NotBobHoover

I saw a thread like this on another major forum (AA) and thought I would poll the group here.

Please include CA/FO, base, relative seniority and any inputs/thoughts if you don’t mind!

Currently working for a wholly owned and seriously looking at SWA as the future of my career. Not chasing the heavies and heavy pay, QoL is my top priority.

4V14T0R

Already one, 15-20 threads down. 200+ replies.


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NotBobHoover

Wow. Don’t know how I missed that one. Thanks!

at6d

Very happy with QOL here. Work is work, and I value time off. I’m a 46% FO in the base I wanted, just started fifth year. Live near, not in base (just under two hours drive). Can hold three day trips with four days off usually (have holidays off this year).

Can hold around 17 days off a month and credit 100 to 105 trips per month without a lot of effort (no pickup just trading). I’m not a power player, just average trader. The guys living in base can do more.

I was at a wholly owned flow regional for the lost decade and had enough. There are a lot of us here.

It’s a good gig, but we do fly a lot of legs. This three day I’m on now is 3-3-4, credits 25, blocks about 21.

I had a month off for vacation and am at 795 in 365, so I guess I’m a higher time flyer but it works for me and my family.

If you live in base you have more flexibility with trading or picking up out of base (I.e less flying). Contract talks again soon, so it remains to be seen what the platform will be, but I have faith in our leadership.

SWA is not for everyone. That being said, I like it here. If you have the shiny jet/big jet syndrome, I’d hit up Delta.

There is a lot of kool aid to wade through.

Civilian background with 7 years regional and 8 corporate.

Good luck to you.

NotBobHoover

I am currently at said “wholly owned flow regional” and came here to see the ops of our mainline and company business ideology, to see if i really did want to fly the 777 out of DFW in 20 years. Lol. Our Mainline is definitely not the company I’m wanting to have my future career at in the current state that it is in.

My S/O is also a pilot for another regional and she wants to end up at SWA as well. I like the flexibility that you guys have, and we value our time off at home together also. We’d like to be DAL based in the “near” future at SWA.

That shiny jet syndrome happened before I was in the 121 world. I don’t foresee that being my type of flying in the future, it definitely isn’t now. I don’t have any desire anymore to fly the heavies. Flying in a straight line for 9+ hours isn’t my thing. Also I don’t sleep well on planes. I’ve tried it in the 787 bunk.

Thanks for your feedback!

flyguy81

Before kids I wanted to fly heavies int’l. Now I’d rather do my time away from home as quickly as possible and spend more time in those places on vacation.

At the regional I was at I’d get 13-14 days off and credit 85-95 hrs. I commuted so I’d prob get 8 solid days off at home. I live in base so I’m home way more now.

For Dec I’m at 17 off and 100 tfp (87 hrs). I’ll prob find a higher credit day trip or 2 day and end up at 15-16 off and 120 tfp (104 hrs). My rolling block/365 is around 840. I just hit 5th yr pay so as I gain in pay I’m working less. By yr 6 I’ll prob shoot for a 105-110 avg which is a hair over 200k.

StayFrosty

Third year FO. 67% in base. Consider myself a higher time flyer. Average 140+ TFP/mo and get between 10-14 days off. I live in a higher cost area, in base, but cannot move so have to make due. My seniority affords me weekday flying and I ELITT, trade, pick-up, and use open time to fill in. I do all this as I left a higher paying position to join the team here but overall no regrets...just sometimes miss my old life flying around the world but being productive and then home with the kids makes it a win. As my tenure ticks by I can lower my TFP’s to maintain the income. Year two cleared about $188K gross and year three will gross about $215K flying about 850 block hours. This doesn’t include PS or NEC just pay and per diem. You can pretty much write your own ticket here but alas, no heavy jets for us. Biggest thing I miss here but at the same time love getting the job done quick and getting home. Overall no regrets being here although if you have the desire to fly heavies you will not scratch the itch here as of now. Know what you’re getting into, do your research, and let’s see at retirement how it all went. Safe flying!

Duke Beamer

FO, 47% in base, live 1 hr from airport,
Average 110-115 TFP/mo, 5th year pay (approx $147/TFP with PD)

I have young kids, with a lot of activities. My wife stays home with them for now, so for us we made a plan to be home as much as possible, in particular at night tucking my kids into bed. I work my 4x 3 day trips, I typically look for Sunday PMs that start late as possible and head to the West Coast. Then, I try to pick up 2-3 turns that get me over the 115 TFP mark. I’m home 22 nights/mo with this schedule, which is our #1 goal. I work 12-15 days. But I’m never gone more than 2.5 days in a row.

That was a big focus for us as my flying in the AF would include 10-21 day missions, crossing 69 time zones, and a lot of the backside of the clock. I’d come home, be off schedule for 3-4 days, and feel like my kids really weren’t used to me.

I can’t even handle 4 day trips now at this point, haha.

$147/TFP x 115 TFP/mo= $16.9K
W/ Profit Sharing (approx 10%) & B Fund (15%) = $21.1K/mo

Those are pretty basic numbers I use when my buddies ask me about SWA.

Spectre186

First off, thank you all for the info, I really appreciate it. Military about to get my ATP next month and will be living in Vegas. How’s Vegas flying and and what are typical trips for junior guys?

Duke Beamer

LAS is a fairly junior base, with a lot of commuters. That’s always a good thing for domicile dudes, as there’s a lot more movement for trades and give away. Junior domicile pilots in a big commuter base can sit reserve often with a Pass Preference whereas all the reserve commuters will have a Fly Preference.

LAS flys a lot of everything, not just West Coast stuff. I’d say a junior pilot can expect 4x Fr-Mo AM Reserve blocks for 3-6 mo? Then you can slide into the weekday reserve soon thereafter, blanks are soon next, with a weekend hard line following. The MAX has really impacted a lot of things, to include bidding, trading, premium, and give away. The usual standard for schedules, bidding, trading, etc.... is out the window right now.