Airtran or Jet Blue?

[atldc9]

Back to the original question. I have some good friends at JB, and am a Captain on the 717 at FL. I love it here. It works for me. The contract is pretty good, not a spectacular industry-leading contract, but one at which you can make a good living. Also, the company can afford our contract. I think the pay at JB is better, but our retirement is better. They get a lot more stock options then we do, and obviously they are the darlings of wall street, so if you went to JB, the options would probably make up for the retirement at FL, and then some. They have a great culture, and no bad history. We have lived thru the hard times, and are profitable. We are quite a bit larger, and still growing pretty rapidly. The majority of our new hires over the past few years have been younger commuter types, so the attitude on the majority of the seniority list is excellent. This is the best job most of us have ever had, so we really bend over backward to keep the ball going forward.

As for specifics, I think you can find the pay rates for both companies on the site somewhere or other, as well as most of the comparable compensation extras. The intangibles are apersonal thing. AirTran has one base- ATL. There have been rumors of this city or that being a base for 4 years, but I wouldn't hold your breath. We are going to end up with another type by the end of the year, but it is only speculation as to whther it will be the 319 or 737-700. Either way, the oldest plane in our fleet will be 3 in october. All the -9's will be gone, and we are still going. Top pay is 153.00 an hour, with a 10.5% B-Fund.

I like it, but what I think doesn't matter.

It is your career, you choose.

 

[flx757]

I was Maury Gallaher's personal pilot..... I am not sure his involvemen in AT at this point.

While Maury would sell his Mother if the price were right, he does no how to run a business.

As I mentioned on an earlier post, he is not involved with the current AirTran. He is the Chairman of Allegiant Air based out of Fresno, with some corporate offices in Las Vegas. (One of which is presumably his. I believe that's his home, so that's why they keep an office there.) Those interested on how he does at running a business can keep an eye on Allegiant. There is some information on the company posted here.

 

[ultrarunner]

Just on the surface, I would say that DAL could put the BIG HURT on AirTran when ever they want. Now, I suppose the govt. might step in, but you never know.

All things being equal, which they never are, I would have to say someone would need to carefully consider the business plan of each carrier. IIRC, the senior Mgt. at JetBlue has history on their side.

Good luck.

 

[gump88]

FWIW,

I would chose AirTran, hands down! All my Midway buddies that are there now have nothing but good things to say. Plus, who the hell wants to be based out of JFK??? hehe

gump

 

[Ty Webb]

Actually, AirTran has put the hurt on DAL.

DAL has been trying to hurt AirTran for years . . . the only problem is that AirTran is making money, and DAL is losing money, so who is putting the hurt to who?

Funny thing is, if DAL stopped worrying about AirTran and just started selling their seats at a price that would make money for them, AirTran would probably raise their prices somewhat, and they would both make money . . . what a concept!

 

[jimcav]

For what its worth DAL has been trying to put us under as long as we have been around. Guess what guys, AirTran is here to stay. JB seems like a great place, but most of us Citrus types would not leave what we have. This is a great place to work and if people like furloughed guy look down on us thats their problem. Best of luck to all.

 

[jimcav]

Ty we must have seen that last post at the same time. You beat me to the punch bro.

 

[FL717]

The next 24 months are going to be real interesting for several of us "smaller" carriers ; Airtran, jetBlue, Frontier, and Midwest Airlines (formerly Midwest Express). There is going to be some more shakeups in my opinion and feel fortunate to be here and hope to hang on during this period. Seniority is king as everyone knows and right now I wouldn't trade AirTran or any current job to be at the bottom of anyones seniority list, unless I was prepared financially and mentally to deal with worst case scenario.

Just an observation.

 

[717pilot]

FL717...good to see you again. I am with you..this is a great place to be!! After spending 12 years as a Dash-8 Captain for USSCAREWAYS ..its exciting to be at a airline thats growing..and making money also!! Ive been here almost 2 years and when I left Piedmont many Piedmont pilots said I was crazy for leaving to go to AIRTRAN and they went to USSCAREWAYS. Guess who laughing now!! Just to give everybody some current info..we have classes scheduled every month. A class of 22 will start the 20th of February. At the end of April we will have just over 800 pilots. If you want to be a pilot for AIRTRAN about the only way to get an interview is to know somebody here. Recommendations are taken very seriously. Good luck to all..........

