Ledfish

Drum roll please.....Vincent for the win !!

BearX220

Crews deadhead, standby, or jump seat on other airlines to get to or from work all the time. It is the individual employee's responsibility to get from home to their base in time for the start of a trip. It does not matter to any party how they get there. If your own airline is showing full loads, you try another. End of story.

MGM/HSV/SLC

I'm pretty sure Kathy Waller would have a big problem with that!

LarryJ

It would be very unusual for a large airline like AAL, DAL, UAL, etc. to deadhead crews on another airline. Charter airlines, freight airlines, and corporate pilots often 'commercial' on passenger airlines, including in uniform.

What the OP describes is almost certainly commuting. The commuters on a route like DFW-ATL will take whatever is available and most convenient whether its online or offline. Having the option of multiple airlines just makes the commute easier.

My last commute was on DAL (Connection) because my trip was out of LGA instead of EWR and DAL has BNA-LGA non-stops while we don't. Much easier than commuting online to EWR and using surface transportation across town.

dEagleS

I am both a DM and 1MM, and Spirit is my 2nd choice for domestic air travel, in a couple reasons/scenarios:
1. If Delta doesn't fly non-stop, I find it better to take a Spirit non-stop for leisure non-time-critical weekend travel, and select the big front seat (equivalent to a Delta domestic FC seat). Even after having to pay for this seat, and potentially on-board refreshments, I still come out way ahead compared with Delta $$-wise (and having to connect, while also potentially not getting upgraded). For me, the seat is the most important part of air travel. And on these weekend trips, I can stuff my stuff into a personal item, and not pay for a carry on (which by the way, never had a problem storing my bag in the overhead bin because of the disincentive to carry-on a bag!).

2. I also prefer night flights, and Spirit in general seems to have more off-normal-hour flights due to the fact they're running their birds around the clock. That usually ends up better for my schedule, and not wasting the interior part of the day traveling. I also sleep well on planes.

Since Spirit seems to have a sale of some sort every couple of days, it's relatively easy to snag a one-way ticket booked in advance for $26-65.

Of course, if Spirit doesn't fly non-stop on my selected route, the big front seat is not available, and/or the ticket isn't cheap enough, I will fly Delta.
(I'd rather fly on Spirit in the big front seat, than another airline where I don't have status in coach)

Knock on wood, but I haven't had any flight delay in the last 15 or so Spirit flights in the last year. I had absolutely nothing to complain about, if you understand what you're getting yourself into with a la carte pricing ahead of time. The two things I would like to see from Spirit are: 1) Smartphone app for check-in and boarding pass retrieval, and 2) on-board Wi-Fi (seems unlikely).

They already have recently added TSA Pre-check and Clear support.

jerry a. laska

A Spirit flight attendant was flying on my DL flight a few days ago. Not unusual at all.

Super Mario

Probably because they wanted to get somewhere for cheap without expecting your bag to fly for free?

MSPeconomist

I'm just glad that DL hasn't focused on their southern roots and decided to offer only Dr Pepper.

readywhenyouare

I would love having Dr Pepper as an option. Iced tea would be nice as well.

LarryJ

Being based in Atlanta, Coca-cola products are the obvious choice.

The World of Coca-Cola, in downtown Atlanta, is a fun.

Robert Leach

Instructions for iced tea on the plane:

1. Say to the flight attendant: "I would like some iced tea."

2. If the FA is old school, legacy Delta, she/he says, "Sure."

3. If the FA is new hire, former Pan Am, former Western Airlines, former NWA, etc., you get the disdainful puzzled look followed by, "We don't have iced tea."

4. You then say: "Take some hot water, put a tea bag in it (i.e., make some hot tea). Once you have hot tea, pour it in a glass filled with ice. Bring me some Sweet N Low and lemon with it."

5. You then have iced tea. And you have taught a lesson.

It will be much better than bottled or canned ice tea would ever be.

StayingHomeIsBetter

I'd only go for that if the put Moon Pies in the snack basket.

A South Carolina breakfast... an "R-o-C Cola and a Moon Pie."

AKC6

^ . . . and for protein, add a Slim Jim. For a lighter drink, try an Upper 10, or either a Sebmup.

Gwing21

In GRR there is a Southwest Pilot that fly's on Delta to LGA all the time.

yohanson

Eisner?