CincoDeMayo

I think if the merger is not approved, NK goes into cost savings mode and looks for another buyer. Ted has been trying to sell since 2017/2016, the Board clearly wants this and I would assume another buyer would be found. This current DOJ might be out in 1 year anyways, so a new administration might not have the same roadblocks up. And then there is always F9 and Franke...

One thing I know is bottom of any seniorty list is not where I want to be. We all know this industry is up/down, wash rinse and repeat; I worry about what I can control and thats about it. If anyone thinks pilot pay is going to just go up and up, without and reversal, they have not been paying attention the last 40+ years. This career has always been the illusion of stability with the present reality of how cruel it can be to some; personally I wish I would have taken a different career path 20 years ago, but it is what it is. I control what I can and thats about it

TOGALOCK

I’m a former F9 Capt that’s now at UAL. To give a little perspective on this thought.. Remember that at a multi fleet airline your global seniority has far less impact on your bidding power than at a single fleet airline. If you aspire to be a 777 captain with weekends and holidays off, sure. That’s a high bar. But legacy narrowbody FO pay is nearly approaching ULCC captain pay at the moment. I’ve been at UAL a little over six months and I already have Xmas eve and day off as well as two other weekends that I needed off (and I’m not in a particularly junior base).

Of course doing what’s best for you and those that you depend on you comes first in your decision. However, I’ve found that a lot of the arguments that people made for not leaving for a legacy to be false. I was well above 50% seniority at F9, so being furlough fodder again is a real concern. But literally every..single..thing has been better outside of that.

This industry has been kicking me in the teeth in one way or another for nearly 25 years now. So I’m not just speaking from some rosy, freshly minted pilot/riddle grad perspective. Leaving is a risk. Staying is a risk. Take the risk that is best for you and yours. Don’t stay locked in your room in a burning building out of fear because you might break an ankle when you jump out the window.

That said, if you’re happy, there absolutely nothing wrong with a career at NK, F9, JetBlue, etc.

CatPilot1

if this merger isn’t approved, we will be gobbled up by another carrier 100% at a later date. Airline consolidation is in everyone’s future. Just like the phone/cable/hotel companies consolidated, so will the airlines. It’s what black rock wants in the end anyway. If this merger doesn’t go through it’s because black rock has other plans for us, not what silly Judge Young thinks.

Bluesteal

I agree with this. If NK ends up filing bankruptcy, i can see one of the big 3 gobbling up NK. Ual or DL throwing a lifeline to bankrupt airline and buying them is more likely. Things are very different when an airline is in bankruptcy. 200+ Airbuses and 3500 pilots wont be going on the street LOL

Noisecanceller

Frontier- That’s all that’s left and would be the worst possible outcome.

Pay doesn’t always go up and up, that’s true. But when the back slide happens it helps to be at or near the top of the pay amongst the other airlines. Yes you may fall further but ultimately you’ll still end up higher than the Frontiers and allegiants of the world which is where we are headed imo if this doesn’t go through.

Noisecanceller

Doesnt give you any leverage in a seniority list integration either. I don’t know how that would go down between two Alpa carriers with one in bankruptcy and an all narrowbody fleet. My guess is something along the lines of “take this deal now or we will wait it out and you all can apply for for jobs when spirit shuts its doors”. But again I have no idea.

PNWFlyer

As long as SWA doesn’t buy Spirit and SLI would be negotiated according to ALPA merger policy. If SWA buys you ask an AirTran pilot what will happen.

Excargodog

If SWA wanted Airbuses they wouldn't have strong armed Boeing into building the MAX.

Noisecanceller

I understand what ALPA merger policy is. One carrier being bankrupt and 1/5th the size and all narrowbody isn’t going to bode well in the eyes of an arbitrator.

SSlow

Perhaps, but the other option is starting over from zero on first year pay with no seniority