Originally Posted by
dracir1
NO NO NO
smh
Let's take your suggestion and extrapolate. We continue to be paid less. Attrition stays high (despite the flood of NK pilots into the market). Training costs stay high (ioe gets even longer), veteran pilot corporate knowledge decreases and the EXACT conditions we have now (not profitable) stay that way or get worse. Premium scabs become more plentiful and we already have a tail strike problem. Lack of cooperation w/ the company increases. Nothing changes and the vicious cycle of waiting for profitability before pay raise never happens.
The ONLY way forward is to pay market rates. That would end attrition and increase accessions. It would be temporary cost that would soon (18-24 months) be supplanted by profits as we can now expand, offer greater flight options and expand into additional markets. There need to be raises across the board (all labor groups) to increase customer service. We need to INVEST in wifi. We need a cash infusion on the level of probably a 1/2B (maybe more). NO COMPANY on earth starts for free and pays less forever - Indigo purchased F9 in 2013.
Growth costs money. Indigo has it. Franke just needs to find someone he believes will make the cost worthwhile in the end. Is that Dempsey? No idea. But the only certain thing is our current strategy and pay rate will end in only one way.
I agree with you that a constant stream of pilots moving onto other companies is in fact a cost, but disagree with everything else you said. The regionals have been operating with that turnover since their inception, yet they turn profits correct?
During the 2022/2023 hiring boom, I flew with an FO who’s wife was an FO at Alaska. Each month they compared seniority lists. Alaska was losing almost the same percentage of new hires as we were. Frontier could pay us delta rates tomorrow, and we’d still have people leaving.
Wants to fly wide bodies
Doesn't want to fly the same plane for 30 years
Wants access to different bases
Doesn't want to tell the chicks at the bar that they fly for frontier while wearing their giant watch
Grandpa and dad both flew for xyz
I had an FO who was quitting to go to JetBlue simply for access to better pass travel agreements.
Frontier knows this. High pay would slow attrition, but would not eliminate it to legacy levels. That’s delusional thinking man.
For those of you who are new to this airline world, this is how it works: companies are profitable=pilot groups negotiate a higher contract. Companies are not profitable=pilots hope to keep existing contract. These tricky airlines will even come at the pilot group for concessions when they aren’t profitable for extended periods of time, or see a massive downturn. Yes, contracts can be negotiated the other direction. Just for fun, do some research and list all the airlines that have enacted concessionary pilot contracts in their past. I’ll give you a head start: Frontier.
Until frontier starts turning a consistent profit, we have little chance of higher pay. Take your strike lanyards off. They are embarrassing at this point. Go to work. Do what you can within your scope to help make the company profitable. That’s all we can do.