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Spirit announced today the furlough of 20 Airbus Captains and 45 First Officiers system wide starting August 1st. Here we go...

Damn you beat me to it!!!

To: All ACY/FLL/LGA/SJU First Officers
From: Jim Monahan, SR Director—Crew Resources
Date: 6/16/08
Subject: Voluntary Furloughs
Effective August 1, 2008, Spirit will be reducing the size of the FLL Pilot Base by
twenty (20) Captains and twenty-five (25) First Officers. These changes will result in the
involuntary furlough of approximately forty-five (45) First Officers system-wide. As
some of the most junior First Officers in the system currently hold flying positions in the
above specified bases, pursuant to Section 23 A.2., the Company is soliciting “voluntary
furloughs” from First Officers at those bases.
The number of actual system-wide furloughs for AUG will be reduced by the amount
of any voluntary furloughs awarded.
Please accept my election to be granted a Voluntary Furlough effective August 1,
2008.

I thought there were no plans on doing so 2 weeks ago.

2 weeks ago there were. 3 weeks ago there were not. HAHA :rolleyes:

I wonder if those Riddle kids make the cut?

I wonder if those Riddle kids make the cut?

Who gives a sh!t whether or not they did?

Who gives a sh!t whether or not they did?

probably those who are getting furloughed........................

I wonder if those Riddle kids make the cut?

I havent looked that closely at the list, but I believe they are very close to that number....depends how many take a voluntary.

Spirit announced today the furlough of 20 Airbus Captains and 45 First Officiers system wide starting August 1st. Here we go...

45 furloughs system wide, 20 captain downgrades system wide.....yikes!!!!

Sorry to all affected, However that really is not too many considering everyone else. Still sucks.

Sorry to all affected, However that really is not too many considering everyone else. Still sucks.

Almost 10% of the pilot group puts it in perspective a bit better. It's a decent size cut for the Spirit guys.

It will happen again in September very likely. That was just the first wave. I made the cut but if it continues like this...

Sorry to all affected, However that really is not too many considering everyone else. Still sucks.

How many pilots does Spirit have?....percentage wise, it is probably close to what others will furlough...have not read what others are announcing yet...still negotiating.

I wonder if those Riddle kids make the cut?

What difference does that make?

What difference does that make?

Because, like Whitney Houston said..."The children are our future"....or was that R. Kelly?

Good luck to all affected.

AL

What difference does that make?

It would be a shame if they hang on, meanwhile guys who worked at a regional for however many years to make the move, now get furloughed............just seems BS to me if that were to happen..........

(not wishing anyone to get furloughed, but I am sure a 21yr old Riddle Grad can "bounce" back a bit more easily then a a guy who has a family etc ...........)

FLAME AWAY all you want but the way I see it, just doesn't seem right, I know seniority is seniority but how they got their number is "unorthodox" at best

From one of my buddies there, they only have about 50 or so Riddle Grads. It is a lot less that many think

It would be a shame if they hang on, meanwhile guys who worked at a regional for however many years to make the move, now get furloughed............just seems BS to me if that were to happen..........

(not wishing anyone to get furloughed, but I am sure a 21yr old Riddle Grad can "bounce" back a bit more easily then a a guy who has a family etc ...........)

FLAME AWAY all you want but the way I see it, just doesn't seem right, I know seniority is seniority but how they got their number is "unorthodox" at best

It would be a shame but aviation is definitely not fair. To me low timers getting hired at the majors is just more evidence that this profession really does not value skill, knowledge or experience anymore.

What defence do any of us have against the future if they can give prime jobs away to people with noting but the ratings and a degree? I am sure that every airline has a few people who get in without the credentials that the rest need to have.

SKyhigh

It will happen again in September very likely. That was just the first wave. I made the cut but if it continues like this...

I dont agree....marketing has made their decision on the fall schedule, and these furloughs were deemed necessary because of that reduction in flying. This is a yearly occurence at Spirit...we always reduce for the fall. We over hired this year with the expectation that the airline would grow this summer. As fuel continued to go up it became obvious that growth at this time was not possible, and therefore we are heavy on pilots. Our a/c are leased, not owned, and so it would not be cost effective to continue to reduce flying beyond what is already planned.

