Southwest Hiring Info 2016
02-01-2016, 11:50 AM
#341
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Oct 2006
Posts: 650
My point is exactly what I wrote. SW use to be the airline that everyone and their brother wanted to work for. Back then maybe the recruiter could be a tool but not anymore. Now it is still a good place but there are lots of good places and people are going many different places. With this in mind I provided a simple example that SW isn't the top choice for a lot of people anymore with the people I know that are just using it as a "safety school" while they wait on their class date. My guess is that no one is sitting in class at Delta waiting on their SW class date.
02-01-2016, 11:55 AM
#342
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Oct 2012
Position: 190 captain and “Pro-pilot”
Posts: 2,931
I just want to throw out there, that today's Prom Queen is not necessarily tomorrow's Miss Universe. Our industry is very cyclical.
In the mid/late 1990s - UAL was the captain of the cheerleaders. TWA and AWA were popular too.
Around 1999 UAL still ran the roost, with DAL, AA, and USAir close behind.
After 9/11 when every pilot at USAir was a captain at one point in their career, folks left her in favor of SWA, JetBlue, and ATA. United, Delta, and AA dumped everyone... a decade long furlough. Sometimes they would get back with you for a little while, only to dump you again. Fickle little wench.
After being furloughed some people fell for that cute rebound chick in the library: Vanguard, Eastwind, Pro Air, National, Skybus... but her folks moved away by around 2010.
Now UAL, DAL, and AA are competing for homecoming queen again. She will always be beautiful but very high maintenance and quick to dismiss you if she sees a better deal come along (force majeur)
Nobody has a crystal ball and any prognostications with a time horizon of greater than 5 years in this business are foolhardy guesses made by pilots who aren't particularly good students of our industry.
I miss 1999 when we all just applied everywhere, went to the first major that called, and then argued on Flightinfo about whose was better even though none of us really made a "choice" in where we went.
In the mid/late 1990s - UAL was the captain of the cheerleaders. TWA and AWA were popular too.
Around 1999 UAL still ran the roost, with DAL, AA, and USAir close behind.
After 9/11 when every pilot at USAir was a captain at one point in their career, folks left her in favor of SWA, JetBlue, and ATA. United, Delta, and AA dumped everyone... a decade long furlough. Sometimes they would get back with you for a little while, only to dump you again. Fickle little wench.
After being furloughed some people fell for that cute rebound chick in the library: Vanguard, Eastwind, Pro Air, National, Skybus... but her folks moved away by around 2010.
Now UAL, DAL, and AA are competing for homecoming queen again. She will always be beautiful but very high maintenance and quick to dismiss you if she sees a better deal come along (force majeur)
Nobody has a crystal ball and any prognostications with a time horizon of greater than 5 years in this business are foolhardy guesses made by pilots who aren't particularly good students of our industry.
I miss 1999 when we all just applied everywhere, went to the first major that called, and then argued on Flightinfo about whose was better even though none of us really made a "choice" in where we went.
But you left the young NY girl with an attitude for some fast driving been around the block but is still hot girl with a Texas accent
02-01-2016, 12:01 PM
#343
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Apr 2012
Position: 737 CA
Posts: 508
Don't feel personally attacked.
My point is exactly what I wrote. SW use to be the airline that everyone and their brother wanted to work for. Back then maybe the recruiter could be a tool but not anymore. Now it is still a good place but there are lots of good places and people are going many different places. With this in mind I provided a simple example that SW isn't the top choice for a lot of people anymore with the people I know that are just using it as a "safety school" while they wait on their class date. My guess is that no one is sitting in class at Delta waiting on their SW class date.
My point is exactly what I wrote. SW use to be the airline that everyone and their brother wanted to work for. Back then maybe the recruiter could be a tool but not anymore. Now it is still a good place but there are lots of good places and people are going many different places. With this in mind I provided a simple example that SW isn't the top choice for a lot of people anymore with the people I know that are just using it as a "safety school" while they wait on their class date. My guess is that no one is sitting in class at Delta waiting on their SW class date.
