Originally Posted by
DeadStick
Between years 3-7 an AA FO makes more than a Spirit Captain anyway (granted that Spirit CA is crediting more, but that AA FO also has the choice to go to a widebody during that time). Again rates aren't the only thing, and as mentioned, Spirit is only now approaching negotiations. Hopefully this serves as a wakeup call to those getting a little too comfortable...
Believe me, the pilots at Spirit who are 'too comfortable' are a small minority. Most of us are acutely aware of where our contract stands in relation to our peers. Our pay rates, now near the bottom of A320 operators in the US, are the most visible deficiency in our contract. Our turn at bat is coming very soon and I'm optimistic that we as a pilot group will hit at least a triple. Things change fast in this industry. It was barely 18 months ago that US Airways A330 captains were making less per hour than our A320 captains at comparable longevity step. I'm glad the disaster that was LOA93 is history and we at Spirit can bargain off the new benchmark the APA has established (at least for pay rates).