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SWAPA calls all former AirTran pilots

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The "music stopped" fall of 2008 (Last SWA upgrade class) and 100 of the last upgrades have subsequently downgraded to FO...FEB-MARish 2001 hires are the junior CPs at SWA. I was hired fall 01...
 
The "music stopped" fall of 2008 (Last SWA upgrade class) and 100 of the last upgrades have subsequently downgraded to FO...FEB-MARish 2001 hires are the junior CPs at SWA. I was hired fall 01...


Ahhhhh, I see. That blows.

I hate it when the music stops.
 
The "music stopped" fall of 2008 (Last SWA upgrade class) and 100 of the last upgrades have subsequently downgraded to FO...FEB-MARish 2001 hires are the junior CPs at SWA. I was hired fall 01...

That was about the time we started building up our cash reserves for this acquisition.

I hate it when the music stops.

The AirTran pilot's music can start again in SWA genre as soon as we have a fair SLI.
 
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I think it would be wise for ALPA to request from it's members the same type of information from former Southwest pilots who left to go to Delta, United, FedEx, etc. in the 80s and 90s.

It would also be interesting to see how these folks feel about that decision now, in 2011.
 
I look forward to the day that this is all over and we are one combined list...I go back and forth on how we should integrate "fairly"...I am a 10 year FO at SWA looking at having 800 AAI CPs seat protected ahead of me...based on SWA retirements my upgrade is about 3 to 5 years out...if we grow because of the merger maybe sooner...I did not go to JB or AAI because SWA was major airline and growing...I would have gone to DAL at the time because my friends went there and they had a much better contract (thank GOD i did not get hired)...I went the "safe" route and it may come back to haunt me as far as my ultimate seniority goes after integration...if I had been interested in rolling the dice for a quick upgrade at JB or AAI I would have taken that chance...I did not...it seems a little disingenuos to now fault the AAI guys who took the chance with a "start up" and now may end up ahead of me...if I really was a gambler I would have gone to JB or AAI and gotten the quick upgrade...I have been an FO a long time...I live a comfortable life, have a great schedule and work at a great place where people try to get along and management has not tried to screw us, they even value us...these are all GREAT reasons to work at SWA, they are INVALUABLE reasons...I want this company to be a great place after we integrate...like the AAI pilots I just want a "fair" outcome...should the AAI pilots be rewarded for their gamble at the expense of my seniority?? That is the concept that, as selfish person, I have a hard time accepting...should I be financially rewarded for taking the safe route (upgraded at the expense of AAI seniority), or should I accept that this merger will probably not affect my upgrade that much (even if it goes relative)?? How would I feel if I was a 7 year SWA FO or the bottom SWA FO?? I do know this that every AAI CP that comes to SWA and retains his seat will receive a huge pay raise (I made 154K last year flying 700 hours, my SWA CP made 274K last year flying 720 block hours). Of course I want to upgrade, I fly with SWA CPs 6 months senior to me who have been CPs for 4 years...I have lived with a good contract and make more money than many AAI CPs make...do the AAI deserve to be ahead of me because they upgraded before I did?...I do not know, and I want to be OK with whatever the outcome is, I still want to look forward to coming to work even if I have to fly for a 7 year AAI CP, but part of me will not feel that is fair...

We can't have this, a non-chest thumping, non-member measuring, non-inflaming, honest post here on FI, what has become of this site?????
 
That was about the time we started building up our cash reserves for this acquisition.



The AirTran pilot's music can start again in SWA genre as soon as we have a fair SLI.

Actually, wasn't that about the time that oil was peaking at $150, economy was falling off a cliff, and housing markets were crashing all over?

SWA traditionally has always been conservative in growth as to avoid shrinkage during the tough spots.

Granted this merger is a departure from the SWA tradition, but SWA is finding their newer strategy of flying to major airports more difficult to expand into with new frequencies in slot controlled and gate limited airports.

If SWA wasn't changing, they'd be adding a couple of jets and increasing PBI to ISP flights by 2x a day. But this SWA is not your daddy's SWA. Not sure if better or worse, jury still in deliberation.
 
That was about the time we started building up our cash reserves for this acquisition.



The AirTran pilot's music can start again in SWA genre as soon as we have a fair SLI.

No, the Airtran pilot group's major celebration will start AFTER they see the arbitrated SLI. Guess what? The cockpit will normally have 2 pilots in it, and if one is upset, too bad. Most of the pilots are based now where they live, and even though some will transfer from base to base, most will fly with their own group of pilots. And, one group will be smiling, A LOT. Get used to it. It's a merger. BTW, I LOVE YOU GUYS. ALL OF YOU ARE FANSTASTIC GENTS.


Bye Bye--General Lee
 

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