To all those in the group of 45....I am so sorry guys, hope this only lasts a short time.

From one of my buddies there, they only have about 50 or so Riddle Grads. It is a lot less that many think

Actually the class of low time Riddle grads had 12, thats it.

It would be a shame if they hang on, meanwhile guys who worked at a regional for however many years to make the move, now get furloughed............just seems BS to me if that were to happen..........

What it is a shame is how low your envy takes you in a moment like this

(not wishing anyone to get furloughed, but I am sure a 21yr old Riddle Grad can "bounce" back a bit more easily then a a guy who has a family etc ...........)

this shows your ignorance about them. Some of them have families

@Saab - I totally understand your point of view but if we go with your logic, you should know that some of those "Riddle Kids" are married with kids.

Ooo yeaa, and mine is just pregnant. :(

What it is a shame is how low your envy takes you in a moment like this



this shows your ignorance about them. Some of them have families

not quite........

Quote:
Originally Posted by emj55 http://www.airlinepilotforums.com/images/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://www.airlinepilotforums.com/showthread.php?p=396321#post396321)
Spirit Airlines President Says No Layoffs Planned


POSTED: 3:19 pm EDT June 3, 2008
UPDATED: 8:48 pm EDT June 3, 2008



MIAMI -- The president of Spirit Airlines said Tuesday the carrier has no plans for layoffs, despite reports that implied it is laying off half of its employees.
According to letters released Tuesday by union leaders, the airline may lay off or move up to 60 percent of its flight attendants and 45 percent of its pilots in an effort to cut costs and deal with soaring fuel prices.
The Miramar-based discount carrier wrote in the notification letters that it plans to close its hubs in New York's LaGuardia Airport and San Juan, Puerto Rico, and shrink its main Fort Lauderdale hub by Aug. 1. The airline is also closing its Detroit hub for flight attendants, according to the letters.
Spirit told NBC 6 no layoffs are planned. The airline's hub will stay in Fort Lauderdale, but the carrier may relocate crews to different cities to save money.
The letters, required by law under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, were sent out Friday by Jeff Carlson, the airline's vice president of flight operations. Carlson wrote in the letters that the airline will furlough or displace up to 448 flight attendants and 242 pilots.
"It's kind of unfortunate that it got put out that way," said Spirit President and CEO Ben Baldanza.
He said the letters began as a precaution to keep the airline alive and then became a rumor that the carrier was dying.
"The Spirit management team, the owners of Spirit and all of the employees of Spirit are completely committed to working through a very tough economic environment with high fuel prices, doing what it takes to keep the airline stable, solid and growing over time, and that's exactly what we're all here to do 24-7," he said.
Baldanza said the airline will not raise airfares and has no plans to cut any routes. He said the carrier is even adding new destinations.
"If we make the actual decision to shrink at all -- to reduce one frequency on one route or return some airplanes or do anything -- if we made that decision, which we have not made yet, we would absolutely talk to all the employees affected directly about that change and what that meant for them," he said.
But the letters sparked concern from the pilot and flight attendants unions.
"It was utter shock," said Sean Creed, chairman of the Spirit Airlines pilots union. "To say I am disappointed would be an understatement. We are devastated."
Spirit has about 540 pilots.
As many as 240 attendants could be affected in Fort Lauderdale, 141 in Detroit, 15 in New York and 52 in San Juan, according to letters sent to Patricia Friend, international president of the Association of Flight Attendants. Spirit has about 750 flight attendants.
"These are the worst case scenario numbers," said Corey Caldwell, spokeswoman for the Association of Flight Attendants, the union that represents Spirit's attendants. "It's likely the ultimate number will be less, but it kind of popped out of nowhere."
Spirit spokeswoman Misty Pinson said the notices were necessary to comply with the WARN Act.
"We have made no final decisions about reductions, if any, but to maintain flexibility, we will need to continue to evaluate our overall flying this fall during our lowest demand period of the year if fuel prices remain at record levels," she wrote in an e-mail.
Creed said he has been flooded with calls from concerned pilots, who were listed by name and title in the letters.
"It's very difficult, as a pilot, if you lose your job to go find another one," Creed said. "Pilots are worried about their future."
Baldanza said the airline is getting ready to make changes to deal with the tough economic times but has not committed to anything. He said the carrier plans to grow over the next few months.
"In a fast-changing economic environment, generally the people who survive and the people who win out of that environment are those who are the lowest cost producers of their product," he said. "And Spirit is the lowest-cost producer of its product everywhere we fly, and therefore, if you're going to bet on any airline for the fall, Spirit is the kind of airline to bet on."
The airline industry is struggling to overcome with record fuel prices.
"Fuel is pushing up to be 50 percent of our total cost and that compares to less than 20 percent just a few years ago," Baldanza said.
Last month, American Airlines said it would cut domestic flight capacity by 11 percent to 12 percent in the fourth quarter, after the peak summer season is over.
Delta Air Lines said in March that it would offer voluntary severance payouts to roughly 30,000 employees -- more than half its work force -- and cut U.S. capacity by an extra 5 percent. The Atlanta-based carrier said last week that more than 3,000 people took the package, and Delta will accept all the volunteers.
Spirit, which is privately owned, flies to 36 cities in the U.S., Latin America and the Caribbean. The carrier employs about 2,200 people and has hubs in Detroit and Fort Lauderdale. Spirit is one of the largest carriers at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. Related Articles:

