Originally Posted by
PossibleDeviation
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.
I’ve been told by no less than 4 people who have been here for about a year to two years saying a lot have been contacted and offered a job. I’m willing to bet a lot more people have gotten offers while not everyone accepted them. A long time friend got called a week after he received his type. He turned them down as he plans to stay at spirit. More people are willing to stay at spirit than people at the regional. Legacies right now are taking pretty much anyone who is eligible and competitive. But when hiring slows which I believe it has compared to the immediate post Covid wave, they’ll take someone with time in an a320 at a competitor over a regional fo (there’s many other factors obvious. It’s the same reason if you want to go to delta don’t go to endeavor go to envoy. If you want to go to American don’t go to a WO. The legacies take more pilots from competitors than they do their own regional carrier.
As for the pay you can add in the fact that it’s easy to credit more than mmg and pick up double pay. My previous carrier it was common for a first year to to finish with 150hrs on the year. That’s 0 career progression in my mind. Soft pay is just as important. While you cant count on it to pay your bills the reality is first year it’s pretty easy to finish at the same yearly pay or close to it and year two you’re already making up that difference. If we see a pay increase in the next 3-6 months that just be icing on the cake.