Things have been in flux for a number of years. We took some concessions on hourly pay during BK but we have maintained our scheduling section and work rules (some believe, me included, that Indigo is going to come after our workrules big time).

Before coming to F9 you really need to take a step back and look at the operation. It is a miracle we are still here. We have 50 aircraft and operate mainly out of one of the few airports in NorthAmerica that have three mainline carriers each with 20%+ capacity. We have continuously been run by some "b team" executives. I realize that most pilots believe their company is run by idiots but we really have been run by idiots...yet we are still here.

Now we have some deeper pockets and proven leadership. I am not going to hug Franke but I do realize what his organization's track record has been in this space. In short, any airline is risky and Frontier presents a higher level of risk.

Quality of Life issues...

Our schedule run from 21 day off turn lines to 12 day of short call reserve lines. The average is usually 17-15 days off. We bid hard lines and then have the ability to modify our schedules virtually at will. There are some restrictions on the add/drop/swap process but as long as you have some advance notice you can basically modify your schedule without any problems. If you can't add/drop/swap with open time you can always try and trade with another pilot. All of this is done online via flica. Our new owners will probably try and cram pref bid down our throat but I can't think of anything this pilot group hates more than pref bid. Bidding hard lines and then having add/drop/swap is the best of both worlds.

We bid our vacation annually and then we can slide our vacation monthly. We gave up a small amount of vacation accrual with LOA 67 but it is practically meaningless since we can slide our vacations. We actually gained some flexibility with our bidding procedure as well.

We have a 3% 401k match, increasing to 4% and 5% in the next two years. We also have a separate retirement account that maxes out at a 6.2% company contribution (Back in 2007 the oft disdained Jeff T and John S and a few others worked on negotiating away a previously negotiated ESOP plan for the 6.2% DC plan. F9 eventually went BK, negating the ESOP plan to zero while the pilots continued to reap the benefits of the DC plan. The result is an multi-milllion dollar, independent retirement account. Nice job Jeff and John!).

If you work over 82 hours you get 125%.
If you volunteer for a junior assignment you get 125%.
If you get junior assigned you get 150%. The JA process is great. The company calls you and leave you a message. If you want the trip you call back and take it. If they try and change the trip you can't be captured over the phone. You can accept or deny a JA.
If you fly on your vacation while on RSV it is paid over guarantee.
If you have a line and drop a trip with vacation you can pick the same exact trip up and get paid twice for the same trip.
If you have a trip that starts or ends with a DH you can skip the DH and still get paid.
If you are a commuter we have a commuter policy.
If you are a commuter you can do a "jet bridge trade" and swap out with another pilot if they a going to work/home on the same flight.
We don't have to wear hats
The pilot group and middle management (Chief Pilots/Flight Ops/Vps) have a relationship similar to those that have been in battle together. We both realize that the Pilots have done more than anyone else since 2008 to keep this place alive. There is a high level of mutual respect. There is an incredible amount of daily issues that get settled with one phone call here that might take weeks or months to get resolved at other more contentious properties. With that being said, we fight for issues that require fighting but we have a very selective trigger finger. Some call it being a gentleman or being a professional, I think it is just the smart way to conduct labor/management relations.

I think that is most of the good stuff, as for the bad...

Our hourly pay is lower than average.
Our Crew Schedulers attempt to play the typical games that skeds play
We have no marketing outside of Denver
We have no real capacity or presence outside of Denver
We will shrink Denver but it is not known to what extent (this is only a "bad" if you must have Denver as a domicile)
There are a few rotten apples within the G.O. and they have a significant effect on issues that are important to us, but I think there will be a number of folks walking out of the G.O on Fridays with a cardboard box filled with their belongings. Franke is a big fan of Friday Firings.

Future....

We have a big order for NEO's and we are at the front of the delivery line. This will give us a competitive advantage right around the time we will IPO.

We have never really operated with a real business plan. It will be interesting to see how this place flourishes with some actual direction in place.

Overall there is a lot to be optimistic about as well as some things to be cautious about. However, with all of that being said we need to succeed at the NMB or all of the above is meaningless.