On the other hand, the overseas contract consultant I am employed with met with spirit management this week and was told he would have 160 "contacts" by the end of June.
Yeah, I believe the management guys..........
http://www.airlinepilotforums.com/images/statusicon/user_online.gif http://www.airlinepilotforums.com/images/buttons/report.gif (http://www.airlinepilotforums.com/report.php?p=396386)

I posted this response at the beginning of June, in the same week that spirit management said there would be no layoffs, I said that there would be 160 laid off by the end of june. That 160 number is still in play and will be announced by the end of the summer. The overseas contract agent that represents me met with spirit managers the same week that they made their "no layoff lie". Spirit made it clear to him that he would have 160 new pilots (furloughed spirit pilots) to find jobs for overseas.
The spirit furloughs are only starting.

Is it official that they are letting pilots go? If so, how many?

It would be a shame but aviation is definitely not fair. To me low timers getting hired at the majors is just more evidence that this profession really does not value skill, knowledge or experience anymore.

What defence do any of us have against the future if they can give prime jobs away to people with noting but the ratings and a degree? I am sure that every airline has a few people who get in without the credentials that the rest need to have.

SKyhigh


Welcome to the real world. It's about the same in other industries. You should know this by now.

Quote:Spirit made it clear to him that he would have 160 new pilots (furloughed spirit pilots) to find jobs for overseas.
The spirit furloughs are only starting.

@wxyz - Are you saying Spirit is trying to divert a few jobs overseas for a specific contract? I may have misunderstood.

From one of my buddies there, they only have about 50 or so Riddle Grads. It is a lot less that many think

If we were talking about 50 out of 10,000...it's not a lot.

But 50 out of 541 is a significant number. Just shy of 10% of anything (just like the number of furloughs) is large.

It would be a shame if they hang on, meanwhile guys who worked at a regional for however many years to make the move, now get furloughed............just seems BS to me if that were to happen..........

(not wishing anyone to get furloughed, but I am sure a 21yr old Riddle Grad can "bounce" back a bit more easily then a a guy who has a family etc ...........)

FLAME AWAY all you want but the way I see it, just doesn't seem right, I know seniority is seniority but how they got their number is "unorthodox" at best

Having been furloughed 4 times in my airline career, there are few things I can add from experience:

When an airline hands out furlough notices, they...

Don't care what school you attended..
Don't care how much total time you have
Don't care that your brother's uncle's neighbor's daughter's friend is the Chief Pilot
Don't care if you are the Ace of the Base or a crummy pilot.

