When you are an FA, your job is dictated by one entity, the company. They can start, stop, cancel, expand anything they want with the FA's because there is no working agreement to deal with.

That is the flexibility the company arguably spends extra millions of $$$ to retain.

I was here well before the MCO VB attempt took place. The primary issue with our virtual basing was that they were going to be inconsistently operated and bid for on a month-to-month basis.

All of the current small FA bases (BOS, FLL/MIA, HNL, MCO, SFO) are year-round. The only aspect that makes them “virtual” is the lack of in-person IFS management at the physical base locations. They are remotely managed by IFS personnel from other bases. There is nothing in the PWA preventing the company from opening new bases that don’t have CPO personnel on-site.

According to sources there hasn’t been any disruption. Take that as you will, but the PSC ship has sailed.

I know spirit captains, 6-10 years in, who regularly make over $400k. They are able to drop trips almost anytime and there is no trigger for premium flying. Their contract may have had some blemishes but scheduling was not one of them.

Yep, I think spirit work rules/scheduling are close to top in the industry. Their pay rates were fast approaching and would probably have eclipsed ours too, but now we'll see what happens with the merger.

Wow. Just crunching the numbers $250/hr for 10 yr Spirit Capt at 75 hrs a month is 225k. So 400k is quite a bit of premium pay. Good for them.

RDU is seasonal, flight attendants can fly any equipment so seasonal changes can be accommodated. The situation with pilots is quite different so I am surprised you are trying to make a comparison. I think SFO was closed. The cost to the company is not having a CP and staff it’s the training issues involved in equipment changes. Displacements, paid moves ect.. get expensive. That does not even get into the reserve issue but ask a VB based flight attendant about it if you want a earful!

Time to close the thread I guess. No PSC issues of note.

As for virtual basing, we’ll probably revisit the concept in the coming years and commuters will likely entertain the idea. The problem of too much ‘quid’ for not enough ‘quo’ will probably continue to be the sticking point. By the time the union pulled it down most commuters were opposed to VB.

This isn't true for us. The company can open or close bases at their discretion. What they can't do is close them cheaply.

We shall see, wait for thanksgiving week. That will tell the tale.