In this hiring environment I balance anything an airline CEO says with their need to not exacerbate attrition. I mean other than Biffle and Christie because they’re busy and *******.

Robin reaching out to actually contact Spirit crewmembers wins him some brownie points in my mind. But he also knows that a significant portion of the Spirit pilot group leaves if he even hints at closing any of our bases other than those goofballs in ACY. And I think he’s definitely trying to manage that given the overall aims of this merger attempt.

 

Disagreements or not, thank you for saying something that contributes to an actual and honest discussion.

We all know this hiring environment isn't going to last for the longer term, but I'm not sure who to believe. Robin, and any CEO, can say whatever they want, but in reality it doesn't really matter. If the merger got approved next month, he can redact all of that and do whatever he wants and there is no harm no foul. In my opinion, it's just hard to believe. If what Robin says is true, than it will be great for Spirit and JB both, but if (or when, or how bad) the economy tanks, they could easily just take Spirit's new planes and all their orders and replace JB's older fleets and get brand new airplanes and weather the storm doing the exact same thing they've been doing, and blame base closers on the economy.

For Spirit pilots, I think it'll really come down to the JCBA. Yes, Spirit pilots want to make more money (as everyone does), but what will the quality of life cost; with regards to base closures? I personally would much rather live in base than make another $20/hr than having to commute the rest of my career. And if JB does actually start doing base closers after the merger, unless the money is obscene, you will certainly see a mass exodus from Spirit pilots.

 

No way dude! Didn’t you know all 6000ish pilots and 500 airplanes are all going to be based in JFK/BOS/FLL/MCO!?

(Obvious sarcasm folks)…

Wtf. This is a way to legitimately help Blue access a ton of the country they either don’t fly or have minimal presence in.

 

Let’s not negotiate in public with statements like “I’ll work for less as long as they don’t close my base.”

 

I think that’s fair. I’d happily be a B6 CA living in base if someone could
waive a magic wand and guarantee that outcome in 2-3 years. But no one can do that, and with that in mind I suspect quite a few crew members have started making others plans either just in case or eject now thinking.

This decision point needs to be reached quickly, and then whoever wins out needs to signal loud and clear what their intentions are base wise or a mass exodus is inevitable. It might be anyway.

 

Aren’t we all at this point? You seem to live on APC, so I’d think you would have realized this by now.

 

Just like how B6 is cutting AA off at the knees in Miami/South Florida right now? The NEA is a contractual agreement AA desperately needs. Without it they have NO strategy to compete in New York, have said so themselves.

If the merger is successful, B6 will play in these big hub markets of DFW, ORD, DTW, ATL just like southwest and spirit currently do. I could see LAS shrinking from poor yields and ACY closing as there is a base up the street at EWR.

 

I completely agree with you, but that wasn't what I was specifically referring to in my post. That comment was more to the people that say "Spirit pilots should want the merger with JB simply because JB pilots make more money." AKA, money isn't everything, and being able to be live-in-base also contributes to that equation.

 

JB joins oneworld. Problem solved.

 

I have seen ZERO evidence of JB backing down against AA anywhere in the country outside the NEA. In fact they are building LAX and opened an aggressive operation out of MIA entirely outside the NEA, and after the NEA was announced.

JB is not subservient to AA.