Why would anyone come here now? Serious Q
#11
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Mar 2017
Position: Student of the game
Posts: 1,026
If you live in a skywest base or rpa base yeah less reason to come to spirit. If you live in a spirit base not commuting is the biggest qol factor. Line holder at the regional has frozen at basically early 2022 or late 2021 hire. Regionals losing lines at every base because they can’t staff the planes with captains. Right now at rpa is at least a year on reserve and it’s a year on reserve with little to no flying is the bigger issue. So commuting to just sit in a hotel or crash pad for a week is much worse than a new hire would have at spirit imo. Some people want to get paid to sit around not working. I’d much rather be home if I’m on reserve not being utilized. But I’d much rather go somewhere I’m being utilized and progressing in my career.
#12
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Sep 2022
Posts: 393
If that’s the case it’s because I’ll be sitting at home chillen instead of commuting 12hrs to and from base spending spending 7 days away from home on a 6 day reserve schedule. I’m ok making less money if it means not commuting not spending money on hotels or ****ty crashpads. At the very least while all my friends are sitting around not flying on reserve and finishing year one with 150hrs I’m expecting to be around 700-800hrs around the same time. Idc about racing to upgrade. If I’m here long enough to upgrade or become a jet blue pilot great, I’m not racing out the door. But if I get time quick enough and get an offer from a legacy that’s ultimately my goal. The sooner I can build more time the sooner I can be picked up. If I can get to a legacy in 2-3 year vs 5-6 staying at a regional it’s worth it to have made the jump to spirit.
#13
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Sep 2021
Posts: 169
*MOST* being the key word there but ERJ line holders at Skywest and republic are getting 15-16 days off and 85-90 hours credit @ $90+ an hour. Sorry but the QOL argument has gone by the wayside as well. They also aren’t doing 10hr 3 day and 15 4 day trips like we are doing here at Spirit.
#14
On Reserve
Joined APC: Jan 2022
Posts: 16
So there’s a couple reasons why I came to spirit.
First and foremost is a base, and that’s a huge reason for a lot of us. I didn’t commute long but for the time I did I could see it wouldn’t be sustainable long term for me.
Second, it’s a gamble. I was a line holder at a regional that hasn’t met current rates still, so if I stayed I’d make the same next year essentially that I will at spirit. Plus if the economy gets hit next year I feel a little more secure at NK. I took the chance now because I’m afraid the music will stop. I figure with training and OE I’d essentially take about 3-3.5 months off flying and making time, which I was willing to accept
Lastly I am a JetBlue fan, but the base I’m im for B6 is decently senior. But if we do end up merging which seems more and more likely to actually happen I’ll be here probably around 3-4 years by that point if I stay, hopefully I get either some kind of fence to keep my base or my seniority can just hold it.
All in all it’s a gamble but I feel like I made a vertical move to more stability instead of a lateral move in the regionals. Maybe I leave, maybe I go. Might be a career destination.
First and foremost is a base, and that’s a huge reason for a lot of us. I didn’t commute long but for the time I did I could see it wouldn’t be sustainable long term for me.
Second, it’s a gamble. I was a line holder at a regional that hasn’t met current rates still, so if I stayed I’d make the same next year essentially that I will at spirit. Plus if the economy gets hit next year I feel a little more secure at NK. I took the chance now because I’m afraid the music will stop. I figure with training and OE I’d essentially take about 3-3.5 months off flying and making time, which I was willing to accept
Lastly I am a JetBlue fan, but the base I’m im for B6 is decently senior. But if we do end up merging which seems more and more likely to actually happen I’ll be here probably around 3-4 years by that point if I stay, hopefully I get either some kind of fence to keep my base or my seniority can just hold it.
All in all it’s a gamble but I feel like I made a vertical move to more stability instead of a lateral move in the regionals. Maybe I leave, maybe I go. Might be a career destination.
#15
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: May 2015
Posts: 468
This is purely an opinion. Spirit has lost about 90 pilots to each AA, UA and DL this year. That's only ~270 pilots. That's less than one months' hiring totals at the big 3. Compare that to regional pilots that have gotten on. There is a MUCH larger percentage that have gotten picked up from the regionals. I'd guess that 60-70% of the Spirit pilot group has their apps out. If the legacies really cared about hurting us they would literally just empty the seniority list... But they don't. Many people here aren't getting calls.
