Thx for posting the math.

That kind of changes things for a lot of some applicants.

Do you trust everything Bendover says? I listened to that call too....

OP, I don’t see us stopping at 177. Whether it’s through another order or through a merger, is anyone’s guess. If you’re certain that you want to be a pilot at Spirit, I’d plan on being an FO for a lot longer than our current upgrade time. Plan for the worst hope for the best....
For some context, when I came, it was a mathematical certainty based on their order book without buying back leases, so I totally get the anticipation of a quick upgrade.

The investor presentations have always said that our business model works in 500-550 different markets. We just announced service to AUS, our 70th destination. There is a ton of room for Spirit to grow.

At some point an NK/F9 merger may make sense but I don't think it'll happen in the next decade.

Jyrinal always bragged about how we could be a 400+ airframe airline. You take 177 + Frontier and their order book, it comes pretty damned close to that target....

Why don't you see it in the next decade? Maybe you just have more aviation and economic foresight than anyone else alive?

I appreciate that. I really do want to be here. Its just gotta pencil out. Being an FO for 5+ years doesn't for my situation. Upgrading quickly is one of the paramount reasons, among many, that makes this place very attractive. I hope the rest of the applicants realize the potential slowing as well. I know quite a few that are banking on the fast upgrades. We all have to take a job for what it is, not what it 'could' be. To that, we are getting hired as FOs. Full spectrum, I, like most of us, set risk v reward, "is it worth it?". I want to believe it is. Plus, Spirit pilots are all pretty awesome guys. Work-life will at least be legit if upgrades slow way down.

Thx for the info, Tranq.

No worries! :) Not really sure if I answered your question though. I just hope that if you do come here, that you won’t be hugely disappointed if the upgrade doesn’t happen. Best of luck to you either way!

Upgrade Time
 

It’s all a shot in the dark. One airline may be upgrading quickly and may shrink or defer their orders. Maybe they run into financial problems. The upgrades could potentially dry up overnight. At a previous airline I was told I’d upgrade in 2 years. It ended up taking me 8 thanks to the 2008 recession and the age 65 rule. It went from hiring several hundred a year to me barely missing a furlough.

On the flip side of that, an airline like Spirit could place a big airplane order and have upgrades keep at the 3 year mark for the next decade. Go somewhere that you could be happy at even in a worst case type scenario. If it doesn’t work at Spirit then it doesn’t work but as you’re probably well aware, you never know what’s going to happen. Also you don’t really have a decision to make until you receive a job offer. Doesn’t hurt to dust off the resume and gain some interviewing experience.


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Okay just my 2 cents...

First of all, an airplane order is going to happen... they have even said it to the shareholders about two earnings call ago. They specifically said an order will be placed before the years end. Guys...come on it’s not a secret..Spirit will place an aircraft order. It’s just the type of planes we don’t know...Spirit’s airplane order is like a box of chocolates...never know whatcha gunna get.

Nobody knows if/or when Spirit will merg beside the big wigs themselves. Come on...what the heck does anyone know if or when we are going to get bought out...Getting bought out is like getting cancer. You could go your whole life never get cancer. Or one random day you find out you have it, or maybe your unlucky and you get it early on...nobody knows! And same with which cancer you get you could get. You could get some pretty good doable cancer like Melanoma (Delta) or you could get some nasty cancer like Pancreatic cancer (Frontier)

Now for some real rumors...I hear we are launching STL, SLC, and MKE just in time for spring break next year. BWI will be a base pretty soon...I have pretty solid intel on that one.

I’ve also heard Canada 🇨🇦 is in Spirit’s not too distant future.