Originally Posted by CarbonCub (Post 1934926)

First off, the contract does not specifically address a requirement to fly if a pilot "accidentally" picks up their phone. The phone contact is the only legal method scheduling can use to junior man a pilot.

I am a commuter and have picked up my phone several times to hear what they have to say regarding a junior assignment needing to be filled. Not once have they required me to fly.

Originally Posted by crxpilot (Post 1934992)

It would kinda hard to go flying when they call you up and you have a beer in your hand.............

Originally Posted by crxpilot (Post 1934992)

It would kinda hard to go flying when they call you up and you have a beer in your hand.............

Originally Posted by tom11011 (Post 1937525)

For those who went to the DFW job fair, have any of you received a call/email from Spirit to interview? (Besides yellow suit guy) :)

Originally Posted by IWalkJun12 (Post 1938141)

You guys need to reread the contract.

JA is for pay purposes. 200%

When scheduling calls, they OFFER JA. You either say yes or you say no. Period. There's no excuses of why you can't. Sorry, can't help today or Naah I'm not interested.

It's nothing like junior assign anywhere else. Been like that for 9 years that I've been here, hasn't changed yet. Only way it changes is if you vote for it to change.

Originally Posted by IWalkJun12 (Post 1938141)

You guys need to reread the contract.

JA is for pay purposes. 200%

When scheduling calls, they OFFER JA. You either say yes or you say no. Period. There's no excuses of why you can't. Sorry, can't help today or Naah I'm not interested.

It's nothing like junior assign anywhere else. Been like that for 9 years that I've been here, hasn't changed yet. Only way it changes is if you vote for it to change.

Originally Posted by F9 Driver (Post 1929055)

You don't have a choice to make until you get a job offer(s).

Do your homework on both, try to get at least one and, if you're fortunate enough to be hired by both, make a "pros v cons" chart or flip a coin. With low pay QOL is everything.

Once you get to one of these ULCCs don't get comfortable. Learn as much as you can and have some fun, but if total career earnings and international widebody flying are what you're looking for - keep the applications with the Legacies current, and work your contacts.

The Air Wisconsin pilots were once very happy flying BAE-146s out of Denver for jobs that topped at just north of 100K. They were home almost every night, and had a nice niche carved out for themselves. Some of the Major airline pilots gave them grief, but $100K was enough to live on and they were happy. Nobody's business but theirs. Then UAL filed.

All of a sudden the 146 went away, and commuting to PHL on our red-eye to start work a couple of hours after landing, in a CRJ for $100K (or less), took the polish right off that apple. The #1 pilot from their list jumped to F9 almost immediately.

The moral is: Figure out what's important to you, and go for it. But try and make every stop along the way someplace you'd hang your hat for the rest of your career - in case you have to or decide to.

I've got no answer to your question. It's a matter of personal choice. I came to F9 with plenty of total & jet PIC time, but no 121 time. I figured I'd get that box checked, and go to DAL or Alaska (the only two that appealed to me for my own reasons). I got here just before we announced the Airbus order (then 9/11 & Legacy bankruptcies happened), and was off to the races with a two year upgrade, a bunch of out-of-contract pay raises / bonuses, a PS ride to/from work in my car and a fun group of people to work with. I'm not leaving now - but that's just me.

Good luck & study hard!

Originally Posted by minimwage4 (Post 2070764)

As far as I've been told, the general concesus is that the last CA has already been hired at both places. Not good with a relatively young pilot group.

Guys getting on now at best will be junior CA or senior FOs unless more orders are announced. That's why mins have been dropped I guess at least for Spirit.

Some said Spirit wants to be at 300 though.

Originally Posted by Missed Appch (Post 2070808)

Between the two, I'd look at schedules as well. Doesn't Spirit have four days guaranteed between trips? The schedules at Frontier are bad and getting worse.

Originally Posted by Missed Appch (Post 2070808)

Between the two, I'd look at schedules as well. Doesn't Spirit have four days guaranteed between trips? The schedules at Frontier are bad and getting worse.

Originally Posted by Window_Seat (Post 1928908)

Yeah, thats what I think. I'd rather see the growth in the high paying jobs at the legacies than LCC's and ULCC's putting cost pressures on the jobs that are actually desirable. I did the regional thing. It sucks but I think its short sighted to run off to an LCC for ****ty wages. When contact time comes around only willing to negotiate a rate that compares with other LCC's.

