Jiggawatt

If there is a thread that answers this question, let me know...

It sounds like SWA has great flexibility in dropping/adding trips. If you want to work very hard and make considerably more $$$, go for it. If you want to drop trips for more time off and less $$$, cool.

Is SWA uniquely flexible in this way, or can a DAL pilot manage their schedule/income in a similar manner? My perception is that SWA has a much more robust system for changing one's schedule to maximize hours or time off, but maybe I'm wrong.

I've seen other threads that somewhat get at this question, but as a non-121 person (for the next couple months anyway), most of the lingo is greek to me and it's not clear what the difference is between DAL and SWA.

I have a job offer with one and an interview with the other, so I'm trying to fully understand this (potential) choice.

Thanks!!

TED74

This won't answer your question, but I wouldn't care about the answer to your question if I were you. (WTF?!)

If you can drive to work for SWA and not Delta, go to SWA. Otherwise, go to Delta. Easy peasy.

Jiggawatt

Ted, thanks for the reply... we aren't set on one place to live; leaning towards DAL right now based on domiciles, but both DAL and SWA have some appealing domiciles that would fit my long term plan, so I'm trying to fill in all the blanks. Every time I talk about this choice with people, I say "SWA seems to have more flexibility with the schedule", then they ask "what do you mean", and I realize I have no idea why I think that, particularly about DAL's system for adjusting schedules. Whereas SWA people are always talking (or so it seems) about their wide variance in pay and hours worked. Hence my search for clarity on DAL.

iaflyer

My opinion is that the reason SWA has so much flexibility is that they don't use PBS, so they get crappy schedules off the bat. Because they get awarded schedules that exactly what they want, they trade a lot in order to get paid more or for a better schedule.

At Delta, with PBS I can get a pretty decent schedule, even at lower seniority.

e6bpilot

SWA guy here. That may be part of it, but I don’t think it paints the whole picture at all. SWA is more of a market economy with trip and vacation swapping. If you are willing to spend a little time massaging your schedule, you can pretty much get what your heart desires, within limits.
It is super easy to add flying up to 117 limits. Dropping trips is a bit more tricky, but I generally am able to drop one or two three day trips a month and I am mid seniority.
I am generally awarded a 12 or 13 day line and can hold weekends off if I want them. I don’t fly Christmas, thanksgiving, Fourth of July, or any of my kids' birthdays. Our vacation drop is the best in the industry for pay and days off.
All that being said, I have jumpseated with some 717 crews that had schedules that put mine to shame as far as days worked vs money made by flying premium trips. Delta has some awesome work rules and is a great company with a diverse fleet and a great pilot group.
The advice above is spot on...drive to work and have a great career.

TED74

Everything at SWA is more uniform, mostly because it's one fleet. In more ways than not, this just makes the two very difficult to compare directly.

An analogy might be "I'm thinking about moving to Tulsa, but hear it's hot. Is hotter than all the other places I might move to in the country?" Well.. it's hotter than average, but it depends as varies widely depending on what Delta category/seniority/season you are comparing SWA to.

Almost all the reasons Delta is hard to compare to SWA are reasons I'd prefer Delta over SWA (remember, this IS a Delta board). If I were contemplating flying only the 737 the rest of my career, I'd want to shoot myself. Particularly because it would be as an FO for a LONG time, from what I hear. My SWA friends, though, don't contemplate that, they LIVE it... and are fine with it. Almost every airline buddy I have is thrilled to be where he landed and you will be too. But as long as (if) you have the OPTION...

SWA strengths:
Never have to retrain
Fewer days at work
Minimal time zone changes
Easier schedule manipulation
Better vacation
Better health care
No hat
More jumpseats to commute

Delta Strengths:
Variety, variety, variety!
Easier workdays (ON AVERAGE)
Higher pay potential (it depends, could be its own thread)
Earlier upgrade opportunity
Long haul international option (never forced)
Better seniority progression/ retirement outlook

SideSticker

Well, when everyone flies the same jet, you're gonna have more options.

At DAL you've got lots of scheduling tools at your disposal: max sched/min sched, personal drop, trip trade/swap board, vacation move up, green slip, white slip, yellow slip, golden days, CQ bidding, swap with the pot, reserve day trades, bank time etc. Am I missing anything?

Your personal flexibility will depend on Seniority/base/fleet, but there are many options to adjust your schedule. Having said that, I know lots of guys who have never traded out of a trip, they are just happy to fly the schedule they get out of PBS.

Big E 757

At Delta you can drop your entire month if you want, provided there is adequate reserve coverage. Then you can pick up flying from there if you want. You can also post a swap with the pot, if you’re afraid of dropping a trip. The swap with the pot will trade your trip for a different/better trip if it ends up in open time.

When your catagory Manning is short, i.e. the reserves available in your seat are less than the required number, on any day of the trip you’re trying to drop, you cannot drop that trip. The risky thing about dropping a trip is, if Manning is good, there usually isn’t much in open time. I’ve dropped an awe full trip and went right up to the day before departure before picking anything up. It worked out but was pretty scary. I don’t have the risk tolerance to drop my whole month and hope to fill it back up but some guys do it and make it work.

sailingfun

You can still drop a trip with poor reserve coverage via the swap board.

Vincent Chase

Sometimes. Probably a lot more in Atlanta than, say, CVG as an example.
If the trip is ugly, it might be hard to convince a brother or sister to take your garbage.