You actually will catch more flies with a high powered bug zapper....

we need to ban those hi-capacity bug zappers. Especially ones with flash suppressors or other "military bug zapper" characteristics.

This. +1

You can't predict the future, your regional, your contract, your seniority, your airplanes may not be here tomorrow.

And definitely hoping I've made my last career move, fwiw. :)

Have you seen the reality of your current airline situation? Major financial problems, reduction in aircraft orders, I'd be very surprised if VA out lives 9E. Stop thinking you went to the high school prom with the prom queen. When you really took Rosie O Donnell.

then again, just to play devils advocate, there are a whole bunch of Eastern and Pan Am and TWA guys saying the exact same thing and laughing about the stability of the majors :)

I'd rather take Branson's financial backing before 9E's Chpater 11 any day. Just got a nice payraise April 1, how about you? If I could go back in time and had the choice to stay at 9E or come to VX, I'd do VX at least a thousand times over. As a 9E pilot, my future would have been stagnant and then furloughed, because I would not be in the top 850 pilots who would have jobs for 81 planes.

"Major financial problems, reduction in aircraft orders." At least there are airplane orders to begin with. When I started at 9E, there were no new planes. And people like you wouldn't leave so no one could move up. Major financial problems? Still got that Feb 2010 PAID IN FULL! t-shirt on my back. :)

Stop drinking the KoolAid, your future is much better at any LCC as opposed to a shrinking regional. Funny that you equate VX being the Rosie O Donnell when you bent over and votes YES to paycuts and concessions while thinking you were helping your career.

True, but now this country is down to just 3 legacy airlines, and long term, they are far more likely to survive instead of Northwest, Delta, American, TWA, US Airways, American, Pan Am, and Eastern all competing with each other. Now it's just American, Delta, and United, and they will be the only 3 players around.

Since 2000, only two airlines have been born that still exist today: JetBlue and Virgin America. They are LCCs, not legacy carriers. The point being that now with just 3 legacies, they are far more likely to survive and thrive, by also ensuring no new legacies pop up. There is now much less competition on the legacy level. That should also help ensure long term success for United, Delta, and American.

The writing was on the wall for many years at those companies, fwiw. Ive flown with a number of 87ish hires that dove away from eastern, for example. Most with 10+ years with the company before bolting.

gojetgojetgojetgojetgojetgojet!!! :D

True, I should have clarified to beyond the regional level. Regionals always come and go, new entrants Silver Airways (airline of the year, I hear) and GoJets. Comair exited.

Your argument about JetBlue and opinion credibility involves the sanity of employees at JetBlue? How does that make sense? The JFK-LAS pilot by all accounts was a good guy who had a total freak meltdown. Hopefully he gets the help he needs and recovers. As for the JetBlue FA who popped the slides and bailed, he has more balls than any pilot I know. Who else can so efficiently say "eff it" and walk out on their job as greatly as he did. Do you think this guy would have voted yes to any concessions? He's one of your 15%er NO votes.

The writing is on the wall at 9E. The last CEO was a "bankruptcy CEO" and the current CEO is a "Wind down CEO". As the airline shrinks, more pilots will slowly come to the realization that Pinnacle is following in the exact same steps as ComAir.

These pilots who are waiting on American to hire, have been waiting since 2001. And now with a route overlap of USAirways the consolidation will shrink American even more, and cause these losers to wait until 2021 for a job. Meanwhile, NK, JB & VX will grow and fill the voids in the market. Swamp will get downgraded to FO, while he watches his peers upgrade to Captain at these airlines. About the time Pinnacle goes completely out of business, he will be watching his peers bid for A-330's.

Many of us burned in the regionals and flew the He!! out of there like the Phoenix. If you want to continue to make little rocks from big rocks at Pinnacle as a CRJ - "Whatever" captain at 70 bucks an hour with 11 days off til the doors close then knock yourself out. But you've been warned.

You'll have more days off, better QOL, and overall less stress your first day at Spirit than you do now. But stay where you are - home based in MSP or wherever. And your second year, you will make more than an 8 year CA on your list with more days off - even as a commuter. And no more staying at the "Roadway Inn" at Podunk USA hotel with the railroad crews and truckers dragging hookers through the door at 0500.

But enjoy - we all did until we got "paroled". When the bubble bursts at 9E, you'll be in a daze like James Whitmore in The Shawshank Redemption bagging groceries at the end of the movie not knowing what to do with himself.

I couldn't stand him as SAABorowski, but now her speaks gospel.

Why would you even ask? GET THE HELL OUT OF PINNACLE LIKE THE REST OF US ARE TRYING TO.

Lol, was I really that much of a DBag as SAAB? :) probably just immaturity, I think a few years and having a daughter calmed me down a wee bit,lol

That'll do it!

One Up, please keep us up to date on your decision making process and satisfaction in your decision over time. I think many of us would interested in your perspective, especially if you do choose Spirit.

That was the impression before we took concession but deffinitely not the case now. The new writing on the wall is growth, expansion and Delta rebranding us into their image. We will be hiring in the fall with upgrades to follow according to the union and company.

To leave or not to leave? It depends on your information. There are no guarantees either way. Going to Spirit would not be a bad move but choosing to stay wouldnt be either in my opinion. WE are exiting Bankruptcy May 1, not shutting down or furloghing.