The reality is...
You are without a paycheck and your bills don't stop.
The mouths at home to feed, still need feeding.
Your self-esteem is knocked back considerably.
Aviation jobs are usually scarce since most airlines furlough in concert because of cyclical, economic downturns.


Not all Riddle grads are 21 years old either. Some are older like me and have families. If your bone of contention is with ERAU or the "unorthodox" way they got their job, write to the HR/Flt Ops at Spirit. But leave the berating of recently furloughed pilots whether they be ERAU, UND, FIT, Purdue, OSU, Military, or Joe's FBO...leave the insults out. If you read my paragraph above you can see they have enough to deal with.

And yes, I am a double alum from that over-priced, flying school in Daytona.

Flifast

I used to jumpseat from DTW to TPA on Spirit and was always treated great. I hope your furloughes are rescinded or are very short in duration.

Not all Riddle grads are 21 years old either. Some are older like me and have families. If your bone of contention is with ERAU or the "unorthodox" way they got their job, write to the HR/Flt Ops at Spirit. But leave the berating of recently furloughed pilots whether they be ERAU, UND, FIT, Purdue, OSU, Military, or Joe's FBO...leave the insults out. If you read my paragraph above you can see they have enough to deal with.

And yes, I am a double alum from that over-priced, flying school in Daytona.


As a UND grad, I kind of get where Saab was coming from. If I was at at major right now, I could definitely understand why a pilot, who has been in this industry much longer, could be angry at me getting into my position. The one thing I've learned is nothing compares to actual 121 experience.

While I don't blame the Riddle grads for taking the Spirit job, I can definitely see why people would be upset at them getting it so quickly. I for one think its a good thing to pay your dues at a regional or where ever you go. Sort of builds your character up a lot better than if you hadn't. JMHO

Tpersuit,

Your point is well taken.

But Saab comes across as having a beef with these grads because they are Riddle grads. If this program was exclusive to UND would your perspective change about the program ?

I mean, really, who cares where they came from, some will be losing their jobs based on inverse seniority. Does the "f" word care if you have 10,000 hrs or 350 hrs, Nope. Should the furloughed guy with 10,000 hrs begrudge someone with a lot less experience who was hired before them and is able to remain on property ? Each person probably has a different answer.

What about the pilot with 10,000 hrs that cant get an interview because he/she has no PIC time. However, an RJ Capt with 4,000 hrs or a military pilot with 2500 hrs can (No, I'm not knocking the RJ/mil guys...just relax).

To me, getting a job at any airline is as much an art form as it is scientific and empirical.

Tpersuit, you do have a valid point, well taken. However, mine is, who cares where they came from, especially if they're losing their jobs...and no they aren't all 21 years old.

Secondly, if this opportunity was offered at ERAU, UND, or U of FF, which one of us would turn it down and say, I'm not ready, I'll wait another 6-8 more years when I am ready. I doubt very many would turn down this opportunity. I know I wouldn't.

Finally, and I mean no offense, but what does you being a UND grad have to do with your point ? UND is a fine instituition and at UPS I've flown with their alumni. Doesn't UND have some kind of airline ab initio with Northwest ? If so, or if ever, what's the difference ?

Just curious.

Take care,

FF

@wxyz - Are you saying Spirit is trying to divert a few jobs overseas for a specific contract? I may have misunderstood.


No, all I was trying to point out then, and now is that the Spirit management group made this very deliberate announcement about no furloughs to the employee group. In the same week, they divulged in meetings with this contractor that there would be 160 new people for him to employ overseas. In a sense, the benevolent management team was trying to find jobs for the people who are going out the door, but at the same time, they make this grandiose "no furlough" email to the pilot group.
I posted that information so that the bottom 160 at Spirit would realize they need to dust off the resume, send the suit to the cleaners, stop spending money like a rock star, and prepare for the reality of no income/no job.

In response to the notion of whether this is the first or last furlough notice, keep in mind that Spirit's last layoff (roughly the same number) in 2006 was a direct result of changes in marketing/scheduling combined with short sighted staffing needs. They were going through a fleet change at the time.

