9 new 321's. New growth not replacement. Hiring will continue for the foreseeable future.

I think morale is actually pretty good. I've only been here since April, but pretty much everyone I've meet or flown with seems optimistic and happy to be at F9 with the exception of the pay, but that can only go up.

[QUOTE=embraer;1768850]Can you elaborate on that? No problem if you don't want to.[/QUOTE

Company wants us to do more with less. They keep on saying we need to cut costs. My answer is where? We are the lowest paid pilots for our class of aircraft flown. This pilot group and other groups as well have taken pay cuts to save this airline. Now that everybody is making money, you are seeing new contracts while we are stagnant.
You would think that moral would be great with all the growth going on but unfortunately it is not.
Outsourced all the stations and now our people in Denver(gate agents, rampers and cleaners) possibly losing their jobs.

I am glad that you see the glass is half full. Now a couple of comments to you so we can see where we are at.

1) I see that you have been here since April 2014? Correct?
2) You have not been here long enough to understand how we got here, with the numerous bankruptcies and concessions. You have not had to deal with all the crap that we had to deal with(Bankruptcy2008, RAH, Teamsters, and now Indigo)
3) I see on your Avatar you flew a Saab 340. So, F9 is definitely a step up from where you were. Right? Commuter?
4) New airline smell has not worn off you yet.
5) When you get a couple of years under your belt, or have been here as long as I have, which most of the senior guys(not hired within the last year and half) have been, then you will understand the moral issue.
6) I am glad to see individuals like you with the new sparkle in your eyes and new crisp uniforms. It reminds me of the day when I got hired here as well.
7) Pilot group here is one of the best, now we would like to be compensated for it and all of our sacrifices which you have not had to endure.

This is what I was trying to relay in my message, that although F9 pilots have gone through some very tough times this past 9 years, they are still a great group of guys to work with.

I honestly think looking at all variables, unless the economy of the US goes down the toilet, life at F9 can only get better in regards to pay. We are the lowest at present so it can only go up from here. At least it is my hope as I would like to stay here.

I think this next year will show things to come. Lets see if the FAPA letter regarding pay snap back actually happens.

If you talk with the spirit guys about their experiences with that ownership or even just read their threads about it, it is going to be a long bloody fight.

And if you look at any other airline out there after bankruptcy, the pilots are not handed a beautiful contract back to what they had, it is a long fight sometimes over multiple contracts to get back to what they had pre-bankruptcy. That fighting mentality is the mentality the F9 pilots have developed after being beat down for so many years.

Thankfully FAPA already negotiated full snap backs. Our CBA is exactly, word for word, the same contract we had prior to BK. No work rules were touched, the hourly rates were reduced and scheduled raises were delayed but between today and our amendable date we have 3 new pay tables and a return of lost longevity. Each F9 pilot will experience seven pay raises between now and the amendable date in March 2017 (3 years longevity, return of one year longevity lost, 3 new pay tables).

When FAPA returns to the bargaining table they will do so with the highest pay rates available and no CBA language to recoup.

I am not saying we have the best CBA, far from it, but FAPA did an incredible job protecting what we have.

FAPA may go down in history as the first pilot's union (first union ever?) to come back from a bankruptcy with more money for its pilots than it went in with, contingent upon how the IPO goes. I'm in the concessions for about $120,000 give or take over the last 6 years, and an IPO equivalent to Spirit's current market cap would net me $300,000+/-.

Is it true only pilots on the Senority list as of 2011 will see a payout? How does this whole thing actually work? By the time the IPO actually happens there is a good chance there will be more pilots on the list hired after 2011 then before. Would FAPA be more interested in keeping the below industry pay rates for a longer period of time knowing that the IPO payout could be worth more to them.

Only Pilots on the property as of 2011. Second half of your question a moot point.