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Spirit Airlines pilots on strike June 12th 2010 to ?

It's anyone's guess at this point. It's still early in the game...

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You ALWAYS have an option ....... "NEXT" !!!

I just booked my August flight on American from Tampa to SJO. Spirit flights were available, but with all the fees, they were about $75 more than American. Spirit's departure and arrival times are better, but I didn't want to take a chance, as Spirit may not even be flying, or even in business, in the near future. I've flown Spirit about six times over the past two years. Some of the trips were good, others were terrible. The last straw for me was their announced fees, starting in August, of charging for carry-on bags.

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"In a nation ruled by swine, all pigs are upwardly mobile, and the rest of us are phucked until we can put our acts together; not necessarily to win, but mainly to keep from losing completely"...Hunter S. Thompson (RIP)

Yeah spirit sucks for the most part but my last flight with them was excellent. I just fly with a carry on (to avoid fees) and let them wash my clothes down there, I seem to go thru a lot of underwear (no I didnt shit my pants)

Never had a bad flight with Spirit. I have heard some horror stories. With the strike looming I just booked Delta as to not take any chances of missing a minute of CR action.

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Oh please, please CrackerAss, please come to MDE with us. You will just love it there.

"The last straw for me was their announced fees, starting in August, of charging for carry-on bags."

I did a few cost estimates though and if I planned it out enough ticket was the same or less than when it was no cost since they lowered the fares. They did get you though if bought bag at last minute or over on weight (really stick it to you).

As many bad things on Spirit will give em this though. Really brought down prices on AA, Avianca etc. at least for a couple years. Now AA et al will price phuck us.

This is a real bummer for me. I have 3 roundtrips booked with Spirit for free from my Spirit Miles and have about another 100,000 points in my account. I hope something good happens with Spirit soon.

There's just no need for this to have happened. Management couldn't have so seriously underestimated the Pilot's firmness, and had plenty of time to recruit replacement pilots. As much as it's a strike, it's equally a lock-out. And because of that I don't believe the management spin that it's the Pilots who are stranding travellers.

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"A man accustomed to hear only the echo of his own sentiments, soon bars all the common avenues of delight, and has no part in the general gratification of mankind"--Dr. Johnson
"Amen, brother"-ED

I have heard of airlines hiring replacement workers for any number of jobs but never replacing its entire pilot staff. The logistics of hiring pilots, getting them checked out on the equipment, FAA ok would be daunting. Then there is the expense and the ability to free up aircraft for training flights as you cant do it all in a simulator. All in all I just doubt it is feasible.

Do give you credit though brother Jazz for coming down on thew union side. Sure your brothers in the postal service will give you a round of applause.

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Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

Even if it were feasible, there is just no way Ben Baldanza would spend a dime on appeasing employees or providing customer service.

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mh

Supposedly all Spirit flights are cancelled thru Tuesday, 15 June. Sorry for those who absolutely needed to get back and congratulations to those who did not need to get back...

Enjoy the extra 2-3 days in CR.

Appearances to the contrary, I am not reflexively in all cases pro-union. There have been big wrongs, big stupids committed by unions and unionists. Case by case, is the way to go.
Spirit Air flies one standard aircraft, any number of pilots being qualified to fly, FAA approval in hand. Management just over-played their hand and are desperately spinning the situation now so SOMEBODY will fly with them in the future. I wish them all the best.

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"A man accustomed to hear only the echo of his own sentiments, soon bars all the common avenues of delight, and has no part in the general gratification of mankind"--Dr. Johnson
"Amen, brother"-ED

You miss the point. Aircraft and airline are not like cars and drivers. A Honda Accord is basically a Honda Accord and drive one you have driven them all. An AirBus 320 built for Spirit is not necessarily the same cockpit layout as a A320 built to TACA's specs. You can not hire a pilot from XYZ airlines who flys 737-800 hand him a uniform for ABC airlines and expect him to hop into the left seat of an ABC 737-800 an be good to go.

Even if that were an option where would Spirit find 445 out of work type rated pilots?

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Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

(1) They don't have to find 445 pilots at least not all at once. Pick their 50 full-capacity routes at first and fly them, then build from there. This would at partially address the PR debacle Spirit management has caused ("Folks, we're sorry for the mess and are actively looking to meet the challenge") As for pilots, there's been enough consolidation of routes and downsizing in recent years that finding pilots shouldn't be a problem, though persuading them to cross picket lines and work for Spirit might be.
(2) Spirit never has had any planes built for them--they are all 2nd-hand leased. Buying anything new (and paying top-dollar for the privilege) goes exactly against the Spirit business model. Hell, even the flight-crew is 2nd hand (this comment does not speak to the airworthiness or intrinsic value of planes or people--merely previous employment).

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"A man accustomed to hear only the echo of his own sentiments, soon bars all the common avenues of delight, and has no part in the general gratification of mankind"--Dr. Johnson
"Amen, brother"-ED

Jazz you still fail to address the critical problem.

You can not hire a pilot from XYZ airlines who flys 737-800 hand him a uniform for ABC airlines and expect him to hop into the left seat of an ABC 737-800 an be good to go.

_________________
Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine