Qotsaautopilot

Joey, you are a heartless a-hole hahaha

Qotsaautopilot

FYI: delta opens before us and are looking for big gains and Ual opens the following year. Achieving a contract in line with what they have now is still a cycle behind. We need to be shooting higher IMO

WelcomeToBen

Equally as important (or I would argue potentially more important) as maintaining our current work rules would be obtaining a better trip rig (at least 5.25 hours per calendar day). 4.5 hours per duty period is a joke and is what allows the company to build such horrendously inefficient trips. Inefficient trips lead to inefficient lines. A tighter trip rig would force the company to build more efficient lines. I am tired of these 72 hour 14 day off lines. With a better trip rig, lines would be either be higher credit, lower days off or lower credit higher days off. More days off with a higher starting credit makes it easier for everybody to make money. This is pretty self explanatory but the more days off you start with, the more available you are to pick up open time above guarantee without taking yourself down to a disgraceful amount of days off. Guys who prefer time off, get more time off. Guys who prefer to have less time off and make more money make even more than they are making now. Everybody wins including the guys who spend their life on the phone with crew scheduling. For all of you who like to take themselves down to 5 days off per month, just think how much more money you'll make if you start with 17 or 18 days off instead of 14.

This is our biggest contract deficiency outside of pay rates and retirement.

On a side note, does anybody have information regarding the health benefit packages that Delta offers their pilots? I have heard this claim several times but have yet to see anything definitive. Our B plan is fantastic, but the premiums they charge us are outrageous. Here's a little tip for all Spirit pilots. Take a look into the HRA plan that the company offers all the other employees. It's actually a really fantastic plan and the premiums are quite low.

Pilottim79

Met some really cool Spirit people today. I was slightly disappointed the only flight ops rep. was a first officer from FLL.

She was very nice though and very helpful and did such a good job for being asked to do so much. Think she talked with people non stop for 8 hours.

Hope to see some of the same great people in FLL in November.

JoeyMeatballs

Been reading a lot of negative reports today from Wall St. Second month in a row load factors are down from same time last year. Hopefully it's the new routes just starting out.......

Judge Smails

Based on what I'm reading, I think the market overreacted today. The general consensus is that the stock is still a 'buy.'

bp320

I've got AA's contract comparison guide for there negotiations . Super informative on everybody's current contract (trip rigs, vacation, rules, rates, insurance, etc) I wish our guys would spread this info. If you want PM me and ill email it to you or anyone else... It compared Spirit, AA,UAL,DAL,SWA,ALK, JB.

It will actually surprise you , in a good ways .

Qotsaautopilot

I have it too and it didn't surprise me in that many good ways. We are behind in just about every category except 4 days off and transition conflict.

I will say this: if we are not thinking about scope and LTD then we need to reevaluate. If section 1 isn't iron clad the rest of the contract is garbage. Our code share language basically gives away the farm. Also, think about how very fragile your medical certificate is. Right now you could flush a multimillion dollar career down the drain with a small medical problem and our LTD pays you for only a couple years and then you have to go retrain yourself for a new career. What if that happens in your 40s or 50s? It should pay til 65 PERIOD! and if you make other income that doesn't require a medical certificate it shouldn't affect your LTD benefit.

JoeyMeatballs

^ this. I think even at XJT OUR LTD went to 65

WelcomeToBen

Thanks Qotsaautopilot for pointing that out. LTD is another area of our contract where we lag far behind our peers. We have a few great work rules in our contract but those few work rules do no make up for the fact that we are lagging behind in many other areas. I think if we are going to make up for these deficiencies in the next contract, we first need to realize they exist. I think a lot of our guys have convinced themselves that because of our 4 days off and transition conflict that our contract is industry leading.