This furlough has some similarity but encompasses something more dynamic and may not be the last notice this year. So if you are on the cusp, be pro-active and get ahead of the power curve.

As a former Spirit employee I would like to extend my condolences to all that are affected as a result of these and any future furloughs.

Tpersuit,

Your point is well taken.

But Saab comes across as having a beef with these grads because they are Riddle grads. If this program was exclusive to UND would your perspective change about the program ?

I mean, really, who cares where they came from, some will be losing their jobs based on inverse seniority. Does the "f" word care if you have 10,000 hrs or 350 hrs, Nope. Should the furloughed guy with 10,000 hrs begrudge someone with a lot less experience who was hired before them and is able to remain on property ? Each person probably has a different answer.

What about the pilot with 10,000 hrs that cant get an interview because he/she has no PIC time. However, an RJ Capt with 4,000 hrs or a military pilot with 2500 hrs can (No, I'm not knocking the RJ/mil guys...just relax).


Secondly, if this opportunity was offered at ERAU, UND, or U of FF, which one of us would turn it down and say, I'm not ready, I'll wait another 6-8 more years when I am ready. I doubt very many would turn down this opportunity. I know I wouldn't.


FliFast,

That was somewhat of the point I was trying to get across. I don't think anyone would turn down an opportunity like that, I know I wouldn't. But, I do think it would be better to take it humbly though. I'm not saying any of the Riddle grads don't appreciate it, and I also don't even know the requirements for them to land that job in the first place. I'm assuming it had to be pretty tough.

That said, I think UND is a great institution as well as Riddle. I think Saab's words may have come off harsh, but I can understand why someone would be upset with a recent grad landing a mainline jet job.

Your point about a RJ pilot with 4,000 hours PIC vs. a pilot with 10,000 hours SIC and no PIC is well taken. However, I do think there is a difference coming straight out of flight training vs. getting some real world experience for a while. I thought I would have been ready to fly a 777 straight out of UND, but now looking back at it I kinda appreciate the route I took. There's something fulfilling about taking the hard route. If a easy route's doors opened in front of me though, I think I would still take it.


Finally, and I mean no offense, but what does you being a UND grad have to do with your point ? UND is a fine instituition and at UPS I've flown with their alumni. Doesn't UND have some kind of airline ab initio with Northwest ? If so, or if ever, what's the difference ?



Not that I am aware of. If that is so, I would be all over that since the Delta/NWA combo would be my dream job right now with the bases they both have. We do have reduced minimums with Mesaba and Pinnacle. I know Pinnacle was taking some of our grads with 200 hours total and 25 hours multi. Some even left before they graduated. Not to sure if they should have done that, but they did.

Ya know I read through some of these posts and laugh at some of your comments. "I went to UND," "he went to ER." Who the hell cares? People are getting furloughed and all you can talk about is where someone came from? Unbelievable.

Ya know I read through some of these posts and laugh at some of your comments. "I went to UND," "he went to ER." Who the hell cares? People are getting furloughed and all you can talk about is where someone came from? Unbelievable.

I agree! All this fuss because of 8 ab-initio pilots that came from ERAU? The fact is that they made it through training and are qualified in the eyes of the company and FAA. Just like the rest of us. They are part of the seniority list. They are our fellow pilots and ALPA members. Many of us are now getting furloughed and nobody deserves that. Period.
Geez folks..There is much going on for us to be worried about this kind of stuff.

Fly the contract and fly safe!

Ya know I read through some of these posts and laugh at some of your comments. "I went to UND," "he went to ER." Who the hell cares? People are getting furloughed and all you can talk about is where someone came from? Unbelievable.

Nobody cares. Since you read through my comments without reading what they were in response to, you can't get a true feeling for the context they were said in.

I have said it before, it does not matter where you come from. I have seen great pilots from every type of training out there.

More furloughs to come, I heard came out of the town hall mtg in DTW..... Becasue NK expects more hurrincanes this summer and fall: A building up of SJU??? Last time I checked SJU gets hurricanes as well.

I'm sure the ultra-low time folks hired at Spirit were pretty pumped up at the time.