02-01-2016, 12:02 PM
#344
Line Holder
Joined APC: May 2015
Posts: 38
02-01-2016, 12:10 PM
#345
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Apr 2012
Position: 737 CA
Posts: 508
It's all a racket, isn't it. The only ones not profiting are the junior pilots.
From paying for test prep, paying to take the test, paying for a guy to give you an ATP who counts his money before the debrief is even over, paying for a job fair, paying for an application, paying for interview prep...all in the hope of being a captain and making 100K$ of student loans worth it all.
From paying for test prep, paying to take the test, paying for a guy to give you an ATP who counts his money before the debrief is even over, paying for a job fair, paying for an application, paying for interview prep...all in the hope of being a captain and making 100K$ of student loans worth it all.
02-01-2016, 12:16 PM
#347
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Oct 2006
Posts: 650
My point was actually don't be a tool. Even if you are a recruiter holding the keys to the kingdom, you can still be courteous to people. Should guys that aren't qualified take up space that could be filled by those who are? No! Should you be an Ahole to them and belittle them because they did? No!
02-01-2016, 12:18 PM
#348
Furloughed Again?!
Joined APC: Aug 2007
Position: Boeing 737
Posts: 4,804
I loved her, but we were worlds apart. I knew she was too hot for me and she was going to break my heart. Oh sure, she said all of the right things and promised that we could just sit at home, make popcorn and watch old movies... But I new she wanted to see the world and visit places like Port Au Prince and Lima Peru.
The Texas girl won my heart for a few reasons. First, she was close by. Long distance relationships are hard and New York girl was a two leg commute away. Secondly, she had a history of dating guys for a long time and never breaking their hearts. I'd had my heart broken many times and was looking to settle down. Oh sure, I knew it would be a long time before she let me sit in the left seat of her... Well, I digress. I also felt as though New York girl pretty much let anybody date her. And when I was dating her I didn't feel special. Texas girl was harder to get a date with and dating her made me feel as though I was successful.
Now that I've completely ridden the metaphor into the ground...
Look. I've worked for 8 different airlines including 3.5 majors. Aside from little contractual perks and pay rates the job is virtually identical at all of them. We talk about the same things in the cockpit. The view out the window is the same. Same lousy hotels. Same lousy food. Same labor/management strife. I chose my current employer because I felt like I needed a "win" by the time I turned 40 and Delta wasn't calling. It's a good job - good enough that I can't be seduced by the promise of a quick upgrade to leave and go somewhere else. I've been fooled before. More than once. Shame on me.
Do what makes you happy and what works for your family.
My BEST advice? Do the OPPOSITE of what I did. Hitch your horse to one wagon and stick it out. No matter how bad you "think" it is going to get. If I had stayed (or accepted recall) at ANY ONE of the majors I worked for I would be better off than I am today. So when you get that number think of it like being married. For better or for worse. For richer and for poorer. In sickness and in health. Till death do you part.
You might not be the richest cat on the block or have the fastest upgrade... But take it from me. I killed 20 years chasing green pastures and I missed out on a whole heck of a lot of fun along the way (as well as enough seniority to be able to hold holidays and weekends off while my kid is young)
Oh... And one more thing. It's just a job. Not a religion. Not your favorite football team. Don't take this stuff personally.
02-01-2016, 12:25 PM
#349
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Oct 2012
Position: 190 captain and “Pro-pilot”
Posts: 2,931
I loved her, but we were worlds apart. I knew she was too hot for me and she was going to break my heart. Oh sure, she said all of the right things and promised that we could just sit at home, make popcorn and watch old movies... But I new she wanted to see the world and visit places like Port Au Prince and Lima Peru.
The Texas girl won my heart for a few reasons. First, she was close by. Long distance relationships are hard and New York girl was a two leg commute away. Secondly, she had a history of dating guys for a long time and never breaking their hearts. I'd had my heart broken many times and was looking to settle down. Oh sure, I knew it would be a long time before she let me sit in the left seat of her... Well, I digress. I also felt as though New York girl pretty much let anybody date her. And when I was dating her I didn't feel special. Texas girl was harder to get a date with and dating her made me feel as though I was successful.
