I honestly think the company has SOMETHING in the works, but it's less flying than what we had with Delta. Rather than start furloughing now, and dropping the excess, they're letting the natural attrition from the uncertainty happen, to hopefully come to a balancing point. They're paying some excess salaries now, but they won't have to furlough or pay unemployment this way.

Yes, they're still going to job fairs and training, but at the rate it appears they're putting people through classes, it's hardly enough to make a scratch in the current/forecasted attrition.

Most of my reasoning for this comes from the fact that the company has done almost nothing to try to keep people. They've said like twice in the company calls that it might be worth it to stick around? If they had something big coming, you'd think they'd be working harder to keep people, but management seems pretty content with the rate at which people are leaving.

Yeah.

Typical hire til you fire. The monthly new hire class of 2-4 isn’t even a drop in their bucket. Sending a recruiter to some flying school: chump change. It’s a cheap illusion to put on just to keep enough people here to fly the last of the eagle birds.

I just don’t know how you can think they’re trying to retain pilots. They’ve literally said verbatim: “We can afford to lose some pilots.” And “If you have an opportunity with your dream job, you should take it.”

Attrition has suddenly spiked and we ain’t seen nothing yet. August - December 2019: “lost a good amount.”
January 2020: “hold my beer”

Uhh..

Because they haven’t FURLOUGHED anybody? Yes, I think they can afford to lose some pilots, and getting rid of those that have been here the longest and cost the most, either by flow to Frontier or simply encourage them to take some of the great opportunities out there. But they are still retaining people that they demonstratively don’t not NEED right now. Look at the captains on reserve...

And if/when the MAX gets recertified US majors will need 2000 new hires just to staff the aircraft currently parked.

I love that they have to clarify that if a major calls you shouldn't stick it out at a regional to wait and see what happens

Nothing to do with furloughs. All the late summer/fall CJOs are heading out in January. Don’t take my word for it. When the numbers are published it will be evident.

Alright, I guess retain means something different to me - like in the form of a retention bonus like in the pinnacle, pre-endeavor days. If you ask me, a soft furlough is already taking place. Kicking pilots out of their bases does their dirty work for them. I mean it’s 12 days til Xmas anyway. They’re gonna at least try to wait til the new year before full blown furloughs.

Lol I was scratching my head at that one myself