But what are their options if they are furloughed? I can't imagine they'd be competitive anywhere other than a regional (if any are hiring), if even there.

... Not all Riddle grads are 21 years old either. Some are older like me and have families. If your bone of contention is with ERAU or the "unorthodox" way they got their job, write to the HR/Flt Ops at Spirit. But leave the berating of recently furloughed pilots whether they be ERAU, UND, FIT, Purdue, OSU, Military, or Joe's FBO...leave the insults out. If you read my paragraph above you can see they have enough to deal with.

And yes, I am a double alum from that over-priced, flying school in Daytona...
Great post and I agree 100%... I'm not an Erau alum but I agree with FliFast that hiring practices at Spirit (or anywhere else) have nothing to do with the current subject of guys & gals being furloughed...

I wish them all the best no matter what school, airline or branch of the military they came from.

Breckster: any meeting minutes available anywhere? havent seen anything.

More furghloughs due to a potentially active hurricane season? I guess F9 should fughlough because Denver may have an active winter and AS too because SEA and PDX may be especially foggy due to el nino. Nevermind fuel prices. I know hurricanes suck but nk's powers-that-be might be skirting the issues a bit on this.

Breckster: any meeting minutes available anywhere? havent seen anything.



Im looking for the same.

Did not attend but heard through the "grape-vine" about the hurricane issue:rolleyes:

From one of my buddies there, they only have about 50 or so Riddle Grads. It is a lot less that many think

Ah....nevermind!

Some one help me out here. Im furloughed August 1st. But just heard that we are parking 7 airplanes and furloughing 100 more.

Would you go overseas.....

Some one help me out here. Im furloughed August 1st. But just heard that we are parking 7 airplanes and furloughing 100 more.
With A319/321 experience you can start in India as soon as you say yes.

I know DragonAir-Hong Kong operates A320s. I know this isn't everyone's bag of gummy bears, but are they hiring ex-pats ?

Who knows, maybe there is opportunity over there...

FF

HAHA I guess I could have left the part about me being furloughed from them out. :p Thanks for all the helpful info. The current furloughs were already planned. I was trying to see if anyone else had heard of this new news about the 100 more and 7 planes parked.

HAHA I guess I could have left the part about me being furloughed from them out. :p Thanks for all the helpful info. The current furloughs were already planned. I was trying to see if anyone else had heard of this new news about the 100 more and 7 planes parked.

This comes directly from the cp on Friday.....

"more furloughs to come this fall, big board meeting this weekend to decide how many airplanes to give back. Total furlough numbers will be between 100 and 150 by Oct. As of right now, the company plans on rebuilding the airline in a few years with the A320's we have on order"

Wish I had better news....good luck to us all!!!!:mad::(

7 a/c's .... is this what came out of Friday's mtg. with Indigo?

I didn't see that in the CP's bullet points.....

On top of this, 100K fine for paying Cuba to overfly their airspace without a permit from the Dept. of Treasury. Tough times guys.

7 a/c's .... is this what came out of Friday's mtg. with Indigo?

I didn't see that in the CP's bullet points.....

That I am not sure of.....I heard that 7 a/c rumor later in the day on Friday, well after I spoke with P.O. He told me the meeting was to last all weekend, but I suppose it is possible they came to a resolution by Friday afternoon.

On top of this, 100K fine for paying Cuba to overfly their airspace without a permit from the Dept. of Treasury. Tough times guys.
Can you explain that? You mean Frontier is paying a fine to the Cubans?

On top of this, 100K fine for paying Cuba to overfly their airspace without a permit from the Dept. of Treasury. Tough times guys.


??? :confused:

What are you talking about? We over fly Cuba every day with permit(s)... I think your confussed with another airline.

Long term planning has started today(monday) and will see where it takes us by friday: short term(what to eat of the roach coach) is already over:D

??? :confused:

What are you talking about? We over fly Cuba every day with permit(s)... I think your confussed with another airline.

