Frontier Airlines Pilots Reached Agreement Avoiding Strike

The union that represents Frontier Airlines pilots announced on Monday that they have agreed “in principle” to a new deal. If not for this, it could have resulted in Frontier pilots walking away from the cockpit. Once this agreement is met, it will not only raise their pay, but also improve their retirement plans, workplace rules, and health benefits.

Pilots from Frontier have been stating they are severely underpaid compared to other large US airlines. One large reason for this is an outdated contract. The contract Frontier pilots are working under was agreed when the airline was in bankruptcy. Now that the economy is back and pilots are hard to come by, pilots have the leverage.

The two sides have been in negotiation since March 2016, and it hasn’t been pretty. There have been mobile “strike centers” roaming around airports like this one to help spread awareness.

So how does this affect us? Well, its both good and bad. The good news is that you won’t have to worry about your future Frontier flight being canceled because of a lack of pilots. The bad news is that employment costs for Frontier will go up because of the new contracts, and will most likely cause tickets to go up in price. As long as Frontier maintains being a low-cost carrier, I couldn’t imagine prices going up too much on tickets. However, I could see ancillary fees going up like checked bags and such.

It is known that pilots do not make as much as they once did. A profession that requires as much training as a pilot should be compensated appropriately. These men and women ensure millions of travelers safety, and their hard work goes unappreciated most of the time.

For now, it looks like Frontier flyers are in the air and pilots remain with jobs.