Need To Jump Ship
 

Long time reader, first time poster.

Spirit, are you guys happy. The good, bad and ugly. If you could be somewhere else, where would you be.

The big 3 has not called me, and who know, they might never call. more.
I am just shy of 1000 PIC Turbine, with a total of around 5000TT.
Please let me know,
Thanks

You're not going to get any valuable information on here. Everyone has a different threshold for 'happiness'. Do your own research, figure out the pros and cons. All the information is out there.

Good luck.

Anyone know if there is a backlog in training? I’ve heard classes are full until the fall...

Need To Jump Ship
 

The good: Decent QOL once you can hold a line, even better if you can live in base (that’s every airline though.) Great crews. Good overnights compared to the regionals. Nice mix of flying. Can make decent money once you hold a line and can fly more than minimum guarantee. Schedule flexibility once you hold a line. We’re expanding like crazy. New airplanes. Management leaves you alone if you show up on time and don’t screw anything up, pretty laid back atmosphere...

The bad: Pay is below industry average for the airbus. Reserve is miserable with our new contract, can’t swap days, can only drop one stretch a month, can’t pick up open time on days off... Management fights us (the union) every chance they get and upper management is basically silent with regards to where we are going and what the plan is. Training is a whole different level than the regional game. It’s currently pretty stagnant with PBS and the often rumored airplane order being up in the air right now. Garbage nonrev benefits compared to the regionals if you’re trying to sit first class and cross an ocean. Lots of people hate Spirit, there’s certainly a stigma to Spirit...

Overall it’s a decent place to work and I don’t regret leaving my regional, your times seem competitive as long as you don’t have any major skeletons in your closet. I’d apply and take the job if it’s offered and go from there, unless you have a guaranteed flow of course. Nothing forcing you to stay here if something bigger and better comes along. Better to get stuck here if something happens than at some regional that may or may not be around after the next economic downturn.






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Pretty good summation, T.

Ah...the day these types of posts cease to exits will signal our arrival on the main stage. To the OP, stay at your regional; I don’t want that attitude here.

What part of his or her post makes you think they have a bad attitude? Was it the big three aren’t calling bit that rubbed you the wrong way? I hate to break it to you but until management decides to start treating us like one we won’t be anywhere near the “main stage” in terms of just about any metric a pilot can use to compare work places... Most aspiring pilots don’t grow up dreaming of being a pilot at Spirit.


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My guess is the "the big 3 haven't called" so I'm trying Spirit since it's better than my regional attitude... He should say that during the interview when he's ask "Why Spirit?" :rolleyes:

We all got asked the why Spirit question and we all probably fibbed or left a bit of the truth out when answering that question. That being said Spirit does have some solid things to offer (see my above post) but I stand by my statement that most of us didn’t grow up/go through our early careers wanting to be a Spirit pilot. It was a job that was offered and we are all making the best of it and fighting to make it better.

I don’t need my FOs to show up chugging the yellow koolaid and pretend/lie to me about this being the greatest opportunity in aviation when we all know damn well that it isn’t. A new FO here with no seniority would be stupid not to take a serious look at one of the big three if they came calling for an interview.


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I grew up wanting to fly for Pan Am, Eastern, Braniff or Aloha. Now I make 220k at spirit. That’s how the cookie crumbles I guess . Guess I’ll eeek by .