Originally Posted by
SkyHigh
Saab,
Sure, enjoy the ride but I encourage you to develop an exit strategy. Right seat in an RJ is not all that much different from the right seat in an airbus. The thing that makes a difference is the slightly bigger paycheck and generally improved career outcome potential.
Right now Spirit looks strong and we all hope that it is however a decade is a long time. If Spirit takes a turn before you get a chance to upgrade then your entire career will be for naught. I personally believe that the industry is going to go through some massive changes over that time.
Middle aged unemployed first officers are nearly worthless to everyone. Every year it takes more and more to get into one of the better airlines. If you get laid off when you are too old to start over in another career it is not pretty.
I know.
Skyhigh
I hear ya, but thats life......I am a Regional F/O at an airline that is going to shrink, it is an absolute "No brainer". UAL just lost $700,000,000.00 last year but they have 10,000 applications on file. It is a risk no matter where you go and Spirit very well may be merged, Bankrupt, gone (insert whatever you like) in 10 years but getting on now in the beginning of a large higher cycle is the absolute best thing I could do, and quite frankly, it's the only thing myself as a pilot can control. I also am not sure what your obsession is with being a CA. Just to give you an idea of my financial situation because you keep mentioning a "slight increase in my paycheck" and the need to upgrade My wife and I own a home, own a beach house on the Jersey Shore that is paid for, have zero CC debt, a car that I race on the weekends, and some other small toys that I play with when it gets warmer out, lol. The point is I am able to have and do all of this while putting money in a savings account all while making $41.00/hr the past 6 years. Now you mention a small pay bump, yes my first year will be the same, $38/h but 2nd year will be $72, third year $77 and up from there. (SPA pilots W2s are higher than the rates would indicate) I could easily maintain my families life style while putting in a lot more money into savings.............WITHOUT ever upgrading. Of course you are probably asking how this is possible, well simply stated, my wife made a lot of money the past few years and now works for her family's business that also does well. The point is, in my position/situation in life this is absolutely the best decision for my family and I. Of course this could all change in the next decade but life is short, I can't live it with the "glass is half empty" mentality......
PS. Spirit has been very profitable the past 4 years and it looks like it will continue. This industry can and will change drastically I am sure, but if that does happen I would hope that I would be far enough up on the list that I would keep my seat.