Spirit Furloughing

I have yet to see why this is a bad thing? If the mergers don't make sense or are an attempt to monopolize a market then they should be fought.

I do find it funny how pissed you are about this considering they haven't lifted a finger toward blocking your airline's merger. Almost like you wish they would block your merger.

Why would I wish they block our merger? I'm all for airline mergers - it's the only way towards long term career security in the effed up system we have for seniority. Sure, it makes sense for vacation, schedules, sick time, etc. But it translates to ZERO career portability when one airline goes tits up.

I, for one, am not interested in a seniority reset if it can be helped. Our country had far too many airlines. That problem has largely solved itself at the legacy level, but now 4 airlines control 85% of the market. The remaining 15% have to consolidate - or they will disappear. It really is that simple. You're seeing Alaska/Hawaiian. Leftover jetBlue, Spirit, Frontier, Allegiant (and stragglers like Sun Country, Avelo, Breeze). Between jetBlue, Spirit, Frontier, and Allegiant you'll likely see a merger under the Trump admin.
 
I have yet to see why this is a bad thing? If the mergers don't make sense or are an attempt to monopolize a market then they should be fought.

I do find it funny how pissed you are about this considering they haven't lifted a finger toward blocking your airline's merger. Almost like you wish they would block your merger.

But it didn't though! Consumers are the ones who lost now with the merger being blocked. Spirit restructuring seems to imply shrinking as a way to profitability. What's going to happen to consumer choice and air fares as Spirit shrinks itself? Consumer choice will go down. Fares will go UP. We are literally getting the result that the government claimed it was trying to prevent.
 
Furloughs suck. I’ve never been furloughed, have been close a few times, but might I suggest to talk your friend’s heads off because you’re not alone.

The ones that fell into the ‘abyss’ were the ones that thought they were either (a) the only person in the world to ever be furloughed or (b) tried to handle it on their own.

If it gets rough, hell, shoot me a PM and I’ll talk you through your situation. I may not have all the answers, or any at all, but I’ve seen my share of downturns over the years.
 
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Furloughs suck. I’ve never been furlough, have been close a few times, but might I suggest to talk your friend’s heads off because you’re not alone.

The ones that fell into the ‘abyss’ were the ones that thought they were either (a) the only person in the world to ever be furloughed or (b) tried to handle it on their own.

If it gets rough, hell, shoot me a PM and I’ll talk you through your situation. I may not have all the answers, or any at all, but I’ve seen my share of downturns over the years.
Yeah.

I might be gone, but I still give two hoots about that pilot group. Please feel free, and other comments.
 
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Wish the best for folks there. Hope they can turn it around.
 
Ya know what’s interesting, getting downstairs to take your scheduled ride to the airport and the driver didn’t show because the bill hasn’t been paid in a few months…

Had a buddy show up for his trip at the scooters, and everything not physically bolted to the terminal floor was gone.

All phones disconnected. He finally got through to the owners wife somehow, and she goes “yea we shut down last night. Guess someone should have called you.”
 
Sorry dude... I lived through a BK where we never really knew if the hotel we were going to would actually have a booking because they were only taking cash from the Company.

Though I can be pretty oblivious to the outside world, I always had a pretty good sense of when either the harbinger of doom was doing a tap dance, or when the pin had been pulled out of the shat grenade, and there was some loon running around with it.

Because of that, I seemed to avoid the awkward situations or the poosplosion. Granted, my departure usually left me in a similar sub-par situation which I would still have to monitor.
 
Ya know what’s interesting, getting downstairs to take your scheduled ride to the airport and the driver didn’t show because the bill hasn’t been paid in a few months…
Got a call one night from another pilot during the last days of American Check,

“dude they pulled the fuel truck up so I figured we finally paid the bill. I went to tell them I was good and didn’t need any, but the driver said his boss said pull the truck out in front of the airplane and not move it until they pay what they owe us”.

I sent it up the chain and eventually the truck got moved but we only lasted a few more weeks.

Later, after ACT was reborn under a new name we were back in HLN and they did not like us at all. Same airplanes, pilots, and freight but a new name. They would constantly remind us that we owed them 80 grand. Not so fast though, ACT owes you that, Flight Development doesn’t owe you squat, good luck with the bankruptcy court.

I felt bad for them as it was an independent ma and pa FBO but it was a great lesson on how things work in the world and fueled my cynicism of life and the universe.
 
I felt bad for them as it was an independent ma and pa FBO but it was a great lesson on how things work in the world and fueled my cynicism of life and the universe.
Man, the world of bottom feeder aviation operators will do that in a real quick hurry.

I should probably write down some of the experiences in 6 months working for an FBO and then my early days in 135 at some point before I forget them
 
Man, the world of bottom feeder aviation operators will do that in a real quick hurry.

I should probably write down some of the experiences in 6 months working for an FBO and then my early days in 135 at some point before I forget them
You should. I, for one, would enjoy reading it.

There’s a good amount of “you had to be there” married to “no, I’m serious: that happened” in this business.
 
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