Originally Posted by
Justabusdriver1
I gave up $30/hr in pay to come here. Simply put better qol. I live in and near a second one. The second would be a faster path to a legacy. Regional FOs sure are getting paid but aren’t getting hours and it’s looking like 4+ years to get the hours to be competitive at legacies. Not to mention legacies will look more favorably at you since they see it as taking a pilot from a competitor.
There’s also the prospect that regional pay is only going to outpace spirit for a couple months as they are negotiating new rates as well. I don’t see their pay being less than regional pay once all is said and done. Needless to say even at the current rate by the end of year 2 at spirit you’ve basically broken even since youre $30/hr less than first year and about $30/hr more year two. By year 3 you’re making captain level pay at the regional. (I know I’m stretching some numbers but I’m not splitting hairs over a few dollars.)
This is purely an opinion. Spirit has lost about 90 pilots to each AA, UA and DL this year. That's only ~270 pilots. That's less than one months' hiring totals at the big 3. Compare that to regional pilots that have gotten on. There is a MUCH larger percentage that have gotten picked up from the regionals. I'd guess that 60-70% of the Spirit pilot group has their apps out. If the legacies really cared about hurting us they would literally just empty the seniority list... But they don't. Many people here aren't getting calls.
No. Year 3 CA pay now at regionals is in the realm of 140-150/hr. Year 3 FO pay here is 122.60. That is NO WHERE close to the same rate. Didn't realize 20-30/hr is splitting hairs.... With the looming merger, if hired now, you won't be upgrading before then. So the quickest anyone is upgrading is atleast 5 years at this point.
There is literally no reason to come to Spirit anymore.