No. Year 3 CA pay now at regionals is in the realm of 140-150/hr. Year 3 FO pay here is 122.60. That is NO WHERE close to the same rate. Didn't realize 20-30/hr is splitting hairs.... With the looming merger, if hired now, you won't be upgrading before then. So the quickest anyone is upgrading is atleast 5 years at this point.
There is literally no reason to come to Spirit anymore.
No. Year 3 CA pay now at regionals is in the realm of 140-150/hr. Year 3 FO pay here is 122.60. That is NO WHERE close to the same rate. Didn't realize 20-30/hr is splitting hairs.... With the looming merger, if hired now, you won't be upgrading before then. So the quickest anyone is upgrading is atleast 5 years at this point.
There is literally no reason to come to Spirit anymore.
‘There is literally no reason to come spirit anymore’
‘this is purely and opinion’
just quoting your 2 very ironic posts.
#16
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Apr 2018
Posts: 417
If that’s the case it’s because I’ll be sitting at home chillen instead of commuting 12hrs to and from base spending spending 7 days away from home on a 6 day reserve schedule. I’m ok making less money if it means not commuting not spending money on hotels or ****ty crashpads. At the very least while all my friends are sitting around not flying on reserve and finishing year one with 150hrs I’m expecting to be around 700-800hrs around the same time. Idc about racing to upgrade. If I’m here long enough to upgrade or become a jet blue pilot great, I’m not racing out the door. But if I get time quick enough and get an offer from a legacy that’s ultimately my goal. The sooner I can build more time the sooner I can be picked up. If I can get to a legacy in 2-3 year vs 5-6 staying at a regional it’s worth it to have made the jump to spirit.
#17
New Hire
Joined APC: Feb 2017
Posts: 7
Currently 135 but I am interested for the DFW base. Hoping you guys will have a new pay scale to make the first year manageable by the time I’m ready to apply. Don’t care to hop to a regional in case the music stops, I’d rather be at a larger carrier if that were to happen.
#18
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jan 2007
Posts: 189
It's also absolutely untrue that 'Junior FO's' can't do anything in IOT. Firstly, we both know it depends on your base. Secondly, the only part of the Reserve Grid that goes Red during DoT is weekends; which you shouldn't be expecting to get anyway as a Junior FO. Thirdly, even the first month you can hold a line you can avoid redeyes. Even if you get one, you can downtrade into other trips to avoid such a thing. Could you possibly get one? Sure.
I don't understand why you're talking like the world is about to end, especially when what you said is absolutely untrue or could be true depending upon your particular situation.
It also blows my mind while people talk so much crap about an airline, apparently hate it so much, yet don't leave; especially in this environment.
#19
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Apr 2018
Posts: 417
Reserve is much, much worse at Regionals. Not only that, depending on your base, holding a Line is exponentially better than being at a Regional.
It's also absolutely untrue that 'Junior FO's' can't do anything in IOT. Firstly, we both know it depends on your base. Secondly, the only part of the Reserve Grid that goes Red during DoT is weekends; which you shouldn't be expecting to get anyway as a Junior FO. Thirdly, even the first month you can hold a line you can avoid redeyes. Even if you get one, you can downtrade into other trips to avoid such a thing. Could you possibly get one? Sure.
I don't understand why you're talking like the world is about to end, especially when what you said is absolutely untrue or could be true depending upon your particular situation.
It also blows my mind while people talk so much crap about an airline, apparently hate it so much, yet don't leave; especially in this environment.
It's also absolutely untrue that 'Junior FO's' can't do anything in IOT. Firstly, we both know it depends on your base. Secondly, the only part of the Reserve Grid that goes Red during DoT is weekends; which you shouldn't be expecting to get anyway as a Junior FO. Thirdly, even the first month you can hold a line you can avoid redeyes. Even if you get one, you can downtrade into other trips to avoid such a thing. Could you possibly get one? Sure.
I don't understand why you're talking like the world is about to end, especially when what you said is absolutely untrue or could be true depending upon your particular situation.
It also blows my mind while people talk so much crap about an airline, apparently hate it so much, yet don't leave; especially in this environment.
#20
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: May 2019
Posts: 988
Currently 135 but I am interested for the DFW base. Hoping you guys will have a new pay scale to make the first year manageable by the time I’m ready to apply. Don’t care to hop to a regional in case the music stops, I’d rather be at a larger carrier if that were to happen.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post