Originally Posted by
e6bpilot
Look, I enjoy your optimism, it's refreshing.
It isn't, however, grounded in reality or history.
The market is the market. Right now the market wage for an experienced airline pilot trends a lot higher than what Breeze is willing to pay. Just like every other startup, including JetBlue, Breeze will capitalize on their startup status to pay less than market wages and ride the wave of low cost structure until they are no longer a startup and are forced to respond to market forces. It's almost like Neeleman has done this very same thing multiple times. Starting an airline is fun. Running an airline sucks. I am sure he is a very nice guy and I have heard great things about him as a person. He has a track record, though, and it's clear what he is doing here.
Startups can cheap out on labor. It's what they do. Look at JetBlue, Spirit, Allegiant, etc for how that all works. Eventually they have to pay their people what they are worth. It isn't the legacy airlines' fault, it's just the market.
This whole idea of the home based airline is also fun to talk about. It works to an extent, but then there is that pesky seniority thing and eventually you run out of pilots living in Tampa who are willing to work for slave ship wages and now you are drafting pilots from other domiciles to staff it. Rinse and repeat. See Allegiant if you need history on that one works.
I wish Breeze all the best. They are serving my city with some super convenient nonstops, so I hope they succeed and prosper. I just don't think they are different at all. It's just more of the same. You'll see.
Hah, anyone that knows me wouldn't call me optimistic. I'm not sure the market for airlines at this point is as strong, and things are going to recover the way people are leading themselves to believe. Remember, most of the world's long haul fleet (that wasn't retired in 2020) is still parked, and many parts of the world still have draconian travel restrictions in place they are in no hurry to lift. Yes, we have seen a recovery in domestic travel, but there are plenty of widebody pilots out there that are sitting around twiddling their thumbs flying between domestic hubs just to stay current, or flying a belly full of cargo internationally every once in a while. Only time will tell, but it could very easily end up where one day soon Breeze is the only airline hiring for a limited number of positions. The lesson of 2020 for me at least was to expect the unexpected and that things can turn around literally over-night. Either way, I was just looking to have a discussion about Breeze and their plans since it might be a good fit for some people from the regional and 121 supplemental world. An "experienced" pilot with a high seniority number at a major airline a bunch of vacation time, and getting everything he bids for would have no reason to go to a start-up no matter how much they paid, and I don't think Breeze is expecting to hire those pilots.