Originally Posted by NWSteeringArmer

You’re gonna get lit up by the dozen or so people that post on here... these questions have been answered a million times... I like how you veiled your post with the header “frontier info for all” though

Originally Posted by jstanotherpilot

Hey everyone, I was reading through the posts on this subforum and I thought it would be a good idea to have 1 post that answers a lot of the key questions most pilots look for when looking at an airline. Things like pay, qol, schedules, reserve, benefits, outlook, etc.

I know these are things I personally would like to know and I’m sure they would be useful for a lot of other pilots out there considering Frontier as their place in the world. Sure, some answers are in other posts, but my idea is to have 1 place for all.

So, if any Frontier people out there would like to help… here are some questions: (sorry for the long list)

1: Average amount of days off per month? Is dropping/swapping flexible? How Can someone explain in detail the whole 60/70 credit per month thing? Is it possible to get 18-20 days off a month, for example? What does a normal schedule look like and how much can it be manipulated? Does it compare to the flexibility at Spirit, for example? How flexible are things are Frontier?

I'm going to preface this with that I am a reserve line holder someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

This is a complex question and it's going to require a complex answer. Average days off for a line holder is 15 days per month, per the bid packet. After the initial award, you can drop. 6 months out of the year you need to have at least 60 hours of credit on your schedule, the other 6 months you need 70 hours. The 6 months are chosen by the company and published on the annual vacation award. You can drop down to 50 for the purpose of schedule manipulation but it must eventually meet the 60 or 70 hours by the end of the bid period. It is possible to get 18-20 days off. We have different types of schedules so that is hard to answer (some are all turns, some are 4 days, 3 days, etc.) I don't work at Spirit so I cannot comment. I think they can drop down to 0 hours though, so I would say they have better flexibility in that regard. However, QOL is not something that we are struggling with here at Frontier and I think our schedule manipulation ability is one of the better ones in the industry.

2: Potential for higher earnings. We all know what the rates on APC are so we can figure out minimum guarantee. But, what does a normal schedule look like that goes over guarantee? There are some posts of pilots making A LOT of money at F9, (CA’s in the 300-400k mark), how is this possible? How does the pay system allow pilots to earn more than guarantee?

Another difficult question. Average credit is 82 hours roughly per line. All pay over 82 hours is at 125%. Premium trips are paid out at 150% plus incentive credit (whatever the company deems appropriate to make you work on a day off). Obviously this is extremely case-by-case for people. You hear rumors of people making over 400k per year though, and to be honest I can see it as a possibility since you'd be making 125% + 150% + incentive credit for picking up flying on days off essentially. For budgeting purposes, I would just use 82 hours times the hourly rate though.

3: Commutability. Obviously living in base will improve anyone’s QOL, but how commutable are trips?

We have an industry standard commuter policy. Some trips are more commutable than others, I don't hear anyone complaining about it. Even reserve is commutable to some degree.

4: What is the current system for bidding or awarding lines? How will PBS affect this?

FLICA. I can't answer this.

5: What are the bases expected out of training? How often can you switch base? Can you pick up trips from other bases?

Any, right now once a month due to hiring, and yes but it is more difficult.

6: How long is reserve time? What are the estimated reserve to lineholder times for all bases?

I could have held a line on my 6th month if I chose to go to MCO. DEN is the most "senior" and I'm projecting about a year if they don't keep shrinking it to open new bases.

7: What are your reserve rules? Can you move around reserve days? How are days off organized during reserve? For example, is there any “4 days off minimum between trips/blocks of reserve” type of language in your cba?

We have short call, long call, FDO (18 days in a row), 3x6 (3 6 day RDP in a row). Yes you can move days, you can even drop days at crew scheduling's whim. Days are either sporadic (no less than 3 no more than 6) or set up for FDO/3x6 lines. No there is not a 4 day minimum. If you pick the right reserve period you can swap it to whatever you'd like. For example, I have 3 weekends off this month at ~6 months of seniority.

8: What are the current upgrade times? How long can new upgrades expect to be on reserve?

Around 3 years currently, allegedly it will drop. I can't answer the reserve question, but I would assume it depends on growth continuing.

9: Medical benefits? Good/Bad/Expensive? 401k? Profit Sharing? Travel benefits for yourself/family/friends? Any other perks?

I'd say industry standard medical insurance. It's more expensive than my last company that had top tier insurance and covers a little less, but it's still pretty good. We have a defined contribution to 401k, right now its 12% and will increase to 13% of a pilot's yearly income this March. Eventually it will be 15%. No profit sharing we are a privately held company. Travel benefits are industry standard. 26 buddy passes, 3 companions, etc. $3 per one way if using non-rev. We have some ZED fare agreements with international carriers. Compared to AA benefits our route structure is lacking but getting seats isn't an issue and domestic flying is only getting more robust. Lastly, we have a 20% discount on confirmed tickets which is great during times of year when you can pay $20 for a confirmed ticket w/ bags.

10: In the recent yearly salary post on APC a lot of F9 people post they received bonuses. How does the bonus system work? Do new hires get bonuses? Do current employees get bonuses?

Bonuses are only for people who were present for the bankruptcy. They received stock in return for pay concessions. The other bonuses you may hear are the retro-active pay for the signing of the contract which was very drawn out. Expect nothing.

11: What is the training footprint? Pay during training? Do new hires still need to get their own housing for training? Is any of it reimbursed?

4 weeks of ground school followed by 5 FTDs then ~9 Sims if I recall correctly. Current training director is in the process of changing the footprint which will utilize more FTDs and possibly CPAT training for ground school. Neither of which is an awful thing. Training pay is exactly your hourly rate x 75. No per diem or hotels provided unless you are lucky enough to get shipped out of Denver for training. No reimbursements.

12: What plans for growth or plans for the future does Frontier have? Where do Frontier pilots see themselves or the company 5-10-15 years from now?

We have ~130 more aircraft to be delivered by 2026. Each new aircraft brings 15 pilots. The future seems bright.

13: And lastly, what are some things you as a pilot at Frontier wish you would have known before joining, or is there anything else you would like to share to potential new hires or pilots looking at coming to Frontier.

Enjoy life more during training, they do a great job at preparing you.

Thank you

Originally Posted by sobo

See above bold text.

Originally Posted by sobo

See above bold text.

Originally Posted by DC7C

more importantly, you can be part of a pilot group that can be sold a weak contract and then have management beat up on you after that. Why not? If you’ll agree to that, why not get beat some more? Just ask how the Company “persuaded” pilots who had to do PC/PTs due to their instructors dequaling. Can’t wait till people figure output that PBS WILL COST them roughly 2 months pay for Vacation bump etc. but look on the bright side, ya make what a UA guy does as long as you work 95hours a month....

Originally Posted by DC7C

more importantly, you can be part of a pilot group that can be sold a weak contract and then have management beat up on you after that. Why not? If you’ll agree to that, why not get beat some more? Just ask how the Company “persuaded” pilots who had to do PC/PTs due to their instructors dequaling. Can’t wait till people figure output that PBS WILL COST them roughly 2 months pay for Vacation bump etc. but look on the bright side, ya make what a UA guy does as long as you work 95hours a month....

Originally Posted by DC7C

more importantly, you can be part of a pilot group that can be sold a weak contract and then have management beat up on you after that. Why not? If you’ll agree to that, why not get beat some more? Just ask how the Company “persuaded” pilots who had to do PC/PTs due to their instructors dequaling. Can’t wait till people figure output that PBS WILL COST them roughly 2 months pay for Vacation bump etc. but look on the bright side, ya make what a UA guy does as long as you work 95hours a month....