Sliceback

UA then. You're done. Congratulations - NY, NJ, PA, MD, VA, WV, TX, LA, CO, CA, WA, WI, IL, IN.

jumppilot

With United I've had the opportunity to fly a wide body into Paris, drink a cold pint next to a warm fire as its spitting rain in London, bounce around the USA in a 737, go deep sea fishing in Majuro on an overnight in the Western Pacific, overnights in Tokyo, Hong Kong and Saigon and basically do everything my childhood self would ever want to do with this career. And I haven't even bid the 787 yet.

With Southwest you'll be bouncing around the country in a 737 for the rest of your career. On day one, when you step into that 737 cockpit for your first flight, say hello to the rest of your career.

That's my opinion and others may differ.

PotatoChip

Maybe. Maybe not. Will SWA only fly 737's domestically for the next 30 years? I can't say, but I highly doubt it. A lot happens over the course of a career.
Not knocking United at all, but many also had the wonderful opportunity to be furloughed for years.

Choose your own adventure.

BigBearBalls

Southwest CJO 12/19/2016
Interviewed 12/5/2016

All Civilian
Close to 2,000 Turbine PIC
5 Type Ratings: C525S, C560, LR45, CL30, A320
3 classes away from finishing my Masters Degree (scheduled to finish Spring 2017).
Bachelors Degree
Former Part 91 Chief Pilot
Former Part 135/91K Instructor Pilot/Training Department
Current A320 First Officer
Business Owner with Lots of volunteer work

I highly recommend Centerline Interview Consulting especially for your app review which is the first major hurdle in getting an interview invite. They found things on my app I had overlooked the last couple of years and really helped clean up my application and resume. They were also very helpful in getting me ready for the interview. Their approach in helping me organize my thoughts made me feel completely comfortable throughout the entire interview process.

I feel humbled and blessed with the opportunity, good luck to everyone.

Sliceback

The retirement numbers generate crazy scenarios that we havn't seen in the past.

Upgrade and furloughs? Using Tallflyer's retirement numbers -
Assume SW stays the same size. That's about an 11 year upgrade (2027).
Assume UA hires today and furloughs 20% tomorrow and stays that size. In 4.5 yrs the last UA guy furloughed would be recalled. Upgrade would be in 2025, or two years ahead of the SW guy hired at the same time who never got furloughed.

SW getting w/b flying? AA is adding a long haul city every month. It would take forty years to achieve AA long haul city pairs and UA's count is probably higher. And how senior would any future w/b flying be at SW? A newbie probably wouldn't see it for years and years.

PotatoChip

I agree, but you are also making assumptions.
Again, I'm just saying that nothing is a certainty in this industry and acting like you can predict 30 years into the future is a mistake.
It's naive.

You make good points.

Sliceback

AA's getting a new long haul city every *nine* months.

Everyone has to make estimates and predictions to make decisions about the future. It's unavoidable. I tried to impose a penalty on UA and non on SW to demonstrate the impact of retirements which is the only factor we can predicate. Age 67/68 or a performance based standard would just delay the inevitable.

I don't knock SW, they were the airline to get hired at during the 2000's and with hindsight the late 1990's, and are a good airline. But the industry is different today (consolidation, changes from BK, lack of fuel hedging leverage by SW) so much so that the industry might be the most stable it's ever been for the largest companies.

Sliceback

I'd also agree that making predictions and expecting a high degree of certainty is fraught with risk. One has to try and view the horizon the best they can and advance based on that assessment.

woomaster

SWA

Interview: Nov 17
CJO: Dec 7

8500TT
2600TPIC
Bachelors
All Civilian
SWA job fair
One Type
121/135/91--currently at Fractional---previous Boeing time

jrav8r

Could you break down your past experience of 121/135/91? I would really like some insight. Types, hours, etc.