Originally Posted by
full of luv
.....Why do you assume Mgmt is incompetent? From my view they know exactly what they are trying to do. Run an airline on a shoestring budget with little actual concern for safety.....
Agreed.
Management feels that any junior pilot, earning at the lower end of the pay chart, can fly their planes, so it is ok with them if pilots move on to another airline job after a short time working at Allegiant. Pilots with longer years of employment earn a higher salary, therefore they'd rather not have those pilots. Doing this keeps the company salary costs lower which increases company profits. As long as they have an ample supply of pilot job applicants they will keep this philosophy. Pilot retention is not something they work on, turnover works in their favor to lower operating costs. They do minimum training to get a new guy checked out and up to speed, then he's out there hauling passengers on their lucrative vacation routes. To management a pilot is just another company tool (asset), like a tow tractor or aircraft, to be used to earn the company money. And they strive to keep the cost of that tool as low as possible but still keep it functioning.
Not all of the Allegiant record profits comes from passengers spending money on low cost fares, inflight snacks and partnered hotel/rental car bookings. It is also comes from cost-cutting in the employee pay, benefit and retirement area.