I was hoping to hear from some JB guys on this topic. Year 2 year Spirit FO mid 30s and already living and based in ATL. I currently love my QOL at spirit, and nothing beats driving to work. Im 40% in base and pretty much get the trips I want. I have an interview with Delta and it got me thinking about what I am really trying to achieve. I have zero desire to fly wide body to be honest, and already in ATL on the bus. I would obviously try to get back to ATL with delta but hey, Im already here. I know the merger will throw a wrench in things, but current upgrade here at spirit is 3 years. I'm sure the merger will slow things down though. So assuming the merger goes through... Im already in base, on a plane I like, potentially staring at captain upgrade in the nearish future. I've looked at the new JB rates compared to DAL and they are pretty close across the board. Is there something I'm missing? I don't foresee JB wanting to close the ATL base. I think a combined spirit/JB will be a great airline in the future and can easily see them becoming the "new" southwest despite their grand aspirations of competing with a legacy. I don't know much about JB retirements and am uncertain what my seniority would look like at a combined company at retirement.

 

Living in BOS: B6 or DAL?

 

I’d go to DL. Even if the combined JB/NK keeps the ATL base for the next 100yrs it will always be a tiny fraction of what DL does in ATL. Sure you won’t want to fly WBs, but the volume and variety of NB flying is far greater than anything JB can do. When the doors open for current JB pilots to transfer to ATL there will be a bunch jumping in and probably pushing you down further in relative seniority

 

If I wanted to live in Atlanta… I would go to Delta.

Doesn’t matter if you’re 30 or 63 years old.

 

JetBlues future in ATL is an unknown. DAL won’t leave ATL. DAL for the win.

 

1. What do you loose by going to Delta? 2 years of seniority and decent QOL which may not last post merger. FOMO of what? B6/Spirit growing to be 10,000 + pilots? Possible but very unlikely.

2. What makes you so certain? They certainly aren’t going to keep all of them, despite us thinking we are going to speak that into existence.

3. Well NB but even still, have you looked at the percentage difference compounded over 30 years?

If you were 40 and already in left seat…I’d say it’s a Brainer….. but with your stats it’s a NO BRAINER.

 

Atlanta? Delta without any doubt. You're crazy otherwise. The ATL base is NO guarantee for Blue, and even if it stays it likely won't be big. Delta's average profit sharing check alone will make up for the pay difference starting over, and for future years will put you way ahead in total compensation. And wide-bodies are incredible for getting guys in front of you out of your way on narrow bodies.

Just go, and thank us later.

 

I guess I'll be the sole "other" opinion here. If you're already on base on the equipment you want to be on, why upset the apple cart? I know several people who have jumped from airline to airline numerous times because the grass is greener, and they are worse off than if they had just stayed at the first major airline they were at. Starting over at the bottom of a huge list is risky, and we can't always assume that things will not change with the hiring climate. What if the music stops (or goes backwards) 6 months after you jump ship?

I'm not saying any of that to dissuade you. By all means go where you'll be happy. I just don't think that it is as much of a "no brainer" as people seem to think.

I say go to the interview, and see how it goes. If you like the company, and get a good feeling about it, go from there. But take it seriously and weigh all of the pros/cons and don't cheat yourself out of making a critical decision by just assuming that the grass is greener.

 

A couple of things about the ATL base:

1. NK opening the base, per the union, was nothing more than an attempt to stem attrition to DL. It is not an operational necessity like FLL, LAS, etc...

2. From the looks of what I've seen, and I mean this in the nicest way possible, the typical ATL pax on a ULCC carrier is probably not making the jump to flying Jetblue. It is what it is, but I would not hesitate to jump ship to DL. It really shouldn't even be up for debate. DL is not leaving ATL unless all of society collapses, and even then they still might be there.

 

The part of my brain that remembers the lost decade, age 65 and everything else agrees with you. The other part says maybe you, me and everyone with this mindset is just wrong now. Will the music ever stop? Even in a down economy, retirements alone will require the airlines to hire. Maybe we were just the last generation to deal with real aviation hardships, and now jumping ship is the smart move instead of staying put. I question this stuff often.

OP, I would def interview and would suggest to make the jump to DL if you plan on staying in ATL. Spirit, Jetblue, Frontier are not committed to ATL like Delta is. While the other airlines may always have a presence, no airline will own it like DL will. Giving up 2 years of seniority is nothing.