Southwest just cancelled 2/3rds of their flights Today

[froginmn]

Well that figures....since I am currently holding 10,850 shares of that erratic

(censor) in my portfolio.

Bigger humble brag

 

[Eight]

This will eventually present an opportunity LUV stock but I’m thinking it could be another -10% or more by mid next year. This will result in a bad quarterly report and short term reputation. How much are they going to have to spend on this? I’m thinking a lot, not to mention potentially looking into new software and entire system overhaul.

if they follow the same mo as the insurance industry they will just roll out a new patch on their existing software that will actually make things worse

 

[TxFrog1999]

As a programmer, can one of y'all SWA IT geeks explain how one weather event and a handful of cancellations upend a decades old system? I have a feeling there is a lot more to blame for this story than an old COBAL-based system that isn't unique within the industry.

 

[ShadowFrog]

As a programmer, can one of y'all SWA IT geeks explain how one weather event and a handful of cancellations upend a decades old system? I have a feeling there is a lot more to blame for this story than an old COBAL-based system that isn't unique within the industry.

Yes, I too would like to know that. But from what I’ve read so far, here’s cliff notes:

Accountants in charge of airline or as Chief Operating Officer.

 

[Double D]

PICNIC ERROR

Problem in Chair (CEO)
Not in Computer

As a programmer, can one of y'all SWA IT geeks explain how one weather event and a handful of cancellations upend a decades old system? I have a feeling there is a lot more to blame for this story than an old COBAL-based system that isn't unique within the industry.

 

[NewFrogFan]

I'm just a customer. An occasional business and personal flyer. And I mostly fly Southwest, especially for personal travel. Was thrilled when they finally expanded to my local airport (COS) a couple of years ago. Led to reduced fares on all airlines, allowing a million-person market to avoid a 1.5-hour drive to get a reasonable fare.

I loved the Southwest model under Kelleher, and the current SWA model is worlds better than Frontier's tiresome nickel-and-dime approach to value-oriented travel. I'll gladly resume flying SWA when it gets through the crisis. I just don't want to hear pilots--for SWA or others--pointing fingers when they have inconvenienced customers as part of their labor negotiating strategy. That's a choice, just like management's choice not to replace scheduling software. You make choices, you live with consequences. I just don't think pilots should position themselves as the champion of the consumer when they occasionally use consumers for personal advantage.

Using consumers for a ”personal advantage” is illegal, I’ve never done it. I notice you quite clearly never mentioned ANYTHING about a very obvious tactic used by “management” on EVERY contract I was a part of in 34 years, they expire and it magically takes 2-4 years to agree to a new one. Employees get real sick of that tactic, real fast. I expect you don’t GAS about any of that but are completely stunned no one goes an extra inch to get “you” where you want to go. My airline just this year, FOR THE FIRST TIME, instituted holiday pay for those pilots working the holidays. There are other groups that have always had it. “We” asked, they said NO every one of my 34 years. Funny, this year, almost no crew problems for crew schedule, hmmmmm. Make no mistake, this SWA debacle, the largest in their history has NOTHING to do with employees, many of which are stuck all over the system. Over my career AA easily went one complete cycle on a previous contract that almost 100% of the time seriously lagged the major competition. The demand for pilots is at a historical level never seen before due to a generation hitting 65 all at once. You hear nothing about the efforts to “lower the standards” at the bottom of the industry or increase the age at the top. It used to be 60, now they want 68, tell me which one of those is a good deal for pax? Then again, write your congressman and ask them why Federally employed ATC controllers still must retire at 56.

You mention Frontier and their Spirit Airlines cheap model they employ. The internet “consumer” unknowingly wished for and got what they wanted. I would not have worked for either.