 

[LASvegas777]

I would pick the one that will still be around 10 years from now. But to do that you need a magic crystal ball. I hope that both are still flying but with all this competition I would be surprised if both are still around in 10 years. Look at the history of LLC start ups Vanguard, Midway, OLD Midway, WestPAC, National, all of which had bright futures at one time.

 

[Skank]

I wouldn't be surprised at all to see both Jetblue and Airtran going strong in ten years. But, as we all know, things can change.

 

[FlyDeltasJets]

For what its worth DAL has been trying to put us under as long as we have been around. Guess what guys, AirTran is here to stay. JB seems like a great place, but most of us Citrus types would not leave what we have. This is a great place to work and if people like furloughed guy look down on us thats their problem. Best of luck to all.

Actually, that is not true. Leo Mullin has repeatedly stated that you are the only thing preventing us from having a monopoly in ATL prompting to gvt to move in and start requesting some very unfavorable things of us. Trust me, they do not want you to go under.

Of course, you maybe have grown a little bit TOO big lately, and I would expect more measures to be taken to combat that in the future. Hopefully, we can both coincided peacefully.

Good Luck and fly safe

 

[Ty Webb]

Of course, you maybe have grown a little bit TOO big lately, and I would expect more measures to be taken to combat that in the future. Hopefully, we can both coincided peacefully.

Good Luck and fly safe

Like what? Coming after us in our proprietary markets? Dumping seats at below cost? Using RJ's? Hogging gate space?

Oh, wait, you're already doing all of those things.

Actually, now that you guys have pulled out all the stops, maybe we'll have to tak a few "measures" . . . like maybe some CVG action?

Buckle your seat belt, it's gonna be an interesting few years.

 

[FlyDeltasJets]

Well,
2.6 billion dollars and 5 billion dollars in unemcumbered assets gives us the ability to try quite a few other things.

You may be making a small profit now, but I really like our chances. Time will tell, but I am quite confident that you have not yet seen all that Delta has planned. I would not be so sure that we have "pulled out all the stops" yet. This is not our first time around the block.

You are correct, it will be interesting.

 

[Race Pilot]

Mo' Better - welcome to the hanger!! First post I see. I was wondering how long it would take for that tail to show up. Not long I guess. Great job.

 

[Race Pilot]

Yep.....right after I finish IOE.

 

[SkyGirl]

I wonder how the patriotism card might play out. I have a friend here in DC who is a legislative assistant. Her congressman is going back to his home district this weekend. In light of the way the French are acting he told her to make sure that she booked him on an American airplane, be didn't want his picture taken getting off a French jet.

SkyGirl

 

[Race Pilot]

make sure that she booked him on an American airplane, be didn't want his picture taken getting off a French jet.

Let's not beat that dead horse again. If you can find a jet built in the US with all US parts or a jet built overseas with all foreign (ie, no US) parts I'll buy you a case of German beer. Or Old Milwaukee if you prefer. Maybe they can fly in a Cessna 172 as it's probably almost all-American.

 

[SkyGirl]

Obviously, this was a question of perception for her congreesman, but it may be representative of American thinking. Fox News, for example, this morning called for a boycot of French products.

I think your example is silly, by the way. There is no question that the Boeing is a domestic product made by Americans and Airbus is a foreign one made by our staunch allies, the French.

Oddly, there are no protections for aircraft manufacturers as there are for our automobile manufacturers. It was the congressional domestic content requirements that forced just about every foreign car maker to build assembly plants in the US and hire US workers to make their product.

SkyGirl

 

[Ty Webb]

Although most aircraft are now a multi-national product (even my very own B717) I think many of us are so disgusted with the French and Germans at this point, that we will probably avoid buying their products, with or without any official boycott.

I think that most of us realize that their reluctance to help with the problem in Iraq is more economic than philosophic. With 11% unemployment, and the need to appease the far left in Germany, it is small wonder that they are reluctant to step up to the plate and do the right thing. After the very brief "war" the real expense will come after that, in the early years of helping the Iraqui people stand on their own two feet.

As for the French, well, I hear that they have finally come around, and they are going to help us . . . by going to Iraq and teaching the Iraquis to surrender properly, after all, that is the one thing that they are very good at.