In a slight defense of the ULCC model you have to admit that it was never designed to compete against legacies hiring away the pilot group in the great shortage that now exists, and will exist for some time. I think the model will thrive again in the US, but it’s on a 5 year or so pause until the craziness evens out, pay possibly becomes more competitive and those who could be hired on the back side of the this wave of retirements start looking at quality of life considerations being better at a growth airline than as tail end Charlie at a legacy as they stabilize their pilot group.

Spirit management isn’t going to figure it out imoho. They had their chance and deferred to starting counting their bonuses when they tried to merge with F9. B6 will have to figure it out for them, and seems aware of the issue while paying at least lip service to addressing it. Which leaves the remaining ULCC’s out there. Will any of them figure it out? TBD. I wouldn’t count on F9’s management ever getting the memo.