The problem isn't the virus. Anyone with half a brain knows this isn't a killer virus. Unless you have COPD or are above 70 it's just a bad flu.

The problem is the global panic.

The President went on TV last night and announced the unprecedented move of suspending travel from Europe (with exceptions). It's not hard to imagine that grounding domestic flights could come soon. Quarantines, shutting down the US economy. People stop discretionary spending (vacations). Colleges are closing. The NCAA tournament is being canceled. The panic is the problem, and it's full blown. If you don't believe me, go to your local Walmart and try to find toilet paper. People are getting ready to hunker down for a few months in their homes.

The airline industry is in trouble. Maybe bigger trouble than any of the downturns before. Because of the panic, not the virus itself. You can play it down and tell people to wash their hands all day, but we have passed the threshold of irrational fear, and it's not going to stop until everyone has had this thing and personally found out they didn't die.

I'm actually a little concerned that every other airline is taking this thing seriously, but our airline is blowing it off and plowing ahead full speed. I think HQ is exhibiting massive overconfidence. This isn't 2008 and we are a very different airline now. If they have a contingency plan, they need to share it, not send hurricane updates every day saying all is well and we are watching it.

I’m a new hire, still waiting for a class date. I know that is going to be likely very delayed now, but I have a job in the meantime.
In talking to all of my friends in the industry, of course this is a hard time and it’s sucks, but I don’t see how it’s going to have long term implications. Once the virus is more contained, people will travel again, and it stands to reason that things should return to “normal”... whatever that actually is.

Because it's going to tip the economy into recession. Most of the great recessions/depressions began with an isolated incident that popped a bubble ready to burst.

That point is well taken. Hopefully it won’t be as bad.

Has allegiant ever furloughed?

Nope......

No and quite the opposite. The seniority list shows hiring every year after 2001 except 2018 (fleet transition training bubble). I don't think many airlines have done the same.

prior to the world-wide apocalypse [covid-19], what was average time for upgrades?

They were advertising 3.5 years for first available (uncommutable middle-of-nowhere micro base) and 7.5 years in any of the bigger, more established ones.