 

[The Frog to be Named Later]

Using consumers for a ”personal advantage” is illegal, I’ve never done it. I notice you quite clearly never mentioned ANYTHING about a very obvious tactic used by “management” on EVERY contract I was a part of in 34 years, they expire and it magically takes 2-4 years to agree to a new one. Employees get real sick of that tactic, real fast. I expect you don’t GAS about any of that but are completely stunned no one goes an extra inch to get “you” where you want to go. My airline just this year, FOR THE FIRST TIME, instituted holiday pay for those pilots working the holidays. There are other groups that have always had it. “We” asked, they said NO every one of my 34 years. Funny, this year, almost no crew problems for crew schedule, hmmmmm. Make no mistake, this SWA debacle, the largest in their history has NOTHING to do with employees, many of which are stuck all over the system. Over my career AA easily went one complete cycle on a previous contract that almost 100% of the time seriously lagged the major competition. The demand for pilots is at a historical level never seen before due to a generation hitting 65 all at once. You hear nothing about the efforts to “lower the standards” at the bottom of the industry or increase the age at the top. It used to be 60, now they want 68, tell me which one of those is a good deal for pax? Then again, write your congressman and ask them why Federally employed ATC controllers still must retire at 56.

You mention Frontier and their Spirit Airlines cheap model they employ. The internet “consumer” unknowingly wished for and got what they wanted. I would not have worked for either.

I escaped AA 15 years ago for many of the reasons you describe. Haven’t looked back and its usually a two scotch rant…. Who knew this thread would turn into airline pilot central (you’re welcome for no acronym)?

 

[HFrog1999]

 

[JogginFrog]

Using consumers for a ”personal advantage” is illegal, I’ve never done it. I notice you quite clearly never mentioned ANYTHING about a very obvious tactic used by “management” on EVERY contract I was a part of in 34 years, they expire and it magically takes 2-4 years to agree to a new one. Employees get real sick of that tactic, real fast. I expect you don’t GAS about any of that but are completely stunned no one goes an extra inch to get “you” where you want to go. My airline just this year, FOR THE FIRST TIME, instituted holiday pay for those pilots working the holidays. There are other groups that have always had it. “We” asked, they said NO every one of my 34 years. Funny, this year, almost no crew problems for crew schedule, hmmmmm. Make no mistake, this SWA debacle, the largest in their history has NOTHING to do with employees, many of which are stuck all over the system. Over my career AA easily went one complete cycle on a previous contract that almost 100% of the time seriously lagged the major competition. The demand for pilots is at a historical level never seen before due to a generation hitting 65 all at once. You hear nothing about the efforts to “lower the standards” at the bottom of the industry or increase the age at the top. It used to be 60, now they want 68, tell me which one of those is a good deal for pax? Then again, write your congressman and ask them why Federally employed ATC controllers still must retire at 56.

You mention Frontier and their Spirit Airlines cheap model they employ. The internet “consumer” unknowingly wished for and got what they wanted. I would not have worked for either.

Letting expired contracts languish for that length of time is terrible. Sorry for the bad treatment you've experienced. Thanks for getting people like me where they need to go with safety and excellence, and for caring deeply about the health of the industry.

Safe travels to Phoenix, all!

 

[NewFrogFan]

I escaped AA 15 years ago for many of the reasons you describe. Haven’t looked back and its usually a two scotch rant…. Who knew this thread would turn into airline pilot central (you’re welcome for no acronym)?

What did you do? As I look back I wish I would have never left the A-10. I would have missed the money I made but the A-10 “paid” me in ways that generated much more satisfaction. I could have flown that jet well into my 50’s as long as I passed the annual USAFR physical which is 10x more thorough than any FAA airline physical will ever be. Oh well.

 

[steelfrog]

What did you do? As I look back I wish I would have never left the A-10. I would have missed the money I made but the A-10 “paid” me in ways that generated much more satisfaction. I could have flown that jet well into my 50’s as long as I passed the annual USAFR physical which is 10x more thorough than any FAA airline physical will ever be. Oh well.

