Remeber the when LCC had some of the best margins with profitability?

Pepperidge Farm remembers.

Think they have a few open slots

Honest question. Why do you think it changed?

probably because Labor was low, routes didn’t compete so much with legacy routes, Airplanes were new and worked, and Legacy Airlines didn’t offer “Basic Economy” .

I know everyone screams that Pilot Pay doesn’t matter but when I upgraded at NK in 2015, As a 3rd year CA I made $128/hr. When I left in 2024 I made $312/hr. The price of a ticket hadn’t really gone up much but the CBA got significantly more expensive. That is a cost to the company. I guess the issue is poor mgmt (like we had at Nk) always just looks to cut costs, rather than raise revenue. Hopefully NK/F9 can merge and get good mgmt that can generate revenue and not just look to have Pilots subsidize “low fares”

Bingo! There’s obvious benefit to managing costs. But….F9 and NK place too much emphasis on cost cutting rather than revenue generation.

They have the capability but seemingly no desire to work on revenue and cost simultaneously. With that many MBAs and years of industry experience at Indigo, I keep waiting for them to walk and chew gum.
Either thy are playing a game we aren't seeing or they are really that bad.

Not to mention, prices of tickets cant really go up THAT much(Realistically a lot of them have), because most people who fly us and make less than 100k/yr are seriously struggling with inflation and cost of living.

Meanwhile, legacies with premium products are catering to people who aren't truly affected that much by the current economy and will still pay for travel with no problem, because for them, a $600-1k ticket isn't much.

In the end, not our problem. It is managements problem to figure out how to make money, we need a standard airbus pilot pay.

This is interesting. Ticket prices haven’t gone up much, the CBA is significantly more expensive and management continues to erode to product in efforts to reduce costs. So are you saying that the mismanagement is in efforts to subsidize the CBA?
Some have said that they need to be paid standard industry 320 rates. Ticket prices are very sensitive to attract customers. Too high, they go away, too low, planes are full but we can’t make money. The solution has been suggested by NK to merge with F9 who is also having the same issue with lower than standard 320 rates. What is the solution that makes us profitable/survivable?

The answer is VERY simple. Management (whomever that is) needs to find a way to offer a product that is attractive enough to increase revenue. No business will EVER be able to save their way to profit. Making money COSTS money and it's not as simple as offering more volume(seats), it HAS TO BE a better experience while IN the seat. And TBH, it really isn't that hard of a concept to understand/realize/implement. Southwest figured this out in the 70s.

2025 and no wifi?

THE MODEL HAS TO CHANGE. THE NETWORK HAS TO CHANGE. THE EQUIPMENT ON THE AIRCRAFT HAS TO CHANGE.

It's a sinking ship otherwise despite who's directing the rudder...

Very well said but to enhance customer experience, it costs money. Where is that money coming from? Is buying NK the answer? Is letting NK go away to create more demand for our product the answer?
I think management would raise prices if it wouldn’t drive customers away. Like you said the experience matters. The Big Four have deeper pockets and a better experience to match the low fares. It also makes me wonder that the flying public has figured out how they don’t have to pay for ancillary items, our bread and butter.