capncrunch

Having been to Wake Island, I'll bet that place got submersed. The highest point is only 16 feet.

tsquare

Well I can tell you this... a HUGE number of guys downstream from that airplane will take a paycut..

Flamer

Do you think anyone has the numbers for SWA and DAL that are TAFB/finalW2?

That number, I believe, would cause many DAL pilots to pass out in the jetway and be unfit to fly the next leg.

tsquare

It's not just about the money....

Bluto

True, but keep in mind, SWA pilots aren't all doing six leg days from BWI to SAT to ELP anymore. I read recently that their average duty day is around 8-9 hours. I think we have a great deal to learn, and hopefully gain, from their contract. Or did I misconstrue your post?

Columbia

Yep- like dumping their schedule for the month if they would rather backpack around New Zealand.

tsquare

No.. not really, but I would not like to think that when I get to the left seat of the 737 I have reached the pinnacle of my career. I have 5000 hours there, and while it was fun, I like options that they could never offer. I LIKE GRU/NCE/FCO/NRT layovers..and I LIKE going to Europe and Asia... you will NEVER do that at SWA. It's good for some people, and I say good for them. I do find it absolutely amazing how some of their junior guys are whining little little school girls about the merger over there.. What, they won't get their first choice of vacation if some dirt bag AT guys are put ahead of them on the list... really??? But back to your question, I think that there are things from their contract that we might be abe to improve on.. I honestly do not know, but I hate having that bus service held up as the gold standard. If you remember, in BK, we all came back to them.. they haven't set any bars.... ever.

ExAF

Not a SWA lover here, and what you say about never raising the bar is true, but, how about you give them a little credit for continually plodding forward (and I'll add that it has been on the backs of everyone else's contracts) and not having to go into bankruptcy. Sometimes slow and steady wins the race.

tsquare

Well I cannot argue with any of that, but their pilots had nothing to do with them not going into BK.. just like WE had nothing to do with US going into BK. They are a different animal than we are. domestic only... one a/c type.. you know the list... And I really don't think that you can compare the two with any real competent metric other than the fact that we both fly airplanes. But I do think the "slow and steady" M.O. of Herb Kelleher has had it's run... witness the NEED for the AT merger.. There is no more organic growth they can do to compete. And the junior guys over there are about to get a real healthy dose of reality.

shiznit

I'll take that healthy dose of reality at $134k/year and more days off!!