2 guys in my Jan class left for the legacies immediately after their type.

 

3 years ago it made sense to go to spirit. The legacy hiring hadn't ramped up yet and spirit had 50 airframes with 100 on order. TODAY spirit has 100 planes with 50 on order. If you come to spirit now there is not enough growth to guarantee you an upgrade EVER!... certainly not in 3 years!

 

I believe Spirit, and Jet Blue both have issues with pilots leaving for the legacies. Yes, both are airlines that people have as their destination by choice, but looking down the road, 5, 10 years, you won't be hurting.

 

I'm staying put till flow. With the current contracts in place and projected growth and movement I'm on track to easily make 7 million over the next 34 years (should I choose to stay that long). That's not including any 401k matches, profit sharing or income properties I plan on branching myself into.

Is it a guarantee? Of course not. But it's a pretty damn good risk vs reward. Enjoy those LCC's!!

 

About 85 in service. 5 NEOs and a couple more airplanes yet to arrive this year.
Original plan was to give back all but 6 319s by 2021. While still a net increase, Spirit has announced buying some off lease, with 3 of those slated for give back being kept, with maybe 7 more to buy. This is a net increase of up to 10 that were not on the books last year. This net increase, even if upgrade goes to 4 years is better than 8.5 year upgrade at XJT, who can't get dual-class flying, and loses flying every day to SKYW. When the new CEO abandons her post after just 10 MONTHS, that's a sign.
Upgrades continue at Spirit. If you come here and never leave, you will make double at the peak of your carrer than you can make at a regional. The leaked mgt contract proposal from last year had FOs topping out at $149 / hr. Much better than RJ capt. $230 + for captains. This proposal was not even entertained by the pilot group.

Last year's FOs have moved half way up their domicile list in one year. I'm a '16 hire with over 150 behind me already, moving up about 5 spots per month.

 

SCHEDULING Dept.
I'm no expert. I've been at my ULCC for 6 months, but let me tell you the difference between ULCC Scheduling, and scheduling at the regional I just left.
1. REGIONAL:
I upgraded at the regional, having not been on reserve for a decade. After IOE, they slapped reserve days on me. I didn't want to do them. Guess what? Too bad! Had to buy hotel rooms in DTW, KNOWING they wouldn't call me.
ULCC:
After IOE, I was slapped with 6 reserve days in ACY. Ouch. Went to Flica and DROPPED ALL 6, instantaneously. Then I picked up two trips in a different domicile that were both commutable.
2. REGIONAL: Mid-trip, getting into your overnight. ACARS from scheduling: You aren't done. You are now operating flight XXX to YYY. But I don't want to. Too bad.
ULCC: ACARS: Hey guys. WOULD YOU PLEASE operate XXX to YYY, and we will cancel your last day. Just deadhead back AND we will pay you an extra 4 days MUP. The captain made $1000 to fly one leg and be done the next day. I just stayed the the airport for a few hours and caught the first flight toward home.
3. REGIONAL: If scheduling calls you, and you answer, reserve, or line holder, you are on the hook.
ULCC: Scheduling calls you on a day off and OFFERS you a trip. They OFFER what they want to give you for it. You bargain with them. State your demands. They agree or they don't. If not, no harm, no foul, no hard feelings.
4. REGIONAL: On reserve and want to fly a day before your reserve period? Want to drop a reserve day? Want to be paid extra for a trip that operates over your reserve day? << LOL!
ULCC: See a trip in open time? You can't add a trip of course, but you can call and put your name in the hat. I recently had a trip that began the same day, but earlier than my show time. I was paid 6 extra hours for it, on top of guarantee. Junior assignments are optional, but if offered, pay 2X, and on top of guarantee.
Still on reserve here, but due to a transition conflict, my June schedule started with 10 days off. then 5 on, 5 off, 5 on, 5 off. That's 20 days off, and I'm being paid some goodies on top of guarantee.

5. I had 3 weeks off between initial training and IOE. Then one day my IOE schedule appeared. DURING SPRING BREAK! Travel to FLL IMPOSSIBLE via non-rev.
REGIONAL. PROBABLY would have told you get there or else. Just a guess.
ULCC. 20 minutes later I had an e-ticket in hand on an other carrier to get me to IOE paid for by the company. I'm just saying, YES, its a pay cut first year, but for guys who value QOL, the current contract is good, and I doubt much will be conceded next round.

 

I left a regional captain gig for Spirit and I haven't looked back. Most of the guys in my new hire class were regional captains as well. Yes the first year pay sucks and you're going to get into some CC debt to maintain any semblance of your regional captain lifestyle unless you have a good chunk of change saved up.

No it isn't Delta, United, or American and I was well aware of that coming into it but the QOL is night and day different compared to a regional. I'm home more on reserve than I was as a senior line holder at my old regional. The trips are easier, the legs are longer, the hotels are much nicer in better locations. There is a huge amount of soft pay available if you're willing to be flexible with scheduling and you can almost always manipulate your schedule to get whatever days off you need. There really is no comparison when comparing it to a regional. Now with all that being said there is still a huge amount of room for improvement with this contract we are negotiating. Especially in pay. And myself and everyone I fly with is demanding a contract that brings us up to our mainline and other airbus peers. So I do believe that it will get better in the future but until I see it I'll still have my applications out at the majors.

I'd rather be stuck here at Spirit if anything happens or I do anything stupid than at my old regional. But to each their own and everyone has their reasons.

 

I reckon that you all have a valid point. The QOL and earning potential at even the worst ULCC is much better than at any of the regionals. If a ULCC did call I would be tempted to jump ship out of the regionals. At this point in time despite what the hyperbole would have one believe, the legacies are still being rather picky about whom they want to hire.... Most of the regional CAs that I fly with have several LORs in, ample TPIC, volunteering and are not getting the call. Heck the LCA that I did my IOE with is not getting the call, WTH.

 

Another point. I stumble across so many airlines that were absorbed by / purchased by legacies and Southwest that I never knew existed.
You have a better chance of being purchase by a legacy (and never having to interview again!) if you are at a ULCC than if you are at a regional. It just happened at Virgin. A legacy simply won't buy a regional and add them to the seniority list when all they have to to is shift fly from a mature regional to one with a lower pilot cost. There are still hundreds of 50 seaters they want gone too.

However, I would not be surprised if a legacy purchased a ULCC before it got to big. They would get:

Close to 100 Airbus aircraft with average age of 5.6 years.
Orders for several more which could replace their aging mad dogs and 757s.
1500 typed Airbus pilots
An operation that they no longer have to compete against.
An operation that is the most profitable in the USA.
An operation with extensive international flying.
STRANGER things have happened.
I cannot predict the future, but I could see a ULCC merger, or a purchase by a legacy within the next 10 years.