Scott Kirby's Frontier and Spirit Prediction

[Boris Badenov]

I knew it wasn't the best over there but holy moly were we enlightened

And then insult to injury they have to wear those tiny little parking-attendant hats.

 

[arkflyr]

I miss old F9. Not 737 F9, but late 90's early 2000's F9. Still v friendly, decent legroom, reasonably comfy seats and everyone generally enjoyed their job. Once upon a time I had visions of making it a career there but obviously times have changed.

Too bad that can't or likely won't get back to that formula.

They were kinda like the JetBlue of the west back in those days, too bad they couldn't make it work like that.

 

[derg]

I miss old F9. Not 737 F9, but late 90's early 2000's F9. Still v friendly, decent legroom, reasonably comfy seats and everyone generally enjoyed their job. Once upon a time I had visions of making it a career there but obviously times have changed.

Too bad that can't or likely won't get back to that formula.

There’s some angry person on Nextdoor in the neighborhood that claims to have spent 7 hours with a chatbot that swears he’ll take his (ULCC) business elsewhere.

I didn’t want to tell him that there really isn’t anyone competing to service his needs at that fare level.

 

[Inverted]

It is interesting to see where the ULCC model has evolved.

Even Alaska went from bare-bones saver fares to ditching it and bringing hot meals in economy back and completely shifted the model. We all knew the ULCC model was a race to the bottom and we have likely found it.

 

[bike21]

There’s some angry person on Nextdoor in the neighborhood that claims to have spent 7 hours with a chatbot that swears he’ll take his (ULCC) business elsewhere.

I didn’t want to tell him that there really isn’t anyone competing to service his needs at that fare level.

I had to nuke Nextdoor. Got tired of the Conspiracy Karen's.

 

[derg]

I had to nuke Nextdoor. Got tired of the Conspiracy Karen's.

Conspiracy Karens and watching oldsters roast one another.

 

[Roger Roger]

Rapid cycles of privatization, without stopping to think that the rate or scope was such a good idea. Kind of like how well (not) electrical privatization has worked out in some places.

We like to bust on California, and some of it is warranted, but Euro land seems to have a bad miasma of policies that let companies evade the normal checks and balances by hiding in counties that let them get away with...stuff, but also relieve those same countries of having any responsibility to their employees, because that’s soaked up by the government. It’s also very, very difficult to have a Euro wide labor movement, and it seems to have fostered a nasty “every man for himself”, where your “workers paradise” turns into Lord of the Flies.

The UK has its own problems, but the commonwealth countries have their own serious issues and a nasty totalitarian streak. I think this stems from a system that lets the majority parties to make long term decisions on a fairly rapid cycle without letting the ideas percolate any period of time to figure out if they’re even good ideas. “Hey, let’s allow cabotage for all our long haul flying! Those middle eastern carriers will look out for us”. Buh bye QANTAS.

Say what you want about the good ole U S of A, but I think our relative gridlock and glacial process serves to sniff out bad ideas before they become bad policies. We do have good labor protections that actually apply nationwide. And, believe it or not, and for all the complaining, those provisions, a good National organization, and a coherent strategy of pattern bargaining it has served us relatively well.

It’ll be great when the Supreme Court nukes the LRB like Elon wants them to

 

[bike21]

Conspiracy Karens and watching oldsters roast one another.

I live vicariously through the better half's account.

 

[Maximilian_Jenius]

I don’t have a crystal ball but I *think* B6 had at least a cocktail napkin plan for this. I’m seeing little threads and ripples here and there that lead me to think (perhaps wishfully) that B6 is going back to creating its own aspirational niche in the market. It’s do-able, really an act of will, and with enough of it I think it will prevail. I’m cautiously optimistic about how Marketing is reading things, if only because it seems to confirm my own conclusions. There are a few key things I think we need to do, and we seem to be trending that way.

Then again, we might be collective dumbasses. Time will tell.

My issue with B6 is that if you want to fly them, you HAVE go through one of their hubs. It's very inconvenient. I don't want to have to leave PHX and go to JFK, just to get to SEA. I'm probably not alone in that. Also IMO you guys need a west cost hub. It would help a lot.

