I find it very newsworthy and troublesome. In my opinion, if you did subscribe to the Lynch idea you'd agree that filthy planes with urine soaked lavs are just like the empty shelves at radio shack...a serious cause for concern.

As someone said earlier we can keep our planes full for a while until the larger pool of customers has had the experience of unprofessional gate agents, and FA's that use the PA as a battering ram while sitting in a filthy plane and **** on the lav floors. Sooner or later we will run out of people who will put up with it.

The local knowledge around here is we can be just like Ryan Air but even they know enough to keep the planes clean and better train/monitor FA's professional behavior.

Don't get me wrong, I know the filthy planes are about 10% of our fights but the gate agents are so understaffed that its a constant struggle to avoid a ****ed off group of passengers.

Aside from changing top operations management, my opinion is, Spirit has to invest more in its people. You've got to pay a little extra and give bennies so the good ones will stay and actively manage the staff to cull the bad ones. Walk through DFW or any base and do you ever see a manager on the floor? Now walk through Delta's MSP or ATL gates. How many red coats can you count? Our gate agents management is in hiding!

I am really concerned about our stock price. There are other forces at work, Im sure, like rumors of a merger. We did beat estimates this qrtr but it looks like next qrtr is going to be off.

A quality CBA for pilots and FA's would signal a shift in managements desire to improve the product. We can hope, right?

GD