tom11011

From 2022 to 2027 which are the peak retirement years, the big six airlines will retire 15,000 pilots. Add in all the other airlines such as the other LCCs and regional pilots who aren't leaving assuming they are still around in 5 years, looking at 20,000 retirements.

What are the realistic options going forward for Allegiant and any other airline for that matter. I am trying to be objective, we all tend to look at things from our own limited point of view, ie mechanics see it one way, pilots see it a certain way, management sees it a certain way. But objectively speaking, the pilot perspective is not imaginative, the staffing problem is very real and the airline cannot run without an employee group where each member takes 5 years to properly cultivate before being brought up to the big leagues, and I suppose that will change as well but can only go so low where it becomes counter productive because there is no one left to flight instruct.

So what can be done?

• A bold collective bargaining agreement that really attracts people to come and stay
• Allegiant plays to its strengths with the home every night, but only in desirable bases.
• Stop shrinking the desirable bases and start over nighting a limited group of pilots. Most would not object to an occassional overnight.
• Several acquisitions / mergers, be the first before justice department starts saying no like they are doing to American / JetBlue
• The legacy airlines may not have any choice but to reduce frequency between city pairs and go to larger aircraft

its late, Im tired lol.

V2cut

Considering inflation, I see those numbers as very reasonable. At DAL the pay rates now have not increased since 2019. With inflation from then until now that makes 320 / 737 CA’s making around $320 topped out initially. Those considering a legacy need to know this is absolutely right around the corner pay wise. We are talking almost $100 an hour more than Allegiant CAs flying the SAME equipment. This doesn’t even include impressive profit sharing, per diem, lots and lots of vacation/sick time, and retirement.

Flightaware

My understanding is that an aggressive offer will be coming possibly by next month. Even if we vote it down just the fact that we are close will cease attrition and help recruiting. If not, at our current pace we will be forced to significantly reduce our peak flying this spring and summer which is why we have not seen the traditional seasonal route announcements yet.

SladeTin

I’ll believe it when I see it. There’s always a “big announcement” right around the corner here. They really push these rumors to give false hope. I’m 7 years in and I don’t believe a word I hear anymore. The culture here is so deeply rooted that it’s impossible to change at this point without a complete change of upper management, which we all know will never happen.

Margaritaville

This guy gets it. Maury doesn't care one whit about any of us. Nobody wants to fly here? F-you, I'll just park the planes and sell them! "Opportunistic flying". I expect to see this airline shrink very quickly.

I still can't believe more eyebrows aren't going up over them only ordering 50 737s with "options" for 50 more. "Oh but we're keeping the 320s! We'll fly both! Trust us! We never lie to you guys!

We could very likely be a 50 plane airline in a couple years. And Maury will still brag to the investors how we're the most profitable airline per capita.

Maury always wins. Never forget that.

"A very strange game. The only winning move is not to play".

Edit: Also how the hell did we lose these arbitrations? Maybe it's time to reexamine our union leadership choices too. Way too much bravado and too few results.

KC135

I hope no poor sucker reads and falls for this. If anyone even remotely believes this please reach out and ask any steward or our exco and they will tell you how our 2-3 days of negotiating every 3rd month went. Our union will not send out any trash contract to vote on and if anyone thinks management is willing to give up industry standard work rules/rigs/soft pay then you need a reality check. They will be expanding the training department after summer peak to try for a hail mary attempt and keep up with the attrition instead. There is currently no shortage of apps, at least not yet.

Margaritaville

Maury is going to show up with a dump truck load of cash and try to do an end run around the EXCO. Anyone who's been in this industry more than a couple years can see that. Greed wins pilots over every time. I bet they offer Delta rates+1% and 16% DC. Andrew will have no choice but to put it out to show "good faith negotiating". I can see the video now. "Guys this is a terrible offer and your EXCO does not endorse it. But we are going to leave it up to you to show the company what you want". It will pass by 59%.

FlightMonster

This.
Data points speak truth

FlightMonster

no shortage of apps…everyone with an app here has 10 other apps out.. where do you think we sit on the order of priority with those folks…sure they’ll interview, say what they need to get hired, take a job offer, start, and maybe complete training…but the moment they get the next offer.

SladeTin

You’re probably right, but if people vote that in they are idiots. Those rates will be bottom tier again shortly after Delta and the other big players increase the pay rates dramatically again. And with our terrible work rules we’ll still be light years behind them anyway. I’m probably in the minority, but the pay rates would have to completely blow me away to get me to vote yes.