Originally Posted by
ShyGuy
Do you have actual numbers?
As posted a few pages ago in this thread, the attrition and hiring numbers YTD are extremely similar for Alaska, jetBlue, and Spirit. Why would a newhire stay at these 3 carriers when they can go to the big 3 legacies for much faster movement, more retirements, widebody planes, and multiple bases throughout the entire nation (one in each time zone)?
Notice I purposefully said nothing about pilot contracts. A pilot contract won't fix the structural issues described in the question posed above.
Not everyone hired by Alaska has the pedigree or the horsepower to land at a major airline. Many retired mil pilots are satisfied with what Alaska offers. Historically, legacy brats stick around. Alaska can probably retain 35-40% of new hires based on these factors. The long game for them is a recession and the eventual balancing of staffing by the majors. Alaska Airlines understands the game it plays better than most