The SWAPA Number

Scope and Section 1 FAQs | Contract 2029 SEP Education

Communications Committee Pilots Matt McCants and Tony Mulhare go over the 26 Frequently Asked Questions from the first 3 weeks of education on Section 1. From important definitions to differences in our competitors' scope language, this is a great summary that leads into our discussion of new fleet possibilities next week.

1.1% (Profit Sharing, Damian Jennette)

Today's SWAPA Number is 1.1%. That's the percentage of pay that Southwest will distribute in profit sharing from 2025.So today we're sitting down with retirement guru and negotiating subject matter expert, Damian Jeanette, about profit sharing, the market-based cash balance plan, and updates to our retirement accounts in 2026.

Section 1 | Contract 2029 SEP Education

Welcome to your Contract 2029 SEP Education series. In this first episode, Negotiating Committee Chair Kurt Heidemann will go over all areas of Section one for our Pilots.
If you have any feedback for us at all, please drop us a line at comm@swapa.org.
Follow us online:Twitter - https://twitter.com/swapapilotsFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/swapa737

7-1-27 ( SEP Process, Jody Reven, Kurt Heidemann)

Today's SWAPA Number is 7/1/27, as in July 1st, 2027. That is when SWAPA has the right to early open negotiations for the next collective bargaining agreement. That may seem like a long way off, but in order to be ready for that moment, the membership must form the outline of what we are trying to achieve, and we do that through a process called Survey, Educate, and Poll.
Joining us today to walk through that process and, more importantly, your role in it, we have a negotiating Committee Chair Kurt Heidemann and President Jody Reven. By the end of this show, you'll understand how your input directly shapes what SWAPA seeks to achieve and why this process matters more than ever.
If you have any feedback for us at all, please drop us a line at comm@swapa.org.
Follow us online:Twitter - https://twitter.com/swapapilotsFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/swapa737

2 (From the Jumpseat, Emanuel Prince, Jared Savage)

Today's SWAPA Number is two because today we're sitting down and telling the stories of two pilots in our ranks that are some of the most powerful we've had the honor of sharing on this show.
Midway First Officer Emanuel Prince grew up on Chicago's west side in a two-bedroom apartment with his eight siblings. While most of his friends were trying to be like Mike, Prince had his heart set on being a pilot. Despite a multitude of challenges during his childhood, Prince landed an internship with McDonald's corporate flight department and never looked back. He burned the candle at both ends for years as a Southwest ground operations employee, building time when he could, but ultimately resigned from the Company to fly for several carriers before finding himself back at Southwest in January of 2024.
Baltimore First Officer Jared Savage grew up in Compton, California. He was raised by his mother and grandmother and grew up with his twin. During his senior year of high school, Jared obtained his private pilot license at the age of 18, the same year he was accepted to Tuskegee University. Unable to afford continuing his flight training, Jared worked as a lineman at Moton Field for almost a year, eventually earning enough money to complete his instrument rating. While finishing his training, he met some key figures in his life that helped him land a scholarship and proceeded to become the first flight instructor for the Red Tail Scholarship Foundation. Jared is still heavily involved with the Red Tail Flight Academy in Tuskegee, Alabama.
The road to the right seat of Southwest Airlines is never easy, but these two stories of overcoming adversity and somehow managing to give back are ones we can all learn from.
If you have any feedback for us at all, please drop us a line at comm@swapa.org.
Follow us online:Twitter - https://twitter.com/swapapilotsFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/swapa737

14% (401K, Mike Haynes, Kevin Sheth)

Today's SWAPA Number is 14%. That's the amount that is recommended to ensure that you maximize your employee contributions and your catch-up contributions before your NEC caps out.So today we're sitting down with two of our resident experts on retirement, staff members, Mike Haynes and Kevin Sheth. Mike and Kevin have a combined 44 years of experience in this world and have a lot of insight to provide on top of what we've communicated so far about the new planned features. But there's no such thing as being too smart on the retirement planning front. So let's dive into what's new in 2026.If you have any feedback for us at all, please drop us a line at comm@swapa.org or tap here to send us a text.Follow us online:Twitter - https://twitter.com/swapapilotsFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/swapa737

400 ( Training & Standards, Greg Bowen, William Bishop)

Today's SWAPA Number is 400. That's the number of new hires we expect on property during the first half of 2026. We're always happy to welcome new pilots to this airline, and these new hires will experience a training program that has gone through a lot of changes in the last couple of years.So today, we're sitting down with Greg Bowen and Willie Bishop from the Training and Standards Committee to talk about the state of AQP, where training is going in 2026, and a lot about VVMI.If you have any feedback for us at all, please drop us a line at comm@swapa.org or tap here to send us a text.Follow us online:Twitter - https://twitter.com/swapapilotsFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/swapa737

The SWAPA Ride Report: AUS & DRR, 401(k) Plan Changes, and the Road Ahead

The latest (and last) episode of the SWAPA Ride Report is up! To be clear, the regularly scheduled programming that is the SWAPA Number podcast will still continue. In fact, we will air our conversation with the SWAPA Training and Standards Committee on Monday, December 22. With all the procedures changes coming next month, this is one you don't want to miss. In today's Ride Report, Communications Committee Chair Matt McCants reviews the relationship between the new Austin domicile and Domicile Right of Return (DRR). AUS is available in CWA, so take a moment to add that to your vacancy bid. He also goes over the optional and mandatory plan changes for your 401(k) in 2026. More education is coming on that front, but take a look at the 401(k) Committee's synopsis to get a feel for whether these plan changes are right for you and your family. This week's Contract Q&A focuses on key legality knowledge. What does a deadhead demote do to your contractually required rest? What could happen if you miss a RAP start? Listen in and find out. We end the show with a sneak preview of the education that sets the stage for the Survey Educate and Poll (SEP) process, including some volunteer opportunities. If you've been looking for a way to get involved, drop us a line at comm@swapa.org and we'll plug you in. You can find this episode of the SWAPA Ride Report on the SWAPA app or your favorite streaming service under The SWAPA Number profile.  Until next time...Fly safe, fly informed.If you have any feedback for us at all, please drop us a line at comm@swapa.org or tap here to send us a text.Follow us online:Twitter - https://twitter.com/swapapilotsFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/swapa737

10 (HIMS, Tom Stanley)

Today's SWAPA Number is 10. That's the percentage of the population that suffers from substance use disorder, and pilots are not an exception to that.So today we're talking to Tom Stanley, chair of the Human Intervention Motivation Study, or HIMS, to get an update on the work his committee does and to remind our pilots of this important resource that can save your career as a pilot at Southwest Airlines.If you have any feedback for us at all, please drop us a line at comm@swapa.org or tap here to send us a text.Follow us online:Twitter - https://twitter.com/swapapilotsFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/swapa737

The SWAPA Ride Report: Deadhead Self-Release, Training Move Up Preference and Contract Q&A

In this week’s edition, SWAPA Communication Committee Member Tony Mulhare discusses the recently implemented Deadhead Self-Release functionality in CrewHub and how to set your training move up preference on either your EFB or via SWALife.  He also provides a timely reminder on where to find Holiday Pay Override information on the payroll report.  This week’s Contract Q&A discusses timelines for when scheduling has to run uncovered flying through the open time process before assigning a reserve, holiday pay overrides and trip trading, a question on added flying to the end of a pairing, and more.If you have any feedback for us at all, please drop us a line at comm@swapa.org or tap here to send us a text.Follow us online:Twitter - https://twitter.com/swapapilotsFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/swapa737