But I would add that swapping reserve days is easy as long as the grid is agreeable. I've had good luck swapping out of less desirable reserve days into more desirable.

Obviously like anything in this business, doesn't always work.

 

Um NO! A reserve can drop or swap IN SENIORITY ORDER, during the seniority windows, and first come first serve during the FCFS windows. And that is NOT going to change. You're just not getting it. It's not going to happen.

 

Thank you! Looks like your reserve rules are already better than NK’s. Although i suppose it really depends on how green your grid is.

 

Everything we thought we knew about JB seniority in MCO/FLL is changing. The company just increased the size of those bases, shifting positions out of the NE. They won't be junior, but they won't be nearly as senior as they were.

In fact not nearly as many from the NE bases chose to go to FL bases, much less than the company wanted. So they will be hiring into the FL bases in my opinion.

And looking backwards at NK's historical reserve times is not very useful. Even as a standalone company, movement at Spirit (especially to and within the left seat) is slowing. This isn't a 50 jet new ULCC anymore. The bigger the pilot group gets, the longer it will take to reach 50% or 40% etc... The size vs growth rate just isn't the same anymore as it was when it was smaller. Your airline, our airlines are maturing, and your airline especially doesn't have the retirements to even partially offset that. All of that means pilots hired today, or upgrading in the next few years, will experience longer reserve times when they transition to the left seat, and even in the right seat in some bases. Reserve should be, and now must be a humane and viable choice for pilots across the entire seniority spectrum. Our union should create as many desirable positions as possible, not allow some to get fat by eating the reserves QOL.

 

​​​​​​From a flexibility standpoint of dropping or moving days around, yes. But we still need improvement, particularly in long call rules. Specifically escalation from LCR to SCR. Should pay a lot more for escalations, and should provide a hotel room.

​​​​​​Shifting gears,

What do you guys get for PTO hours (outside of vacation accrual) and sick time?

 

We don’t have PTO time per se, we only accrue sick time, 5 hours/month. But we can use vacation hours to cover drops. Our vacation accrual is better than JB’s though.

 

We can use Sick time as PTO, they can use Vacation time for the same thing. As far as accruing they get more of one we get more of the other. Is that they correct understanding?

 

No it’s not. Your vacation time is worth less than JB and you accrue less “sick” time which isn’t as versatile as JB. You can also sell back unused PTO at JB.

 

Yes it is, according to the Contract comparison guide that our MEC put together. Take a look at the ‘annual vacation days per longevity year’ slide. It clearly shows NK’s is better. For example, JBs acrrual goes to 21 days of vacation at year 10 longevity, NK at year 6, etc.

 

And 3.5 weeks at 10 years at NK