US Airways Pilots Stand Behind Striking Spirit Airlines Pilots

Spirit Airlines strike update

Thousands of passengers have been stranded and forced to make last-minute plans due to the ongoing Spirit Airlines strike that has crippled the low-cost carrier since last Saturday. We have even heard from many customers ourselves who have left comments angry, confused and wondering what to do for alternate means of transportation.

But not everyone is angry at the pilots that striked last week, in fact they are receiving support from some of their own friends. That's because the US Airline Pilots Association (USAPA), which represents US
Airways' pilots, announced Wednesday that they are siding with the striking Spirit pilots. They even went as far as to join the workers that walked off the job on their picket line.

In a press release, USAPA
President Mike Cleary stated: "US Airways pilots could not sympathize more with the Spirit pilots,
since the similarities in our conditions are striking. Like us, the Spirit pilots gave up pay, working
conditions and benefits when our managements needed to save our
airlines. Like us, the Spirit pilots have been working at the bottom of
the industry pay scale and without a pay raise for years. Like us, their
management team has dragged out contract talks for nearly four years.
Like us, their management is attempting to impose below-standard pay and
working conditions in the face of an improving economy."

Spirit Airlines will continue talks with pilots in
hopes to get passengers flying again. But as of this post, the airline said to expect cancellations to extend through Thursday, leaving many wondering if this strike will extend further into the summer. One concerned CheapOair blog reader said in a comment yesterday, "My flight isn't until July 1st. If I have to dish out more money for
another flight then my trip will be ruined. We are vacationing on a
budget. Thought about renting a van and driving. Better than paying
another 2 grand."

Has the Spirit Airlines strike affected your travel plans? What have you had to do for alternate travel plans? Leave a comment below and share your experience with us on this hot button travel topic.

Source: Market Watch

Dan June 16, 2010

Five of us are scheduled to fly Spirit a week from Friday to Las Vegas. We too are on a budget. What really is disappointing is that the pilots are being used by the ALPA to set precedences for other pilots that want to strike. They are using the airline with the lowest percentage of passengers (1%) to make their point without drastically affecting air travel. Thus not catching the eye of major media. (CNN, and MSNBC have nothing on their web sites) Besides the pilots aren’t even telling the media what it is they want. We all assume it’s wages but they have already been given a 30% increase, $3000.00 signing bonus, and a $1=$1 401k with 8% matching.

What the pilots fail to realize is that what they are doing is affecting people’s future plans to use Spirit. Spirit will suffer, and have to lay off pilots. They are going to cause their own unemployment.

In these economic times, when people are lucky to even have a job, the Spirit Air pilots should be ashamed of themselves.