Long term planning has started today(monday) and will see where it takes us by friday: short term(what to eat of the roach coach) is already over:D
Spirit Airlines fined for paying to fly over Cuba - 06/30/2008 - MiamiHerald.com (http://www.miamiherald.com/top_stories/story/587859.html)

Nope. Pretty sure im not confused. Frontier? Paying Cubans? Nope.

I guess I stand corrected... Not up on the latest from the MiamiHerald.com

''During the beginning of 2007, Spirit Airlines realized that the permit required by [the Treasury agency] for authorizing flights over Cuba for the use of their airspace had not been renewed,''

The person that was to have renewed the permit was probably "down-sized" out to save money:rolleyes:

At least Ben is doing his own vacuumming;) If only he would come do the cockpit now and then:)

??? :confused:

What are you talking about? We over fly Cuba every day with permit(s)... I think your confussed with another airline.

Long term planning has started today(monday) and will see where it takes us by friday: short term(what to eat of the roach coach) is already over:D
Hey Breckster, There was a piece in the Miami Herald Sunday. Apparently you a need a permit from the GOV. to do any kind of business with Cuba. Even to pay your overflight bills. Which we didn't obtain. As for long term I've heard there's several senarios being considered. Relatively speaking I think it will be short term. At least till we start burning coal in our flying machines.

md80zdriver

Actually the class of low time Riddle grads had 12, thats it.

If memory serves me there were 8 ERAU in that class of 12. I had two for a couple of sims, and busted one on his type ride.

md80zdriver

If memory serves me there were 8 ERAU in that class of 12. I had two for a couple of sims, and busted one on his type ride.

md80zdriver

8 is what I had heard as well; At least that is what Pete told me (before he lost his job?), among other things:rolleyes:

Well.... hopefully we can shrink our way to profitability:eek: Funny how things have and can change.

back to updating my resume.... does Taco Bell have a 401K:confused:

Breckster

8 is what I had heard as well; At least that is what Pete told me (before he lost his job?), among other things:rolleyes:

Well.... hopefully we can shrink our way to profitability:eek: Funny how things have and can change.

back to updating my resume.... does Taco Bell have a 401K:confused:

Breckster
Home Depot looks good too!!

Home Depot looks good too!!

Not in Michingan, everyone is leaving......... That is why I mentioned Taco Bell... with all the Spanish I've picked-up in FLL I figured I would be a shoe-in:D

Sorry to hear this for Spirit. FLL and Terminal 4 is pretty much my everyday Lunch stop and every Capt/First Officer I have ever met from Spirit seems to be a Top Notch group of guys. I hope things will somehow turn around fast and wish the best for you.

Today Spirit gave notice to our MEC that 5 airplanes are to be parked in August.....looks like more furloughs to come boys!!!!

Spirit Airlines - cheap tickets, cheap flights, discount airfare, cheap hotels, cheap car rentals, cheap travel (http://www.spiritair.com/PressReleaseDetails.aspx?number=20080703)

07/3/2008
Spirit Airlines Attacks Record Fuel Prices
Plans to Cut 15% Of Non-Fuel Costs, Places Deeper Emphasis on Non-ticket Revenue, Revises 2008 Growth Plan and Continues Caribbean and Latin America Network Expansion



Miramar, Florida (July 3, 2008) - Spirit Airlines attacks record high fuel prices by revising 2008 growth, cutting 15% of non-fuel costs, continuing to increase non-ticket revenue and continuing to expand to the Caribbean and Latin America.



Spirit is targeting a 15% reduction in non-fuel expenses ensuring Spirit’s costs remain the lowest in the Americas. Spirit is carefully evaluating every expense and is working with all stakeholders to ensure necessary objectives are met.



Spirit remains focused on growing revenue through non-ticket revenue products and services that add value rather than substantially raising fares, which stalls customer demand.



Spirit entered Colombia in May with the addition of Cartagena. Flights to Trinidad began in June. Bogota will begin July 24, 2008. Additionally, Spirit today filed an application with the US DOT to serve Manaus, Brazil. Other growth opportunities are being evaluated in the broader Caribbean and Latin America region for 2009.



