That's the one scenario where concessions might make sense... you're in BK and some sort of rescue/exit plan is absolutely conditional on specific concessions. Still wouldn't expect it to change the ultimate outcome, but maybe buy some time.

Oh just give it up already!!

well they really don’t retrospectively. It is a very different landscape and one which they have had a huge amount of time to figure something out since the writing was on the wall. Is it sad? Absolutely. Do I feel sorry of them? No they chose to stay knowing this was the most likely outcome and now, because of the state of the industry, they can easily get hired. Spare me the tears

Believing anything truthful coming from airline management was the real first mistake.

Brett Snyder’s eulogy for Spirit. https://crankyflier.com/2026/05/04/the-spirit-is-gone/

Yes dude. They do have it bad.

Maybe there was writing on the wall, and it was probably an easy decision for the 28 y/old year 3 FO who still has a lot left in him. His career will recover, especially because hiring now is better than it was then. But what about the 55yo 12+year Captain? Even if a legacy picks him up (they might not because of how old he is) he might JUST get back to his income level by the time he has to retire, and he will never recover the lifestyle that the seniority provided. I don't blame them for sticking it out to see what happens. It doesn't matter if the market is better. They're still on the street now, and they still have to start from the bottom again, if they get hired at all.

I'm so damn tired of all that "you think that's bad" crap. It's as if you believe no one could ever have a legitimate complaint or problem with their career because "aT LeaSt ITs noT 2008". Spare me. Yes, hiring was bad then. We know it was bad. Just because it was bad then doesn't mean it isn't bad now.

And by the way, it takes more than pilots to run an airline. For every one pilot at Spirit their were probably 10 other white and blue collar professionals working to make the company go. All of those people are on the street now, too. And in case you haven't noticed, the white collar job market isn't all that great right now. For them, someone saying "well Delta is hiring xxx amount of pilots this year" is probably little consolation.

I am that captain. Left just over a year ago. Will never get my seniority back, but my schedule (in the right seat) is as good as it was. Pay/TAFH will be the same for me next year , because no commute. If I can upgrade for the last 3 years, I will make up the loss in pay. It definitely wasn't easy to leave. And I'm still hurting every paycheck. But the vast majority (about 80%) of NK pilots senior to me was a lot younger than me. And I don't have the number but from what I saw, the same thing for those junior to me. NK was a great place, but the job is replaceable.

Pilots were the second largest direct employee group after flight attendants. So no, it was not a 10 to 1 ratio.

As for the others, their experience does not go away. They will be strong candidates for the available positions at other airlines. United has been hiring a lot of dispatchers recently. Everyone is hiring mechanics. Contract ops at the outstations will just be reassigned to other airlines.

I do think FLL ops will have a hard time finding a replacement job in the area, and there may not be enough industry positions for all of the FA's. But most of the NK folks will find jobs at other airlines....will lose seniority and probably have to relocate.

What will happen is as NK folks take the available positions at other airlines, there will be less movement from the regionals. Less movement from regionals, less opportunities for people new to the industry. The impact will trickle down.

You didn’t make a coherent point. The 3 year FOs for the most part all left years ago. The 55 year old guys mostly chose to retire early. Every one I know had the money to do so and the ones that didn’t all had a plan B. Nothing that you said changes the fact that yes they had years to make the decision EITHER WAY in the most pilot friendly hiring environment in history. So since you failed to add anything relevant to the conversation I will say again, although it’s sad spare me your tears. You don’t need to constantly virtue signal.