Southwest 1st Day at LGA a failure

I have no interest in SWA, not interested in their bases or the type of flying....I dig their contract though ;-)

But they taxi fast. Not all the time, but I've seen them hauling ass across ramps more than once.

My concern when taxiing fast is losing nosewheel steering. The ERJ had issues related to nosewheel steering (it seems to be rectified) but if you're going 30+ knots down a typical taxiway and your steering decides to go crazy, no way you're stopping before you're in the grass.
 
Baronman said:
I dig their contract though ;-)
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Personally, I think it's overrated. The pay rates are good, but that's about it. The work rules aren't anything special, and they have no company-paid retirement program. Everyone looks at the pay rate and thinks it's a great contract, but what about the 15 hour duty days? No thanks.
 
ATN_Pilot said:
Personally, I think it's overrated. The pay rates are good, but that's about it.......and they have no company-paid retirement program.
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Given the past recent history of company pensions, why on earth would you want one?

You go on and on about incomptent management, yet are willing to let them hold your retirement savings for you. No freakin way!

I'll manage my own retirement, thank you very much.
 
Baronman said:
I have no interest in SWA, not interested in their bases or the type of flying....I dig their contract though ;-)

But they taxi fast. Not all the time, but I've seen them hauling ass across ramps more than once.

My concern when taxiing fast is losing nosewheel steering. The ERJ had issues related to nosewheel steering (it seems to be rectified) but if you're going 30+ knots down a typical taxiway and your steering decides to go crazy, no way you're stopping before you're in the grass.
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Well, airspeed management doesn't seem to be a problem only encountered on the ground. :o
 
USMCmech said:
Given the past recent history of company pensions, why on earth would you want one?

You go on and on about incomptent management, yet are willing to let them hold your retirement savings for you. No freakin way!

I'll manage my own retirement, thank you very much.
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I don't think you understand pensions. There are two different kinds:

Defined Benefit (A-Fund) - This is the kind of pension that has been destroyed in the bankruptcy era. The pension plan kept all of the money in the company's pension account and paid out a set amount each month to a retiree based on a formula in the contract. No money was held in the employee's name. Unless laws are seriously changed for these kinds of pensions, I wouldn't want one.

Defined Contribution (B-Fund) - This is the kind of pension that most major air line pilots have now. The money is kept in individual accounts for each employee in their own names. The money can't be lost if the company goes into bankruptcy or liquidates. The money is 100% yours. The difference between a B-Fund and a 401(k) is that the B-Fund is funded by the company instead of from your own contributions. I don't contribute a dime, but AirTran contributes 10.5% of my gross earnings to my B-Fund account, and I never have to worry about losing the money. SWA pilots don't have this. They only have a 401(k) that requires them to contribute their own money.
 
Roger said:
Oh snap!
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It is. . .what it is. . .

Todd,

This might be too much to ask, but what companies currently have a B-Fund? Sure sounds like it's a far more stable pension system than the A-fund (obviously due to the bankruptcy laws and the weak PBGC).
 
surreal1221 said:
This might be too much to ask, but what companies currently have a B-Fund? Sure sounds like it's a far more stable pension system than the A-fund (obviously due to the bankruptcy laws and the weak PBGC).
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My last three did: XJT, AAI, DAL.
 
ALPA ran numbers for the ALA MEC to figure out what sort of B-Fund contribution they would need to provide an equivalent to the old A-Fund 60% FAE, and they came up with something around 15%. They only got 13.5% in this contract, but they held on to a blended A-Fund/B-Fund for everyone on the property, so a future contract should fix it for the newhires that won't have the A-Fund.
 
You're lucky I'm bored as hell today.

I left out the Cargo and International guys as well as the Fracs and 135s.