Spirit has revised its 2008 growth plan, which originally called for 10 percent growth year-over-year, and now expects flat capacity year-over-year.



“We can’t sit back and hope for fuel prices to fall; we will attack this challenge by adapting our business to the structural change in fuel prices,” said Spirit CEO Ben Baldanza. “We are in a better position than any other carrier in the Americas to succeed in this environment. By becoming more aggressive than ever on non-fuel costs, raising non-ticket revenues and continuing to grow our Latin America network while trimming lower performing flights, we will win.”



Spirit is making the following adjustments to its schedule as part of its revised 2008 growth plan:

- Effective August 1, 2008, service to Long Island MacArthur and Providenciales, Turks & Caicos Islands will be suspended. Spirit will return to MacArthur when market conditions change. In Providenciales, excessive local costs have made air service not economically viable.

- Effective September 2, 2008, service to Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands and Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, will be operated on a seasonal basis to better match capacity with demand.

- Additional adjustments will be made to select markets during off-peak periods.

- Spirit will retire five Airbus A319 aircraft by September.

- Spirit will make reductions in employees to coincide with these capacity adjustments.

- Spirit expects to maintain its low cost carrier leadership position in Fort Lauderdale, the Caribbean, Latin America, Michigan, New Jersey and other key markets.

- These refinements result in limited changes to Spirit’s overall scope of service with no impact to over 300 markets served non-stop and through the Fort Lauderdale gateway. Low fares in these markets are always available at Spirit Airlines - cheap tickets, cheap flights, discount airfare, cheap hotels, cheap car rentals, cheap travel (http://www.spiritair.com).





About Spirit Airlines
Spirit Airlines, Inc. (Spirit Airlines - cheap tickets, cheap flights, discount airfare, cheap hotels, cheap car rentals, cheap travel (http://www.spiritair.com)) is the largest Ultra Low Cost Carrier (ULCC) in the United States, Latin America and Caribbean. Its all-Airbus fleet, the youngest in the Americas, flies more than 200 daily flights to 43 destinations. The company is based in Miramar, Florida, and employs 2,300 professionals.

- Spirit will retire five Airbus A319 aircraft by September.



I like how they retire airplane's that are only 2-4 years old. HAHA

I like how they retire airplane's that are only 2-4 years old. HAHA
I think it's a poor choice of words, but it's not as harsh as "parking". They'll probably be "retiring" us old geezers.

Didn't Ben just say, "There are no plans to furlough" after the bad press NK got about the WARNS notice????

Didn't Ben just say, "There are no plans to furlough" after the bad press NK got about the WARNS notice????

Well lets recap the actions of our leader over the past few months....In May, he says no furloughs. Ten days later, WARN notice comes out for furlough/displacement of 242 pilots. Three days after that, he tells local Florida news that no furloughs are planned. A few weeks after that, 45 furloughs are announced!!!!!

And so, from this moment forward, I do not believe one single word that comes from that man's mouth.

Well lets recap the actions of our leader over the past few months....In May, he says no furloughs. Ten days later, WARN notice comes out for furlough/displacement of 242 pilots. Three days after that, he tells local Florida news that no furloughs are planned. A few weeks after that, 45 furloughs are announced!!!!!

And so, from this moment forward, I do not believe one single word that comes from that man's mouth.


You did before? ;)

Well lets recap the actions of our leader over the past few months....In May, he says no furloughs. Ten days later, WARN notice comes out for furlough/displacement of 242 pilots. Three days after that, he tells local Florida news that no furloughs are planned. A few weeks after that, 45 furloughs are announced!!!!!

And so, from this moment forward, I do not believe one single word that comes from that man's mouth.

Spin control:rolleyes:

In our email this holiday weekend: 80 more says the VP of flt ops.

The end is coming soon:confused:

Yeap...80 or so more. Sux. See you at the unemployment line.

Spin control:rolleyes:

In our email this holiday weekend: 80 more says the VP of flt ops.

The end is coming soon:confused:


Finally!!! Someone to put me out of my misery!!!

Now the only problem I have is trying to figure out how to fly a lear again after the bus.