Hey ya'll, I'm NOT defending SkyBus. And as said over and over, we are our own worst enemy and flying for those wages makes a statement to all of the airline executives that they can pays us sh*t and we will still come runnng.
It is very sad indeed.
10 or 12 years ago when I didn't have much time and didn't realize the impact of flying for sh*t wages I may have considered taking a job flying "a real airliner" for whatever they would pay. With more experience, professional pride and having more options and considerably more debt and financial responsiblities, my attitude has changed to say the least.
I remember a time not too long ago when my beloved Spirit was in that lump. The pay and conditions were...well...unthinkable to consider. I was flying freight and had an opportunity to come here then. However, I just got married, had a couple kids and couldn't swing $25k a year. Even though they were upgrading in a year or so the pay for the left seat was a whopping $65K or a bit more. I was making more than that flying boxes in the Falcon.
I don't fault the guys that were here then, nor did I at the time. I just couldn't justify it for me then. I'm glad the pilots did come and stay, form a union and helped to make this the place it is now. (I wished they would have looked at FO pay a bit more in the last contract...I know, I know the world was a different place then. I don't need another lecture on it.)
But through some tough times the pilots stood strong and they turned it around.
Guess what, here I am and Spirit is now becoming a very repitable airline with decent pay....for the captains anyway
Either way, I'm glad to be here now but wouldn't have considered it 7 years ago.
Things change....
Still NOT defending SkyBus.
What worries me more is VA. Maybe not in the next few years, but eventually the precident that is set may open the skies for more foreign airlines. That is a real problem, maybe not now, maybe not for another five years or more. But it will bite us eventually.
Ok... I know I've opened myself up, let me have it.
It is very sad indeed.
10 or 12 years ago when I didn't have much time and didn't realize the impact of flying for sh*t wages I may have considered taking a job flying "a real airliner" for whatever they would pay. With more experience, professional pride and having more options and considerably more debt and financial responsiblities, my attitude has changed to say the least.
I remember a time not too long ago when my beloved Spirit was in that lump. The pay and conditions were...well...unthinkable to consider. I was flying freight and had an opportunity to come here then. However, I just got married, had a couple kids and couldn't swing $25k a year. Even though they were upgrading in a year or so the pay for the left seat was a whopping $65K or a bit more. I was making more than that flying boxes in the Falcon.
I don't fault the guys that were here then, nor did I at the time. I just couldn't justify it for me then. I'm glad the pilots did come and stay, form a union and helped to make this the place it is now. (I wished they would have looked at FO pay a bit more in the last contract...I know, I know the world was a different place then. I don't need another lecture on it.)
But through some tough times the pilots stood strong and they turned it around.
Guess what, here I am and Spirit is now becoming a very repitable airline with decent pay....for the captains anyway
Either way, I'm glad to be here now but wouldn't have considered it 7 years ago. Things change....
Still NOT defending SkyBus.
What worries me more is VA. Maybe not in the next few years, but eventually the precident that is set may open the skies for more foreign airlines. That is a real problem, maybe not now, maybe not for another five years or more. But it will bite us eventually.
Ok... I know I've opened myself up, let me have it.
