes involved with both.

 

Don't forget age 67.

When retirement was changed from 60-65 there were still thousands of major airline pilots on furlough post 9/11. That single act not only delayed upgrades, but it delayed recalls for another 5 years too! They could have graduated it in over a period of 5 years, but instead they flipped the switch.

Going to age 67 is very likely and, unfortunately, will have a similarly negative effect on our careers.

 

IMHO, if you have 20-30+ years left, you'd better REALLY like where you live if that's the sole reason for choosing SW over the other majors.

We lag far behind the industry in most areas, and even though we've finally got a SWApA BOD that represents it's pilots, we're not likely to make up the difference any time soon.

The sad part is that even after all the education that new SWAPA has put out in the last 6 months (which is more than we've gotten out of SWApA in the last decade), we still have a lot of clueless folks here that truly think we're "industry leading" in most areas.

 

This is true and quite frustrating. It's as if they don't have any friends or neighbors who work for any of the other majors... or at the very least they don't talk.

SWA is a W2 airline to the exclusion of all else. There is no understanding of the nuances of the other major airline contracts that come together to make up quality of life. You can make a lot of money at SWA if you are willing to work above your line value... and many do, but why? Work to live? Or live to work?

I doubt we will close the gap this CBA on things like reserve quality of life, hotels, meals etc. But the pay rates will be top of class for the 737... because the vast majority won't look beyond that number.

 

This always cracks me up......

If you fly your line, or close to it, your W2 will be far inferior to your friends at other carriers, and you'll STILL work much harder for it.

AND you get to pay for uniforms, parking, have no ROR, crummy reserve system, fly broke-a$$ 300s, get JAed for "double time" that pays 6.5 etc. etc. etc. Not to mention industry lagging retirement........

The only reason many of our W2s are bigger, is because we have a large number of folks willing to do whatever it takes to work as much as possible on their days off.

Folks have been saying, as long as I've been here, that SW pilots work on the "greed factor". I've always called BS on that, since if we actually DID work on the "greed factor" we wouldn't be giving away work rules and every other bloody thing the company asks for, and then work more on our days off.

If we were truly "greedy", we'd be negotiating more pay and better work rules for the days we're supposed to be at work.

And guys playing "the game", working 25 days per month, say that they're "working smarter, not harder".

Morons.....

 

Most SWA pilots work two full time jobs. One spent flying airplanes and the other spent on the computer looking for more flying.

 

While I agree CWA can be like crack I don't really spend much time on it at all. I just have my text message alerts setup to notify me of any trips that have a deadhead to/from TPA and that is the only thing I bid on and the only additional flying I will do.

Twice last month I got paid 14 trips to fly one leg out of Tampa and jumpseat home that afternoon/evening. I'd say that's pretty easy money.

 

I spend WAY too much time on ELITT every month trying to get at least partial weekends off from my junior schedule. As far as picking up extra? I use text alerts and usually have some luck picking up a turn or two towards the end of the month, usually short notice or VPF

 

Yup..... It's unbelievable how much work it is to build an acceptable line, regardless of your definition of "acceptable".

FWIW, ELITT was wonderful before (old) SWApA gave away, err, I mean, "gained" DTC, DC, and all of the wonderful 117 restrictions that affect your ability to trade, but not the company's ability to schedule you into those restrictions.