Originally Posted by
Noisecanceller
I don’t think anyone is disputing that you can have great QOL at a legacy and probably better than Spirit. It takes seniority just like anywhere. If you are at the top of Spirit, older than 40, and a CA you will never attain that QOL and earnings ever again. With some time you can have one but not both. The amount of time it will take to get one back is anyone’s guess. There are major family sacrifices to be made in that case that can alter one’s entire life.
If Spirit goes under the point is moot. Those sacrifices MUST be made. If there is even a small percentage of a chance Spriit survives, the choice whether or not to toss it all, and try to attain some semblance of what you had over what may not be an insignificant period of time, becomes much more difficult. So saying just go to a legacy and it will be better doesn’t always hold water. I just will not go back to working 4+ day trips over the weekends for a ton less money unless I absolutely have to. Write me a LOR when the time comes please.
Cant speak for AA or DL, but 3rd year FOs on the NB fleets would be making low $200s/hr with better than 30%-40% in base. Not CA money, but you’re holding mostly what you want by this point.
Getting the days you need off isn’t difficult either, just have to know how to bid and then trade with regards to timing in the month. Works 8/10 times.
My first month on reserve in the summer I was already holding weekends off at 93% (I don’t know how either) and similar schedules until I held a line. After holding a line, I was able to get at least 1-2 weekends off a month with decent trips.
Junior plane in a junior base with a huge pilot group that all want something different makes QOL attainable. Even on reserve where there’s 3 reserve types and everyone is LC at 18 hours (with the exception of the assignment window.. then it’s 14 hours).
Starting here today and being 40+, you cans hold mostly what you want on the CA side after 5-7ish years (this is a changing variable as BA still has hundreds of MAXs to deliver to us).
This is not to kick yall while you’re down, but to show that this is not far out of reach for the demographic you listed. Of course, sacrifices will have to be made in the interim, but you’d come out ahead in the long run.
All that said, I really hoping yall come out ahead. NK is a decent place with awesome people. Hoping it works out for yall