As an AA employee, please let me jump in here...
No never applied to SWA as they were just a smaller version of the podunk airline they are today. In fact SWA was a blip back then and I think the return to earth is starting to shape up at SWA.
I'm sure that SWA is bereft that you chose not to grace them with your application. Must be why all their employees always wear black armbands.
As to being a podunk airline, based on what criteria? They make the most money. They have the most loyal customers. They have, obviously, the most loyal, contented, happy workforce of any major airline in the U.S. A number of their long-time employees--and I'm talking pilots, flight attendants, mechanics, gate agents, etc--are millionaires due to the stock they have been
given over the years. Is your stock in UAUA worth millions? Mine in AMR certainly isn't. Do you even have stock in UAUA. If that is a podunk operation, I would wish that AA become more podunk, thank you very much.
One of the lowest number of seats filled for the majors airlines and SWA continues to add seats at a pace that does not keep up with traffic. Too many experiments going on with service to cities SWA can not sustain and the hedges are starting to dwindle. This shaping up to be a nice picture for those that have seen SWA ride the coat tails of every other carriers labor negotiations over the past 30 years.
You just keep telling yourself that lie that SWA is doomed. What really gets your panties in a wad is that their load factor is, in fact, down, but they just reported record quarterly profits. As to the experiments with "service to cities they can't sustain," can you be more specific? Particularly in light of the record profits. Truth is that SWA has their operations down to a science where they can try out service to a city and if it doesn't work, they can go elsewhere. No fault, no foul. No Biggie.
If you mean IAD as "cities", let's face it. They are just maintaining a presence there to irritate you. If they decided to move into IAD in a big way, the rest of us would lose domestic traffic there. Just as we have in any other city to which SWA has provided service.
Tired of spending my dues dollars to give benefit to SWA. Also, just read that ALPA is charging SWA for technical services releated to the MDW accident. I hope the going rate helps make up for some of the gives SWA has gotten from ALPA over the years.
Here again, you just keep telling yourself these lies if it lets you sleep better at night. Doesn't make any of it true. For the same a/c (737), SWA pilots probably make more than any other airline. My guess is that the next time your contract is up for negotiation, your MEC is going to be riding the coattails of SWA in demanding parity. And, since parity with 737 a/c will mean comparable raises for UAUA pilots on larger a/c, exactly who is going to be riding whose coattails and getting help from whom?
Oh, and as far as you and I have International service and SWA doesn't, let's wait and see what happens when Open Skies takes effect and Ryan Air and others start their low-cost, low-budget, no-frills service across the pond. I have a feeling that those of us at the "major" airlines are going to be cutting amenities left and right just to stay in the game.
The truth is that we are all Greyhound busses in the sky to most people today. Yes, we have F/C, and we have customers who will fly in that cabin regardless of cost. But, none of us can make it if the back of the bus is always empty.
Have a nice day.