Stay tuned for more!!!

I didn't know u then, but I much prefer ur old name!

Leave Pinnacle for Spirit? YES

Just so there's no confusion...AFFIRMATIVE

It must be nice to be able to say, "should I stay at my regional or move onto an airline." There would be a lot of people who would love to be in your place. I don't know what the future holds for Pinnacle or for Spirit for that matter but as of today, Spirit is doing much better than a lot of other airlines. If not for anything, at least you will get another type to add to your resume.

With that kind of clarification he might get the point now. :D

This person would say STAY... Some need an intervention from the Kool Aid...

Delta will sell you off or close the doors. Maybe not tomorrow or next year but I assure you, it will happen.

Which scenario sounds best.
1. Still at PCL in 5 years. Upside, no commuting. Downside, uncertain future.
2. Going to Spirit. Upside, career advancement. Downside, commuting. Not your "destination career airline." Could hang out here till Delta calls.

Me personally, I'd go to Spirit and wait for Delta (if that's what you want long term). You may end up liking Spirit enough to stay, or if not, it's still a better bet long term than PNCL.

How about giving those of us that want the F. out of Pinnacle the secret to getting an interview with Spirit... I would gladly trade my number at Pinnacle for your class date at Spirit.

Plus the 100 bucks for not going to another career fair!

Not true. Did not say stay. Maybe you should read my post again. The person that started the post was seeking different opinions and thats what I was doing. I think its a great opportunity to go to Spirit but its not necessarily greener on the other side. There is a lot to consider before making that decision, money,family, where you live or are from. Income is huge, does your wife work? Can you afford the pay difference etc.

I'm also not drinking from the punch just being optimistic about what delta is doing with us. Better than thinking of liquidation and furloughs. Anything is possible. Most of us have been here long enough to understand what could happen here and are persuing other avenues.

I wish everyone the best at Pinnacle whether you stay or leave.

the good news is! Spirit seems to really like Pinnacle guys. I feel like every one I run into was a PNcl guy, lol.

Unless you're going to SWA or FedEx, going from the left seat at a regional to right seat at a major is likely going to involve some kind of pay cut for at least the first year. If you're smart, you'll sock some away to help ease the transition. Also, make sure you give your two weeks and get that vacation pay cashed out. That helped. :)

I can't speak for Spirit, but I can say I was a little nervous making the jump from 9E to B6. I had the "golden handcuffs" a little bit. I had good seniority in base, I was commuting but it wasn't a bad commute and the money was decent. After I turned in my 2 weeks, I had a few "*** am I doing?" moments. Fast forward nearly six months, and I have zero regrets whatsoever. I'm already holding a line, I get MORE days off as a junior line holding FO than I did as a upper-mid seniority CA at 9E and with the pay structure here, I'm only making a couple hundred less a month than I was. With the new pay rates, I'm actually pulling down MORE than I would have been under the bankruptcy contract. I also am looking at more people coming in BEHIND me in seniority on a monthly basis rather than AHEAD of me, which would have been the case the minute they closed MEM and ATL at 9E. By the time I hit second year FO pay here, I'll be making more than I would have been if I had stayed at 9E, at least on the average. Assuming a 75 hour guarantee, I'd still be a couple hundred bucks shy, but I'll take that trade off. The big things are I'm not exhausted after every duty day, I don't need a day to get my feet back under me after being beaten down for 4 days straight and I have the potential to stop commuting in about a year or two.

Thanks for all the input, here is what I’ve come up with. First of all, I was leaning towards taking the job; I understand I’m fortunate to be in this predicament. As much as Delta is my first choice, I cannot afford to get to comfortable here. The problem I see with regional’s is that people start to gain seniority, upgrade to captain, make good money, and not want to leave for anywhere except their #1 choice. While this is ok for some who are older, I feel that I don’t want to be in this situation. I don’t want to be stuck in the rut I’m about to fall into by sticking it out a Pinnacle (personal choice) and be at the mercy of the mainline company and hope they continue to “use” us. With the pay and the contract at NK, I will be back up to what I make now by 2nd year pay, no question. Also, holding a line as an FO making what I was making as RSV CA is a huge increase in QOL as far as I’m concerned. I think the experience will also help me in my career moving forward as well.

Good and valid points

One Up, congrats!

Great choice and let us know how you are making out.

Congrats!!

A lot of guys at Comair thought good things were coming their way too. You see how all that worked out.

Red,

I thought that too but now about to exit bankruptcy the landscape is changing with them buying us and rebranding us. There is something in the works, they just havent let it out of bag yet. Its possible it could turn out like yall but it doesnt appear to be going that way since our concessions. Hope for the best and prepare for the worst. I hate what Comair employees had to go through.

Dont look back and Go to Spirit.

TEN

When you leave for Spirit, please post incessantly on APC how good of a decision it was. Let everyone know about how much foresight you had and that everyone stuck at Pinnacle is a loser regional lifer making bad career decisions.

J/K!!!

Leave this dump and enjoy it!

If you have to ask that question......stay where you are and enjoy life at a contract carrier. ;)

I believe he made his decision already but not necessarily an easy one depending on your situation.

Compared to what? Being a 9E lifer waiting for a golden parachute?