Originally Posted by propdriver86

A few weeks ago I got the opportunity to speak with David Neeleman in the PHX airport as we both were waiting for delayed inbound aircraft. He was great to talk with, and surprisingly open. I'll run through some highlights he was willing to share to an OAL pilot who just happened to recognize him.

* pay will be regional +20% + profit sharing
* using 195's to launch next summer ish 50% scheduled/50% charter
*possibly home basing to begin with 14/14 schedules
* a lot of seasonal routes with the A220, as the flexibility of the aircraft was the major selling point (ability to swap class configurations quickly)
* all of the reservations will be done through a virtual office
*the only thing he would say about a possible crew base was he had a an idea of a really amazing place he thought crews would love (not SLC, I asked as he mentioned some portions of the company being based there)

I'm not sure how much if any of this is new info to those of you interested, but figured I'd share.

Originally Posted by sailingfun

Wow, he really thinks he can fly a aircraft with 40% more seats than mist regionals at 20% more pay. He is really going to attract some quality pilots with that package!

Originally Posted by trip

If any RJ Captain wanted home base and 14/14 why not go now to any handful of ACMI's and fly a heavy for +50%.

Originally Posted by Baradium

Isn't that pretty much what Virgin America did? I remember thinking they might as well have been simply regional rates and there were many who refused to apply there for that reason. That said, startup companies have a history of success in getting pilots to go for those wages because 20% of what they are getting now is still a 20% increase and combined with the chances of getting in at the beginning of what they consider could be the next JetBlue could be lucrative in pay and seniority when it shakes out.

If they offer home basing I could see them having success in getting regional pilots to go there hoping for either a quick upgrade or just a better schedule with a company that has more career potential than a regional. While the regionals are having trouble getting pilots that also means that the risks of going to a startup aren't as high since if it fails there are plenty of places to go yet.

Originally Posted by sailingfun

Completely different market for pilots when Virgin America started. They won’t go for home basing. It cost money and to run a successful passenger airline you need reserves available in your hubs.