This is the line of thinking I am hearing from pilots. “We are the highest paid ULCC” as a justification for making less than other airline pilots.

Working at a company that has a low fare business model does not make you worth less as a pilot. You are still responsible for the aircraft and hundreds of lives day in and day out. You had to work just as hard to get an ATP. You can still be violated by the FAA. Why does the company’s business model matter?

You deserve to be paid as much as the Jetblue or Delta pilot who does the same exact job. One could argue that being a Spirit pilot is more difficult with the more densely packed aircraft and higher incidence of passenger issues to deal with. Should you get paid more for that? The argument can be made.

In the upcoming JCBA negotiations great things can be accomplished. Don’t settle for less.

Cool story. Why did you vote in a contract that doesn’t have a market rate adjustment to top Airbus pay, and instead, an average of many airlines? Why did you vote in a contract that has 1 market rate adjustment in the post ratification era for the Legacy contracts (2024) and not the years after when the legacy contracts continue to increase?

Practice what your preach, troll.

Your contract is slightly higher than ours and because of pattern bargaining, you guys will get a 2024 1 time market rate bump, congrats on that. But calling NK pilots “bottom feeders” who are the lowest paid Airbus pilots in the industry is ridiculously inaccurate.

But thanks for the advice, Dad. Can’t wait for you to sling my gear in a shiny blue airplane down the road.

Which one do we deserve though...could you be more specific? It looks like DL pays better than JB

"Slightly Higher" in this case being approximately 50$ more an hour, let's at least be honest.
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Read what I said, their initial contract rates were slightly better than ours, but because, and only because, other airlines got bumps, they got a bump. It’s a “me too” clause. Great to have, we don’t have it. But I won’t be lectured by someone telling me I need to do more, to get the same as a JBLU and a DAL pilot when he himself doesn’t get paid DAL rates and the only reason JBLU top is more than $15 more than us on the top is BECAUSE of the heavy lifting done by legacy airlines.

Please tell me you see the hypocrisy.

Also, their CEO at least has said on record that pilot pay will need to standardize across the industry. It’s A LOT easier to score a “me too” in the contract when the CEO agrees that his pilots need to make legacy comparable rates.

actually deserve more. I spend a lot of my time trying to stay legal and safe when many different parts of the bare bones, poorly trained operation are trying to screw us.

Hate to say it, but if you want Legacy Airline pay, then go work at a Legacy Airline.

Spirit is a low cost airline, and the pilots are paid accordignly. It is like a guy flying a BE1900 at Ameriflight expecting to make UPS 747 Captain pay. The single pilot BE1900 is probably a little more demanding and works more hours, but the UPS 747 Captain makes 6x the money (or more).

Different jobs, different pay.

Go to a Legacy Airline if you want Legacy Airline pay.

You deserve what you can negotiate, no more and no less. Which is why when you have an unusual advantage - like a JCBA that management badly needs during a once in several decades pilot shortage - you better damn well have your best, most hardcore people doing the negotiating and then YOU decide if that's enough. It's not up to the NC to sell you on the package. You aren't paying them to shill for the opposition.

There it is. It only took 6 posts on this thread for someone to be arguing against a leading contract. Sigh.....

God this is the dumbest thing ever said.