Alaska
Four retirement choices are available for pilots: a) status quo, b) re-balance, or c) all-defined contribution (401K) with a 13.5% contribution

American
401K: yes (plus Roth option)
401k Matching: none
A/B Fund: 1.25%/11%

CAL
401K: yes (plus Roth option)
401k Matching: none
A/B Fund: 2.20% (frozen)/12.75%
Other: Profit sharing (stock options)

DAL
401K: yes
401k Matching: 2% (DAL contribution; no pilot match required)
A/B Fund: none/9%
Other: Profit sharing

Hawaiian
401K: yes
401k Matching: none
A/B Fund: 2.40%/none

United
401K: yes
401k Matching: none
A/B Fund: none/9% B-plan
Other: Profit sharing, C-Fund: 7%

US
401K: yes
401k Matching: none
A/B Fund: none/10%

AirTran
401K: yes
401k Matching: none
A/B Fund: none/10.5%

Allegiant
401K: yes
401k Matching: up to 3%

Eagle
401K: yes (with Roth option)
401k Matching: 3.5-8.0% (based on years of service)

ASA
401K: yes (with Roth option)
401k Matching: 75% of first 6% pilot contribution (at 7 years longevity)

Comair
401K: yes
401k Matching: 0-9 years of svc: Match 40% of the pilot's contribution up to 5% of eligible earnings; 10+ years of svc: match 60% of the pilot's contribution up to

ExpressJet
401K: yes
401k Matching: 100% of up to 4-6% (based on length of service)
A/B Fund: none/2-6%*

Frontier
401K: yes
401k Matching: 5% ($.50 on the 1.00 up to 10% pilot contribution)
A/B Fund: none/0-6% based on longevity

JetBlue
401K: yes
401k Matching: up to 5%
A/B Fund: none
Other: Profit sharing: guaranteed 5% or more

Mesa
401K: yes
401k Matching: up to 3%

Republic
401K: yes
401k Matching: up to 6% (based on years of service)

Skywest
401K: yes
401k Matching: up to 6% (based on years of service)

Southwest
401K: yes
401k Matching: up to 7.3%
A/B Fund: none
Other: Profit sharing (10% avg past 10 years)

Spirit
401K: yes
401k Matching: $1 for $1 up to 8% pilot contribution
A/B Fund: none
Other: Profit sharing

Sun Country
401K: yes
401k Matching: up to 1.25%

USA3000
401K: yes
401k Matching: up to 2%

Virgin America
401K: yes
401k Matching: up to 3%

Air Wisconsin
401K: yes
401k Matching: up to 5% (plus 3% fixed contribution)

CapeAir
401K: yes

Colgan
401K: yes

CommuteAir
401K: yes
Other: Profit Sharing

Compass
401K: yes

GoJet
401K: yes

Great Lakes
401K: yes

Gulfstream
401K: yes
401k Matching: 25% of first 4% pilot contribution

Horizon
401K: yes
401k Matching: $1 for $1 up to 10%

Lynx
401K: yes
401k Matching: .50 for $1 up to 10%

Mesaba
401K: yes
401k Matching: up to 12.5%

Piedmont
401K: yes
401k Matching: up to 4%

Pinnacle
401K: yes
401k Matching: up to 5.25%

PSA
401K: yes
401k Matching: up to 3.5%

TSA
401K: yes
401k Matching: up to 1%
 
ATN_Pilot said:
Personally, I think it's overrated. The pay rates are good, but that's about it. The work rules aren't anything special, and they have no company-paid retirement program. Everyone looks at the pay rate and thinks it's a great contract, but what about the 15 hour duty days? No thanks.
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Exactly. Ask some of the legacy guys who've gone through bankruptcy how they feel about company-paid retirement programs.

More on topic, SWA's first day was hardly a failure at LGA. Four separate flights were 43, 37, 47, and 27 minutes early. Do you remember what time of day it was, their flight number, and whether they were inbound or outbound?
 
Justin172 said:
Exactly. Ask some of the legacy guys who've gone through bankruptcy how they feel about company-paid retirement programs.

More on topic, SWA's first day was hardly a failure at LGA. Four separate flights were 43, 37, 47, and 27 minutes early. Do you remember what time of day it was, their flight number, and whether they were inbound or outbound?
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Justin,

Would be a wild guess to assume that you did not read some of the following posts of this very thread? Further, would I be way out in RIGHT-field if you did not understand the differences between an A-Fund or B-Fund retirement plan?
 
Justin172 said:
Four separate flights were 43, 37, 47, and 27 minutes early. Do you remember what time of day it was, their flight number, and whether they were inbound or outbound?
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Those numbers mean nothing. Do you know how much padding (or over-block) they built into the schedule? I imagine a lot. Most airlines over-block LGA for "just-in-case" time.
 
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