In general, Spirit is ok. But as with any growing business, or an business that is struggling to grow, risk exists.
MX Rider said:
Do a search on Spirit! (for more info)
Contract - OK and getting better (amendable 01/07 ALPA).
OK, maybe. That depends upon your basis. In my opinion, this contract is worse than the last, but that is partly because management takes liberties with this that they didn't/couldn't take with the last contract. The getting better part is purely speculation. The company shows ZERO intent to make this contract better in the future. In fact, they have demanded concessions on numerous occasions these last few years.
Pay - not so good but getting better slowly..........10% raise coming in 5 months. Check out airlinepilotcentral.com of course.
I agree, but don't forget that the company has been/is trying to scare us into giving back that ten percent.
QOL - OK if you live in base (FLL or DTW) and getting better.
Unless you happen to be a Florida boy who just got displaced to DTW. Lately, Spirit has given a lot of points to applicants who live near a base, but is now displacing them. I don't think that some of us think that QOL is getting better.
Commuting - Had to give it up..don't know anymore. Quite a few Commuters @ NK.
Spirit was once commuter friendly, not anymore. See above.
Spirit is in the process of changing their fleet, md-80 to A319/A321.
In summary, no big complaints...... life is pretty good (OK) and getting better all the time but that is all subject to change of course.
Just let it do what it do baby!
Blue Skies
man, oh man, where do I start. No complaints Huh?
About 25% of us are shorted pay in any given month, for the first complaint.
Next, the phone rings off of the hook for junior assigns.
And, it rings at hours that are contractually forbidden. Like in the middle of the night.
The company has recently suspended a union rep who refused an obviously illegal trip. BTW, they had to reinstate him, and the fallout will continue.
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I'll return to my opening statement. Risk exists. BUT, the reward could be great. If Spirit's new investors ever manage to rid the management team of the old guard and replace them with personel who actually desire to succeed in the airline business, we will go far. Our costs are low, at least until the first Airbus goes out of warranty or requires a heavy inspection.
Now for the good part. The people you get to fly with at Spirit are darned good people. We have pilots on staff with widely varied backgrounds. From retired Colonels to bush pilots, from pool cleaners to real estate moguls. I'd guess that we are about one quarter ex-military, but we haven't hired the stereotypical ex-mil pilot. We've got lots of old C130 boys, a few C9 guys and even an F100 guy or two, but I'll bet anyone a c-note that they can't pick out the retired F106 pilot. We've got pilots with hundreds of Atlantic crossings in single engine Cessnas and pilots with hundreds of crossings in a 767.
Our check airmen/DE's/instructors are top notch people who (mostly) attempt to impart knowledge and build skill instead of beating you up in the sim.
If you are the kind of pilot who is able to take a chance on a company which might not be here in five years. Give us a chance. The upside is that you could be an international A330 pilot in that same five years. (Yes the Big Bus rumors continue

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enigma