Originally Posted by Left Handed (Post 1938258)

So we can be involuntarily JRMed, but only if we pick up our phone when they call. This has actually happened to me (long story). I tried the naah, I can't, and they said too bad you're going. I think with the amount of people begging for them, scheduling doesn't have a problem filling them, so they don't often have to resort to involuntarily JRM. Plus all the ways previously mentioned to avoid them if you don't want one, makes this company's JRM policy seem optional.

Originally Posted by Bolo (Post 2071438)

Let me make this simple for all of you:
1) At Spirit you get your hotel paid for during training. At Frontier you do not!
2) At Spirit no training contract. At Frontier $24,000 training contract for two years!
3) New hire pay at Republic is higher than new higher pay at Frontier!

Get the picture?

Originally Posted by Gunga Din (Post 2071464)

Republic has better new hire pay than Spirit too. The idea we are comparing pay to regionals at all is pathetic.

Originally Posted by ManFlex (Post 2071508)

Republic has better new hire pay than UPS!!!

Originally Posted by ShyGuy (Post 1928713)

Originally Posted by Bolo (Post 2071438)

Let me make this simple for all of you:
1) At Spirit you get your hotel paid for during training. At Frontier you do not!
2) At Spirit no training contract. At Frontier $24,000 training contract for two years!
3) New hire pay at Republic is higher than new higher pay at Frontier!

Get the picture?

Originally Posted by VegassBus (Post 2071514)

And DELTA doesn't pay for your hotel past basic Indoc.


DELTA & UPS both offer much higher pay & retirment than F9 & NKS

Originally Posted by OHPilot213 (Post 2071668)

Isn't it true that while Spirit does pay for your hotel during training you are not paid guarantee during training but instead paid a lesser amount until you finish training?

Originally Posted by minimwage4 (Post 2070814)

I've seen some strange redeye schedules on frontier but don't you get like 15 to 18 off a month even under junior schedules?

Originally Posted by Missed Appch (Post 2071961)

I don't remember exactly, but I think there were 10 lines with 17-18 days off. Keep in mind that FO's have to bid extra lines for every check airman scheduled to do IOE for the month. So even the number one FO has to bid 11 lines (assuming 10 check airman doing IOE) as they won't assign an FO to a line if a check airman gets it. It's a total crock.

Junior people who are line holders are looking at 13 days off.

Originally Posted by DENpilot (Post 2072405)

There are only 10 lines with 13 days off for March. Unless you want to fly your line as awarded and do absolutely no trading, there's no reason you can't improve that to 15 days off.

I am a fairly junior DEN lineholder and have vacation this month and last month. I still managed 159 hours credit with 16 days off after picking up a couple trips. Point is, as much as productivity sucks, if you put the time in, you can have a decent schedule as a junior pilot.

Originally Posted by cfouriv (Post 2072419)

I have my first line this month and I have 14 days off with 92 credit. I could have had 17 days off and over 75 hrs easy. Depends on what your looking for. Obviously with vacation you can rack up some pretty good credit.

Originally Posted by cfouriv (Post 2072419)

I have my first line this month and I have 14 days off with 92 credit. I could have had 17 days off and over 75 hrs easy. Depends on what your looking for. Obviously with vacation you can rack up some pretty good credit.

Originally Posted by ULLI (Post 2072426)

Are you with F9 or NK? And where are you based at?

Originally Posted by azcz10 (Post 2072563)

I was hired Thursday (F9) for the April 4 class. It looks like you are able to move things around to either have more days off when you need it or more credit if you need that. I reviewed the bid packs for all 3 bases and it looked like the average line was built with about 15 days off with about 75-76 hrs of credit. There were some 4-day trips with 20-25hrs and some with 14 hrs. I'll be commuting ATL-MCO if/when I get MCO. An MCO CA was telling me that a lot of trips end at 0830 in MCO & that's a lot like having a day off...even tho it's considered a day of work.

Originally Posted by azcz10 (Post 2072611)

I don't recall hearing the number of upgrades for 2016. In one of the recent upgrade classes, a couple of them were hired 2yrs and 4 days ago. Planning an increase of at least 9 new aircraft in the next year or so and a new pilot domicile. Maybe out west - PHX or LAS but possibly out east - PHL. I'm sure it'll be a surprise to everyone when it's announced & I don't blame them. I wouldn't want the competition to know.