Now that I've completely ridden the metaphor into the ground...
Look. I've worked for 8 different airlines including 3.5 majors. Aside from little contractual perks and pay rates the job is virtually identical at all of them. We talk about the same things in the cockpit. The view out the window is the same. Same lousy hotels. Same lousy food. Same labor/management strife. I chose my current employer because I felt like I needed a "win" by the time I turned 40 and Delta wasn't calling. It's a good job - good enough that I can't be seduced by the promise of a quick upgrade to leave and go somewhere else. I've been fooled before. More than once. Shame on me.
Do what makes you happy and what works for your family.
My BEST advice? Do the OPPOSITE of what I did. Hitch your horse to one wagon and stick it out. No matter how bad you "think" it is going to get. If I had stayed (or accepted recall) at ANY ONE of the majors I worked for I would be better off than I am today. So when you get that number think of it like being married. For better or for worse. For richer and for poorer. In sickness and in health. Till death do you part.
You might not be the richest cat on the block or have the fastest upgrade... But take it from me. I killed 20 years chasing green pastures and I missed out on a whole heck of a lot of fun along the way (as well as enough seniority to be able to hold holidays and weekends off while my kid is young)
Oh... And one more thing. It's just a job. Not a religion. Not your favorite football team. Don't take this stuff personally.
The Texas girl won my heart for a few reasons. First, she was close by. Long distance relationships are hard and New York girl was a two leg commute away. Secondly, she had a history of dating guys for a long time and never breaking their hearts. I'd had my heart broken many times and was looking to settle down. Oh sure, I knew it would be a long time before she let me sit in the left seat of her... Well, I digress. I also felt as though New York girl pretty much let anybody date her. And when I was dating her I didn't feel special. Texas girl was harder to get a date with and dating her made me feel as though I was successful.
Now that I've completely ridden the metaphor into the ground...
Look. I've worked for 8 different airlines including 3.5 majors. Aside from little contractual perks and pay rates the job is virtually identical at all of them. We talk about the same things in the cockpit. The view out the window is the same. Same lousy hotels. Same lousy food. Same labor/management strife. I chose my current employer because I felt like I needed a "win" by the time I turned 40 and Delta wasn't calling. It's a good job - good enough that I can't be seduced by the promise of a quick upgrade to leave and go somewhere else. I've been fooled before. More than once. Shame on me.
Do what makes you happy and what works for your family.
My BEST advice? Do the OPPOSITE of what I did. Hitch your horse to one wagon and stick it out. No matter how bad you "think" it is going to get. If I had stayed (or accepted recall) at ANY ONE of the majors I worked for I would be better off than I am today. So when you get that number think of it like being married. For better or for worse. For richer and for poorer. In sickness and in health. Till death do you part.
You might not be the richest cat on the block or have the fastest upgrade... But take it from me. I killed 20 years chasing green pastures and I missed out on a whole heck of a lot of fun along the way (as well as enough seniority to be able to hold holidays and weekends off while my kid is young)
Oh... And one more thing. It's just a job. Not a religion. Not your favorite football team. Don't take this stuff personally.
Well said except for the anybody can date her part....now I feel bad. Lol
I am very glad it all worked out for you.
02-01-2016, 12:30 PM
#350
Furloughed Again?!
Joined APC: Aug 2007
Position: Boeing 737
Posts: 4,804
Southwest Hiring Info 2016
It was a bad metaphor. I blame it on the Cape Air guys and my ego. I had a tough time sitting there with 10,000 hours and a bunch of type ratings next to a professional Cessna 402 pilot. Nothing against those guys - my sim partner was one and he and I are still good friends. My ego just couldn't take it. I needed to prove to myself that I could compete for a job where astronauts and B2 fighter weapons school guys flew and be successful.
I realize that makes me sound like a tool. I promise I'm a nice guy with a very small percentage of tool. I'm just being honest.
The New York girl has a terrific product and if I were buying tickets for my family she would be my number one choice bar none. You should be very proud!
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