The SWAPA Number
In each podcast we explore a number that will help us explain an issue that matters to our Pilots. This might be a scheduling metric, a Company financial number that impacts us, or anything else that has significance to us as SWAPA Pilots.
Episodes
238 episodes
13,561 (2025 Benefits Education, Brent Weisner)
Today's SWAPA Number is 13,561. That's the number of views the Aeromedical and Benefits committee page has received in the last 12 months. So that's roughly each Southwest pilot viewing it once per year, and as we just started open enroll...
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1:04
The SWAPA Ride Report: Open Enrollment, Implementation updates and Contract Q&A
In this week’s edition, Communications Committee Member Tony Mulhare discusses the SWAPA STD & LTD open enrollment period that begins next Monday and also points to the recent SWAPA Vice President candidate discussion that can be found on s...
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7:10
11 (Benefits, Tony Caparella)
Today's SWAPA number is 11. That's the number of days that the SWAPA Open Enrollment period is available. That runs from October 13th to October 24th, and you have several decisions to make if you wish to change your STD and LTD elections.<...
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29:29
1.32 Million (Budget, Hank Ketchum, Nia Williams, Andrew Rose)
Today's SWAPA Number is 1.32 million. That's the surplus amount that the 2025 budget should end the year with. And 2026 is also planned to be a surplus budget.So today we're sitting down with SWAPA's Second Vice President, Hank Ketchum, ...
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27:55
The SWAPA Ride Report: Elections / Open Enrollment Previews and Contract Q&A
In this week’s episode, Communications Committee Chair Matt McCants previews what’s coming on the Fall General Election ballot. With nominations closing September 29th, he covers the process for submitting forms, the publication of the candidat...
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9:50
The SWAPA Ride Report: Reserve VDT Implemented, Vacation Bidding and Contract Q&A
In this week’s edition, Casey Casteel from SWAPA Communications discusses implementation of Reserve VDT in CWA and how the Reserve Preferences page has changed. She gives a rundown of Reserve VDT provisions as well as some of the initial ...
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8:26
14 (Constitution Modernization, Michael Santoro, Kevin Reece)
Today's SWAPA Number is 14. That's the number of articles in the SWAPA constitution, all of which will have proposed changes as part of a constitution modernization effort, appearing on the ballot in the fall general election.So ...
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38:58
The SWAPA Ride Report: Contract Reopener, Partnerships & PDEW, and Contract Admin Q&A
In this week's SWAPA Ride Report, Communications Committee member Tony Mulhare discusses the company request for a contract reopener as they consider adding Far Interntational routes as well as the new interline agreement with Eva Air. Ne...
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11:33
6 ( EFA, Erich Schnitzler, Greg Auld, Hank Ketchum)
Today's SWAPA number is, six. That's the percent acceleration in RASM or revenue per available seat mile in the fourth quarter that was implied during the second quarter earnings call for Southwest Airlines. Now, that's looking down the road, b...
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Season 6
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Episode 16
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43:43
The SWAPA Ride Report: Contract AI (beta) Tips, Governance Hot Topics, and Scheduling Updates
In this week’s show, Communications Committee Chair Matt McCants goes over the data from
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11:07
401 (Retirement Roundtable, Andrew Payne, Brian August, Damian Jennette)
Today’s SWAPA Number is 401 as in 401(k). But this episode isn’t a podcast, it’s an audio visual presentation. While some may be able to follow the myriad of numbers that come with a retirement discussion, a picture paints a thousand words. So ...
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Season 6
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Episode 15
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1:02
The SWAPA Ride Report: SWAPA Pay Audit, Fall Schedule Adjustments & Contract Q&A
In this week’s edition, Communications Committee Member Tony Mulhare makes a pitch to the membership to use the SWAPA Pay Audit tool on the website or the app instead of calling Contract Admin first, allowing them to focus on high priority cont...
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10:05
721 (CIRT, Dave West)
Today's SWAPA Number is 721. That's the number of cases your critical incident response team, or CIRT, fielded in 2024. Now, that's a lot. Almost to a day, but they range in subject matters when it comes to what happened to trigger a call to CI...
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Season 6
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Episode 14
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24:39
The SWAPA Ride Report: 401(k) Plan Transfer, Scheduling Updates, and Contract Q&A
In this week’s show, Communications Committee Chair Matt McCants walks the membership through the upcoming opportunity to transfer your Profit Sharing Account at Empower to the Southwest Airlines Pilots Retirement Savings Plan at Schwab. He als...
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8:14
42 (SWAPAfamily, Jean Peck, Caitlin Bute)
Today's SWAPA Number is 42. That's how many events SWAPAfamily has held over the last 10 years. So on today's show we talked to Outreach Chair Jean Peck and committee member Caitlin Bute about the genesis for the committee, what's on the immedi...
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Season 6
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Episode 13
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26:56
The SWAPA Ride Report: RPP & PBR, Pay Audit Tool update and Contract Q&A
In this week’s edition, Communications Committee Member Tony Mulhare takes the membership through the connection between the Reserve Proffer Process and Premium Before Reserve. He also gives an update on the addition of the SWAPA Pa...
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7:35
11 (Project LIFT, Ty Dimeff)
Today's SWAPA Number is 11. That's the number of pilots we've lost to suicide since 2019. And while that's not an easy thing to say out loud, ignoring it won't make the number smaller. Mental health just isn't at the forefront of the greater na...
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Season 6
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Episode 12
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34:18
The SWAPA Ride Report: Scheduling Tools On Deck + Release to Check In Q&A
In this week’s show, Communications Director Amy Robinson hits the high points of new scheduling features like
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9:28
49-114 (Security & Cockpit Defense, Brian Hagedorn, John Nolan)
Today's SWAPA number is 49-114. That's the section of US Code that guides the operations of the TSA. Today, we are sitting down with Brian Hagedorn and John Nolan from the Security and Cockpit Defense Committee to talk about upcoming changes to...
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Season 6
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Episode 11
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32:36
The SWAPA Ride Report: Red-Eye CQT Pulls, VA Shift Strategies & The China Airlines Partnership
In this week’s extended episode, Communications Committee Chair Matt McCants explains the new expectations for red-eye pairings when it comes to QOL TR pulls during a CQT month. He also goes deep on all things vacation shifting and how shifts h...
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18:04
537 (Scheduling & Analytics, Scott Plyler, Meagan Nelan)
Today's SWAPA Number is 537. That's the number of pilots that have used Release to Check-in since it was implemented on April 1st. So today we are sitting down with Scott Plyler and Meagan Nelan from the Scheduling and Analytics committee to di...
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Season 6
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Episode 10
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35:21
The SWAPA Ride Report: ICYMI, Coming Soon, and Contract Q&A
In this week’s episode, Communications Committee Chair Matt McCants points back to highlights in the bevvy of information we covered in the BOD meeting recap and teases the upcoming deep dive with the SAC. Also in this episode: a heads-up on th...
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7:51
1,200 (Professional Standards, Jon Ross)
Today's SWAPA Number is 1200. That's the number of cases that Professional Standards has worked in the last 12 months. That's about 100 per month or about three a day. Those are high numbers and well within our control, but we'd much rather see...
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Season 6
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Episode 9
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31:32
The SWAPA Ride Report: DRR Process Explained, Updated Pay Audit and More
In this week’s edition, Captain Tony Mulhare takes the membership through some recently implemented contract touches, updates to the automated release to check in process as well as SWAPA pay audit improvements. He also does a...
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7:52
