Southwest buys Airtran
- Thread starter Baronman
- Start date
OldTownPilot
Well-Known Member
SeanD
Well-Known Member
Nah, how could you have known. Werent they still trying to shed that "Valuejet" image? I probably wouldnt have taken recall either. Especially at that time. US Air was the place to be, no?
I know the feeling. Its like getting up from a slot machine in Vegas to move to another. Someone then sits at your previous slot machine you had just moved from and hits the jackpot.
SeanD
Well-Known Member
Yeah, except Airtran doesn't have any 737-800s
Doh!!! Anet FAIL!
CrippleHawk
Well-Known Member
I'm sure the 717's will be gone, before the final integration of the two companies. Just a guess...
your right. It does not fit the SWA model
OldTownPilot
Well-Known Member
mooneyguy
been around forever
I feel your pain on that one Zap. I have had a couple career decisions where I made what I thought was the best choice at the time, but turned out not to be.
killbilly
Vocals, Lyrics, Triangle, Washboard, Kittens
True, but it's still more expensive to operate more than one airframe.
Curious about something....and I don't mean this in any nasty way...but if they get rid of the 717 fleet, but not the pilots....
...are those pilots going to have to pay for their 737 type rating?
Speed Pilot
Brain Damaged
Holy crap. They did a good job of keeping a lid on this one.
KSCessnaDriver
Well-Known Member
Not sure that they don't fit. Sure, its a different type of aircraft, but you've got a bunch of cities that might be better served with the 717 than a 73G/738. The 717 might be a good replacement for the older 735's Southwest still has floating around. Heck, Southwest could do what Delta is doing with the MD-90, try to buy all the remaining airplanes they can, in order to get a nice fleet going.
In any case, the 717's will be around for a while, because even if they want to replace them, you can't just get 80 or more 737's at a moments notice.
SeanD
Well-Known Member
I could have sworn I saw a JC thread about this or at least a few post in another topic on this happening a year ago. :dunno: I did a search but to no avail. I think it was in one of the many ALPA threads. At the time someone had posted it as a rumor.
HeyEng
Well-Known Member
I love it! I know that everyone is in LOVE with SWA, but I never got it how they got a pass on the PFT on this. I don't care what you say about it...it's PFT. You are required to have it for the job, and I think it's bogus. Don't try changing my mind either...ain't happening!
Not sure what I think of this...I have loved the flights from San Antonio to ATL...quick and cheap (I know, more hatred there) and haven't flown on SWA too much since they usually aren't the cheaper airline. Time will tell, I suppose.
JoelT
Well-Known Member
Of course not.
JoelT
Well-Known Member
I will be watching my former classmates' career progression very closely now. Depending where the 717s go and how the integration is negotiated I still think I made the best descision for MY career. The seniority freight train starts up next year at SouthernJets so, we will soon find out.
killbilly
Vocals, Lyrics, Triangle, Washboard, Kittens
Why not?
It's been well-known/established for a long time that to fly a 73 for SWA, you had to have a 73 type - you could get hired without one, but you had to have it done by your start date.
I'm just curious.
I'm also curious about the dynamics of a non-union carrier acquiring an ALPA carrier. From my limited understanding of the way this stuff works, (and please correct me if I'm wrong) SWA pilots in general have a better compensation package than AT pilots. So does that mean that AT pilots can join SWAPA and/or come in at the higher comp rates, or does it mean that SWA will use the lower wages of AT pilots as a negotiating tool with SWAPA?
Orange Anchor
New Member
It will be interesting to see how the two cultures are dealt with and combined.
JoelT
Well-Known Member
Airtran pilots are not being hired by SWA. Both contracts forbid pay for training for EXISTING pilots on the seniority list.
SWA is not non-union. According to law both unions (SWAPA and ALPA) will have to negotiate a merged seniority list. This could be either negotiated or arbitrated. I'm betting on arbitration where there are now hard and fast rules on how a combined list will be formed. A staple is no longer an option under law.
Prior to any operational integration a JCBA (Joint Collective Bargaining Agreement) has to be negotiated with management. Basically, this is a brand new contract opener and EVERYTHING is fair game. Usually though the contract of the larger, richer pilot group is used and just tweaked a little like what happened with Delta/NWA.
Also, since there are two different unions a vote will have to be taken to determine which one will stay.
JoelT
Well-Known Member
No kidding because they are polar opposites.
killbilly
Vocals, Lyrics, Triangle, Washboard, Kittens
Argh. I knew that - about SWA having a union. I meant to say non-ALPA, but wasn't writing clearly.
Thanks for the information. I have learned something new today.
WacoFan
Bigly
I love it! I know that everyone is in LOVE with SWA, but I never got it how they got a pass on the PFT on this. I don't care what you say about it...it's PFT. You are required to have it for the job, and I think it's bogus. Don't try changing my mind either...ain't happening!
Not sure what I think of this...I have loved the flights from San Antonio to ATL...quick and cheap (I know, more hatred there) and haven't flown on SWA too much since they usually aren't the cheaper airline. Time will tell, I suppose.
It isn't PFT, it is simply a pre-req. like a college degree. It tells SWA that the person they are hiring can at least pass a check-ride in the kind of plane they use. I would imagine (pure guess) that SWA has far fewer training failures than other airlines and also has cheaper training costs because there is already familiarity with the airplane - just a guess.