Leave Pinnacle for Spirit?
 

I'm a junior CA at Pinnacle and live 2.5 hours from base. I'd rather work at DL because of domicile choices. Would you leave 9e for NK? With having a guaranteed interview with Delta and everything, is it worth it to leave? Opinions.

According to APC, Pinnacle is the next Comair.

I have several friends at Spirit that love it. Third and Fourth FO year pay at Spirit is close to junior Captain pay at 9E. I left 9E and came to SkyWest, haven't been happier in a long time even though it's a lateral move. I'd go to Spirit.

Glad to hear you're happy about your move. Actually with the contract and DOS, I would be back to where I am right now by 2nd year pay.

Guaranteed INTERVIEW doesn't mean a guaranteed job. DL probably won't hire until 2014/2015 now apparently or however long they say it is now. Seems to change every year. If you want to be DL, by all means wait out for it. Gives people like me who have no desire to work for DL a chance to go to a place like Spirit.

2-3 years ago I would have said no. Now I say get while the gettin's good!

Someone showed me a website Aubry's flight analysis. Had a really nice tool for comparing airline pay on a yearly basis and cumulative over your remaining career.

I would go to Spirit if you have a good amount of PIC time.

That guaranteed interview isn't worth the paper it's printed on. And if you really are a junior CA, your "turn" wouldn't come for a long time anyway. Would you really stick around for a guaranteed interview? Why not get an Airbus type, time on type, and then apply to Delta if that's what you really want? Spirit and Airbus will be better for your resume.


As for pay, there's just no comparison. The only tough pill to swallow is first year pay, and that's where Spirit is really weak. $38.50/hr means even a RJ FO has to take a paycut to fly an Airbus. Second year and beyond makes it much better. At my company, 1st year is now $49/hr and 2nd year is 70/hr and that's the 7th year RJ CA pay at 9E.

I think it should be a no brainer.

I'd do it even if you don't. Not like 9E FOs have opportunities for PIC time at 9E anymore.

While it seems good on paper, it is inaccurate. It assumes proper fleet deliveries, but that could change in a moments notice. More so, for the airlines I looked at, it did not show any impact from Age 65 retirements, which should make your number rise as time goes on.