the latest and greatest from Spirit

[Beetle007]

Yesterday United announced it is getting rid of an additional 70 aircraft. Today Continental announced it is getting rid of an additional 67 aircraft.

It only makes sense that Spirit wants maximum flexibility to cut capacity after the summer (i.e., WARN letters).

 

[labbats]

Relax, everything is fine.

http://www.spiritair.com/infodetails.aspx?number=22

I'm going to be sick. All of my sympathy for Spirit just disappeared.

 

[cruxx@9]

I used to work at Spirit and when I started there was a glimmer of hope. Then the "New Spirit Plan" started. I hope all the best for my bretheren over there. It was a great place to work, well except for the management. What a bunch of scum they have running the place. From what I understand the NOI's are rolling out weekly or more. I was getting disgusted with everything from from the way the management was treating the employees...all of them gate agents to senior captains...and the passengers.

The planes weren't getting cleaned, chagring for everything and seats crammed together so close that it was akin to cruel and unusual punishment to ride in the back of one of NK's jets. Well unless you were shorter than 5' 2" anyway. At 6' tall I couldn't sit straight in my seat. DH was fun! All this and filthy airplanes, I was embarassed to have my parents on the jet...and they could ride for free!

So when management finally pushed a little harder my decision was easy. And since upgrade was still out of sight (I'd been there 3.5 years). I was making CRAP pay, it was a no brainer. What was I staying for? Now, if I lived down in cuba or the islands it would be harder to leave, but the math worked out for me.

For those who stayed I hope them all the best. They are doing the best job they can with the limited resources the management has left them. They have a great attitude and work ethic that is way more than the company deserves.

As for the pax, I've always said it, and Ben said it best. They should realize what they are getting on NK. It ain't Ned's airline anymore, and what would you expect for the cheapest ticket? If you have a bad experience on them...don't fly them again. If someone can deal with it, let 'em.

One thing they do provide however is a cheap fare to latin america. There are many people here in the states from down south...if you haven't noticed, and now they can get home cheaply.

Good luck guys and gals

 

[pilotyip]

old posts

Yesterday United announced it is getting rid of an additional 70 aircraft. Today Continental announced it is getting rid of an additional 67 aircraft.

It only makes sense that Spirit wants maximum flexibility to cut capacity after the summer (i.e., WARN letters).

Were there not posts in the past here by pilots saying raise tickets prices it will not effect traffic and thne they can raise our pay and go back to the good ole days? As posted all along raise tickets prices = fewer riders, therefore fewer airplanes nad fewer pilots.

 

[TWheat61]

Yesterday United announced it is getting rid of an additional 70 aircraft. Today Continental announced it is getting rid of an additional 67 aircraft.

It only makes sense that Spirit wants maximum flexibility to cut capacity after the summer (i.e., WARN letters).

This should be an opportunity for Spirit to gain more market share. Jet Blue and Air Tran had their large growth in the years of all the bankruptcies.

 

[castle bravo]

" From what I understand the NOI's are rolling out weekly or more."
"The planes weren't getting cleaned, "



The NOI process is a highly political one. Those who are smiled upon by mgmt skate with impunity, while the rest look over their shoulders.

The planes have always been a filthy disgrace. The only time they are clean is when they buzz over from Hamburg, and then it does not last very long before they "catch the spirit"..

 

[Spoolingbyu]

Were there not posts in the past here by pilots saying raise tickets prices it will not effect traffic and thne they can raise our pay and go back to the good ole days? As posted all along raise tickets prices = fewer riders, therefore fewer airplanes nad fewer pilots.

Not sure what point you are trying to make or if you are simply reiterating what someone else said, but here's my $.02:

Raising ticket prices will not affect ridership, except for those in the marginal bracket. Robbie the redneck retard will not take the kids to Disney World for $9 (or even $0!!!!) a ticket anymore. From an airline profitability standpoint, who cares? Business travelers don't care what it costs to go from Boston to LA any more than they care about filling up their Escalade with $5/gal unleaded. their demand is price inelastic; they will continue to travel. The airlines will have to cut capacity and raise fares to price the marginal riders out of the market. Say a one way fare is $500. If Arthur the attorney wants to go to Vegas roundtrip for he and the wifey he will gladly pay $2000 because he doesn't care what it costs, no more than he cares if unleaded goes to $10 a gallon. If he wants to go on vacation or drive to work, he will gladly pay it to fly or fill his tank. If a company wants skulls meeting face to face, they will pay for the ticket, charter or flight department.

This means:
Robbie is stuck in his trailer;
The rich stay rich, the poor stay poor, and the middle class (esp the lower-middle) will evaporate;
The airline bubble will burst just like the dot com burst.

Unfortunately this burst will see many employees displaced, some to other flying jobs and some will have to seek alternate careers. Hopefully pilot factories, colleges, and other flight schools will stop pumping out grads with a CFI ticket, 200 hrs, and a heartbeat. No more whoring-out of our industry. Those still determined to get into flying as a career will have to be even more stubborn and resourceful than before, and even then will have to instruct, tow banners, etc for 5-10 years to make it big in the airlines instead of just a few hundred hours and then off to swing gear in a shiny RJ.

Fewer routes, higher fares, fewer aircraft, fewer pilots, and higher load factors will be the only way back into the black. There will still be enough demand for airlines to exist despite higher fares, however the extra supply has to go away. Maybe then we will see a return to the lucrative salaries and benefits seen in the past. Perhaps the sacrifice of a few pilots (those simply in the wrong place at the wrong time) for the greater good of the rest?

Now those few will be scrambling to another career field or to another employer in aviation that doesn't rely on the marginal consumer, and can weather the storm of $130-$150 per barrel oil. Corporate, cargo, fractional, charter, etc...

$200-$250 a barrel oil could be over the horizon. Then who the hell knows. Canned food and underground bunkers!

We can only hope that the d-bag trash talkers out there get a new career mopping floors and that the hardworking honest folks putting food on the table for their wives & daughters can find another flying job.

Good Luck!

 

[castle bravo]

"Hopefully pilot factories, colleges, and other flight schools will stop pumping out grads with a CFI ticket, 200 hrs, and a heartbeat. No more whoring-out of our industry."


Oh nooooo. Then where will NK recruit from?

 

[600rvr]

spoolingbyu

understand your frustration... but you are a dreamer on salaries going up. This job has become a trade just like every other union job. Pay will continue its downward march against inflation and cost of living increases. It is too bad. There is to much supply on the pilot side period. Its hard to make 80 grand in this country... even harder if you only want to work 15 days a month. That's why there will be a steady stream of pilots that will eventually drive captain pay to that level in the near future. What is really sad is all the union loving pilots out there will watch said union continue to accept it because they have no choice.

I hope I'm wrong and you're right though.