Fingers crossed you you B6 guys/gals.

 

[Cherokee_Cruiser]

Anyone who’s pays the slightest bit of attention to the pilot marketplace in Europe and other spots knows that it is a long train carrying dumpsters on fire, heading for that steep curve in Smalltown, PA.

BA, KLM, Air France, Sabina, Swissair….I mean, those used to be THE jobs to covet. Retire at 55, and get your French thing on vacationing 24/7/365.

Now it’s definitely not that. Even the “good” jobs aren’t that good, and somehow they’ve managed to convince the pilots over there that this is the new hotness. Everyone for themselves and better make sure your individual contract is paying the right taxes to the right people, or get hauled into tax court.

No application of seniority, as we understand it, assigned schedules, work rules that are, ahem, minimalist, and EASA flight time rules that make you give a hearty, Bill Murray-esk “I think it sucks”.

That said, in reference to IKEA….my new evil prank will be to send someone 5 or 6 IKEA boxes with no directions, and the parts all mixed up.

Every time someone complains about working conditions, I start talking about Air Canada over the river and it gets really quiet.



SATAN!

When I tried to use that argument, it would be met with:


bUt ThEy aRe nOt aN AmErIcAn cArRiEr

 

[CoffeeIcePapers]

My issue with B6 is that if you want to fly them, you HAVE go through one of their hubs. It's very inconvenient. I don't want to have to leave PHX and go to JFK, just to get to SEA. I'm probably not alone in that. Also IMO you guys need a west cost hub. It would help a lot.

Fingers crossed you you B6 guys/gals.

That's one of the problems the Spirit merger was supposed to solve.

 

[ASpilot2be]

My issue with B6 is that if you want to fly them, you HAVE go through one of their hubs. It's very inconvenient. I don't want to have to leave PHX and go to JFK, just to get to SEA. I'm probably not alone in that. Also IMO you guys need a west cost hub. It would help a lot.

Fingers crossed you you B6 guys/gals.

Isn't that the case for all airlines that don't have a hub where you leave or are going?

 

[Maximilian_Jenius]

Isn't that the case for all airlines that don't have a hub where you leave or are going?

Listen... I don't need you bringing facts to this conversation, lol.

JB being an east coast airline, if your destination is on the west coast or Midwest, IMO having to JFK, BOS or FLL connection isn't convenient. As a potential passenger, west coast base would go along way to help this issue, IMO.

 

[CFIT99]

Isn't that the case for all airlines that don't have a hub where you leave or are going?

oh you're goin to "airport A" from Kearney, Nebraska with a stop in "airport B" to get to "airport C"

I'd also start a travel blog to complain about why I only travel by Air once every 6 years.

 

[Richman]

oh you're goin to "airport A" from Kearney, Nebraska with a stop in "airport B" to get to "airport C"

I'd also start a travel blog to complain about why I only travel by Air once every 6 years.

You left out a Hastings and McCook from that triangle.

 

[killbilly]

Listen... I don't need you bringing facts to this conversation, lol.

As a potential passenger, west coast base would go along way to help this issue, IMO.

Like…say…LAX?

 

[N826AW]

I think the bigger challenge for Spirit and Frontier will come if Southwest *successfully* revamps their fare structure.

 

[Maximilian_Jenius]

Like…say…LAX?

I'm aware of the LAX base. But the dearly departed X-Forces who was an LAX based captain. He said trips out of LAX were mostly red eye hub to hub. Or Mexico trips. Still not getting a direct flight to SEA... from a hub.

 

[killbilly]

I'm aware of the LAX base. But the dearly departed X-Forces who was an LAX based captain. He said trips out of LAX were mostly red eye hub to hub. Or Mexico trips. Still not getting a direct flight to SEA... from a hub.

I’ll pass your suggestions on to Joanna.

 

[Maximilian_Jenius]

I’ll pass your suggestions on to Joanna.

X-Force's said the same, only it was Robin then.