Spirit of NKS
Line Holder
Joined APC: Jan 2015
Posts: 57
Thank you for the replies. Is this a fairly new development and is it company-wide? Spirit has always appealed to me in part because of the perceived QOL advantages over the legacies. This sounds a bit different from what I've heard in the past. Either way it's good to know.
Have any DFW routes been cut since Southwest expanded DAL? Or are they holding steady so far despite the thinner margins?
Have any DFW routes been cut since Southwest expanded DAL? Or are they holding steady so far despite the thinner margins?
Last edited by Kerosene Xwind; 08-29-2015 at 02:59 AM.
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jun 2006
Posts: 1,423
Thank you for the replies. Is this a fairly new development and is it company-wide? Spirit has always appealed to me in part because of the perceived QOL advantages over the legacies. This sounds a bit different from what I've heard in the past. Either way it's good to know.
Have any DFW routes been cut since Southwest expanded DAL? Or are they holding steady so far despite the thinner margins?
Have any DFW routes been cut since Southwest expanded DAL? Or are they holding steady so far despite the thinner margins?
Guys living in base will always have a better qol and make more than those outside of it. The money will be better, the question is how long and at what level.
SWA had a huge capacity dump in DAL, but now are maxed out. It will take time to be absorbed. Still plenty of growth at Spirit, DFW has obviously slowed/stopped. Will it pick up? Unknown.
Never join a company because of bases or orders, as they can always change. The model is solid, makes money, but patience is required here. It's not your typical airline.
Good luck...
Cheers
I wouldn't expect DFW to "grow" much more than it is now. You'll have turnover as guys upgrade and leave, but I wouldn't expect a huge boom there. I think we're on the edge of opening another base. The bigwigs haven't said anything, but even the most dense guy can see where we're adding flights at. That being said I don think Spirit and BB give a rat's a$$ what Southwest is doing. As much as a cattle car operation SWA is, I just don't think they care. We've got a core group of people who fly on Spirit, they are the Dollar General shoppers, Southwest is great for the People of WalMart. Too bad we cant accept food stamps for payment, we'd increase and diversify our passenger dynamic. Oh, the qol conditions in our contract are real. You can't put a price on four days off and our commuter clause. I think the only way that aspect of our contract could be better is if we were all home based, purchased tickets to wherever our flights were starting and a guaranteed FIVE days off between pairings. As a commuter, I don't know if it gets any better than Spirit.
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Oct 2010
Posts: 4,603
Most airlines have a two flight commuter clause. It's pretty standard. Hell even Xjt has a one flight commuter clause. 4 days is damn good though. Although if you ask a southwest guy that has min days off at 16 id bet he probably has at least 4 days off between work blocks too.
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jun 2006
Posts: 1,423
I dont have any info, but does anyone know if it's true that there is some new hire monkey working in ops for free, for the last few months, trying to work his way into a sim instructor postion?
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jan 2010
Posts: 123
Probably true. Same kind of people hang out with the losers that volunteer to help out at job fairs on their days off. This stuff has to stop. I love their excuses, "oh I'm just trying to get my buddies a job here". Sweet. Will they work for free like you? Can't wait to meet them. One of the freebie workers grabs JRMs via ACARS too.
Probably true. Same kind of people hang out with the losers that volunteer to help out at job fairs on their days off. This stuff has to stop. I love their excuses, "oh I'm just trying to get my buddies a job here". Sweet. Will they work for free like you? Can't wait to meet them. One of the freebie workers grabs JRMs via ACARS too.
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jun 2006
Posts: 489
What does the average line look like at Spirit, particularly in the DFW base? Are they real heavy on 4-day trips or are there a lot of day trips and 2-days available as well? Are the junior lineholders averaging 15+ days off too or does it take a lot more seniority for that?
Also, for someone potentially being hired at Spirit right now, is 5-6 years a fairly safe guess at the earliest possible upgrade time?
Thanks!
Also, for someone potentially being hired at Spirit right now, is 5-6 years a fairly safe guess at the earliest possible upgrade time?
Thanks!
There are a few lines that are built with a single 4-day trip on followed by 4 or 5 days off then another single 4-day trip, with days off after, but that is not the norm for DFW. Rather a typical line is a 2-day followed by a 4-day then 4 or 5 days off, then a 4-day followed by a redeye, then 4 or 5 days off, then a day turn, a 4-day finishing the week by another day turn.
Even if you are lineholder, if you commute you are looking at getting hotels for the overnight in base. Trips used to be non-commutable on both ends (early shows, late finishes), though recently (within the past month or two) trips are commutable at one end either the beginning or the end.
Reserves used to be pretty easy at least on the FO side, as you tended not to be used when I first started (2014), but once the union started enforcing the no-OT pick up within 48hrs at the beginning of this year, reserves are flying more often.
New Hire
Joined APC: Aug 2015
Posts: 9
Although there are no trips that are longer than 4 days, reserve is in blocks of 6 days or 5 days (for the reserve periods that start later in the day).
There are a few lines that are built with a single 4-day trip on followed by 4 or 5 days off then another single 4-day trip, with days off after, but that is not the norm for DFW. Rather a typical line is a 2-day followed by a 4-day then 4 or 5 days off, then a 4-day followed by a redeye, then 4 or 5 days off, then a day turn, a 4-day finishing the week by another day turn.
Even if you are lineholder, if you commute you are looking at getting hotels for the overnight in base. Trips used to be non-commutable on both ends (early shows, late finishes), though recently (within the past month or two) trips are commutable at one end either the beginning or the end.
Reserves used to be pretty easy at least on the FO side, as you tended not to be used when I first started (2014), but once the union started enforcing the no-OT pick up within 48hrs at the beginning of this year, reserves are flying more often.
There are a few lines that are built with a single 4-day trip on followed by 4 or 5 days off then another single 4-day trip, with days off after, but that is not the norm for DFW. Rather a typical line is a 2-day followed by a 4-day then 4 or 5 days off, then a 4-day followed by a redeye, then 4 or 5 days off, then a day turn, a 4-day finishing the week by another day turn.
Even if you are lineholder, if you commute you are looking at getting hotels for the overnight in base. Trips used to be non-commutable on both ends (early shows, late finishes), though recently (within the past month or two) trips are commutable at one end either the beginning or the end.
Reserves used to be pretty easy at least on the FO side, as you tended not to be used when I first started (2014), but once the union started enforcing the no-OT pick up within 48hrs at the beginning of this year, reserves are flying more often.
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