Steel has got into shooting sports and shot the Air Force qualification course of fire 2 weekends ago; shot a perfect score with a LCR327magnum snubbie. Not that easy with a snubbie, especially the 50 yard shots. Thank goodness for the generous time standards

 

[NewFrogFan]

Steel has got into shooting sports and shot the Air Force qualification course of fire 2 weekends ago; shot a perfect score with a LCR327magnum snubbie. Not that easy with a snubbie, especially the 50 yard shots. Thank goodness for the generous time standards

I always enjoyed the upgraded strafe system we had that has been modified even more w targeting pods. A 9000 foot slant range shot about 100 feet off the ground and approx 2 second squeeze on trigger was 50 big big bullets, WAY better than ANY approach in an airliner, even with HUD’s!


Here is a guy thats’s been in Hawg a real long time. His accomplishment is impossible on active duty.

Fighter Pilot Reaches Historic Milestone: 7000-Hours In The A-10C

Lt. Col. John “Karl” Marks stands in front of an A-10C Thunderbolt II on Sept. 1, 2021 at Whiteman AFB, Mo. Marks reached a historic 7,000 hours in the A-10C and is the longest flying A-10 pilot to date. September 11, 2021 By Maj. Shelley Ecklebe, 442d Fighter Wing Lt. Col. John “Karl”...

lstribune.net

 

[ShadowFrog]

Who knew this thread would turn into airline pilot central (you’re welcome for no acronym)?

Everyone prefers VFR direct.

 

[ShadowFrog]

What did you do? As I look back I wish I would have never left the A-10. I would have missed the money I made but the A-10 “paid” me in ways that generated much more satisfaction.

Hawgs forever

 

[Double D]

DUH!

 

[PurplFrawg]

What did you do? As I look back I wish I would have never left the A-10. I would have missed the money I made but the A-10 “paid” me in ways that generated much more satisfaction. I could have flown that jet well into my 50’s as long as I passed the annual USAFR physical which is 10x more thorough than any FAA airline physical will ever be. Oh well.

I spent 22 yrs, most of it in support of the F-4/F-16 crowd. They were condescending but tolerable. A tour in a C-5 wing which was OK. I was ready to retire and head down the road, but was offered a job putting together a med unit attached to a bunch of A-10 guys at Moody. They were without a doubt the most normal people and far away the most enjoyable of all of the flyers. I wish I had gotten involved with that crowd much earlier on. They treated everyone with respect and were funny as hell. Good times. Oh, and as the med commander, I made sure the medics knew that our job was to keep 'em flying, not grounded.

 

[The Frog to be Named Later]

What did you do? As I look back I wish I would have never left the A-10. I would have missed the money I made but the A-10 “paid” me in ways that generated much more satisfaction. I could have flown that jet well into my 50’s as long as I passed the annual USAFR physical which is 10x more thorough than any FAA airline physical will ever be. Oh well.

Went to defense industry. Worked on AIM-9X, AMRAAM, Paveway, SDB 2… helping the bros win the next one. Bout to dive back in to airline bidness as a regional Direct entry Captain for my last few years. But yes I also passed up an opportunity to fly full time with my guard unit (and an interview w/ FedEx) to go to AA that hind sight being 20/20…..
Woulda shoulda coulda

attack!

 

[The Frog to be Named Later]

I spent 22 yrs, most of it in support of the F-4/F-16 crowd. They were condescending but tolerable. A tour in a C-5 wing which was OK. I was ready to retire and head down the road, but was offered a job putting together a med unit attached to a bunch of A-10 guys at Moody. They were without a doubt the most normal people and far away the most enjoyable of all of the flyers. I wish I had gotten involved with that crowd much earlier on. They treated everyone with respect and were funny as hell. Good times. Oh, and as the med commander, I made sure the medics knew that our job was to keep 'em flying, not grounded.

I remember being a student at LIFT (lead in fighter training, where instructors were from various fighter platforms). You could almost tell what they flew from body language. F-15 prima donnas, F-16 little brother with a chip on shoulder, and Hawg guys were the red headed step child who DGAF.

All over generalized of course. Back to you regularly scheduled programming bitching about SWA…..