Originally Posted by A320ULCC

Simple math comparing pay and retirement at NKS vs AA, Delta or United during the fist few years of employment. I don't think anyone has to hold your hand to figure that out.

Originally Posted by Wink

What regional pays a 10 year captain $72/hour? A quick search on APC puts most 10 year rj captains in the 86-91 range, which is around year 4-5 at Spirit. An Endeavor Captain wouldn't recuperate the pay loss until year 9 as an FO (I've read a lot of debate on these boards that the quick upgrades at Spirit are gone, so i didn't look at the Captain payscale)

Obviously, this is only based on pay rates listed as I'm not familiar with Spirit's work rules. I'd assume they are superior and, if only for the longer stage lengths, the schedules are more productive and ultimately better.

I'm sure life at Spirit probably is better than at a regional, but the bolded statement seems disingenuous.

Originally Posted by Gunga Din

What work rule is better? 4 days off. It's good and bad. But okay. It forces them to give you blocks of day home. But that also makes for 6 day blocks away.
Red/green? Most regionals have similar. Trip rig? Guarante day? Ours blows. Trip integrity. Had it. What possible rule is amazing here? MUP? JM? Only for a few people is this even an issue.
Lots of guys over look the pay because of "amazing" work rules only to come here and find they aren't any better. We owe it to them to really be honest.
Training department (not the instructors but the leadership) runs the schedule too tight. It's a jeopardizing risk you run. Worse than most regionals. Captain authority here is a joke. Gate agents control the process of boarding and our union is as passive about this as everything else.
Training pay is unbelievably below standards. Taking home $1000-1500 for entire training is shameful. Again union won't spend negotiation capital for new guys.
If all you know are turbo prop or fly by night cargo then yes, NK rules are fine. But they are industry average. They aren't equal to UA or DL and certainly not enough to ignore the pathetic pay.
But if you think you won't get a call from a legacy then you're better off coming here and sucking it up and hoping we get a contract.

Originally Posted by A320ULCC

Simple math comparing pay and retirement at NKS vs AA, Delta or United during the fist few years of employment. I don't think anyone has to hold your hand to figure that out.

Originally Posted by DickBurns

Assuming they would hire you...

Originally Posted by skybolt

Some of you need to look up the term "stockholm syndrome" . Additionally, the NK QOL and pay are only wonderful when compared to a dirtbag regional or to a crappie defunct freight carrier. The OP may be exagerating, but the simple truth is that Spirit is currently NOT a career destination. Compare yourselves to your friends at SWA or FedEx, not the guys you left behind at Mesa, etc

Originally Posted by TrojanCMH

Not really sure how it cost you $250k unless you had a job offer from a legacy and chose Spirit instead. Which is just stupid and if that's the case you deserve it. But if you're comparing it to staying with your regional captain gig I don't know how you're getting those numbers. Everyone knows that we need a better contract and we need to be compensated more but the process sucks and it doesn't happen overnight. It seems like you've never dealt with airline negotiations before. It will get worse before it gets better... But it will get better.

Also over 3 years it cost me about 40k to leave my captain seat. After 4 years I'll have made back my money and I'm home way more than I was at a regional...

Originally Posted by FreeSmiles

Our schedules are way less efficient. 13.5 hour 3 day. 18 hour 4 day. That is the norm. There are some 22.5 hour 4 days but those are pathetic, and those generally have TAFB around 95 hours.