Clueless. I would say its all the multiple misteps by management and the Fed Gov helped put NK in this posiiton, and the company wastes a ton of money with many of the items you listed, but to say its not a pilots job to save money when they can is akin to cutting off that nose to spite your face. Pilots have huge control over costs every day with those 2 large levers between the two pilots.

Pilots saving money wont help save Spirit if they are going to fail, but to say its not our jobs to help save money is really a clueless statement.

 

Show me in our contract where it mentions profit sharing. Then I'll care about "saving the company money".

 

Pilots (well most Captains anyway), who are stuck in the seniority list for a lot longer than most managers have a vested interest in helping make the company economically viable. I wouldn't take that as far as extending to 0500 after a really long day, flying unfit, etc. But SE taxi and selective APU use isn't very hard and makes a difference over the long run.

With that said, the reality is that the company does need to provide short-term financial incentives for operational performance metrics such as fuel use, if they want a large majority to comply. Just human nature.

 

Company is so far in the hole that single engine taxi isn’t going to make a difference at this point. Revenue problem not cost problem.

 

Was at NK 12 years, reluctantly punched out last year. I totally agree with you. Reduced CI always if early, would not leave the airplane before GPU/AC were hooked up, so I could turn off the APU, always single engine taxi, start APU as I turned off the taxi light, I would never start the APU until I had 3 rampers with lit wands, because of the amount of times I sat at the gate waiting for up to an hour waiting for a few D cells, I would go below the wing to tell ramp to reconnect ground air they pulled to get me to start the APU. Don't even get me started on SETWA and sitting at the gate waiting for 15 minutes waiting for a jetway driver. Emailed fuelburn@NK about it nonstop. And you know what, it never made a difference.. They outsourced everything to the cheapest bidder and got what they paid for.
Because I am a firm believer in IYANPOTSYAPOTP, I will always do more, but I am not sure if we have enough control. Worked overseas were 4 stripes meant direct relationship with deity, and it did help. But apparently plenty of us are happy to do the required minimum.

 

How about just keeping the paychecks coming in and on time? We cannot control the live or die of this company but at least try to pull in the right direction there pal.

 

Nah I'm good. As long as I continue to make below industry standard and no profit sharing I could care less. Our CASM is already HALF that of the legacies. But if you think single engine taxi for 3 minuets will save the company then have at it there... pal.

 

You must not be a pilot. I can think of several ways a pilot’s actions could directly kill spirit as a company. Don’t let anyone from management hear your opinions on how unimportant pilots are to the success of a company. One pilot, one mistake, one dead airline. As simple as that.

 

Yes. But one bolt (contractor or mech), one cg miscalculation, one DG miscue (loader), etc. one dead airline.

 

Swiss cheese model kicks in here. Pilots can make one hole that results in catastrophe. You are the single most important cog in the rail.