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JetBlue Interview

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mushroom

mushroom

It's pronounced Doo-MAH
Joined
Aug 22, 2005
Posts
270
Hey All:

Got a call a couple of days ago for an interview at JetBlue. I'm busy in training at my current place for a while so I won't be able to interview for a while.

Anyone who works there and who has been there for a while want to polish up their crystal ball and look into the future for me? Where do you see the company in the next few years? Is it still a good place to work? A place where I could spend the rest of my career? It's not like I am at a top tier company right now but things really seem to be improving around here and I don't want to leave if I'm going to regret it later....I'd prefer to stay at this place until I get my "retirement" job somewhere else.

Any info or constructive advice is appreciated. Thanks.

:)
 
mushroom said:
Hey All:

Got a call a couple of days ago for an interview at JetBlue. I'm busy in training at my current place for a while so I won't be able to interview for a while.

Anyone who works there and who has been there for a while want to polish up their crystal ball and look into the future for me? Where do you see the company in the next few years? Is it still a good place to work? A place where I could spend the rest of my career? It's not like I am at a top tier company right now but things really seem to be improving around here and I don't want to leave if I'm going to regret it later....I'd prefer to stay at this place until I get my "retirement" job somewhere else.

Any info or constructive advice is appreciated. Thanks.




160 new hires in the first quarter.. Somewhere around 400-500 for the year..

Expect 10-20 per month in attrition/retirements/recalls

I believe 14 net aircraft deliveries for 2007..

A320 Fo's and 190 Captains were told to expect a raise at the end of the first quarter retroactive to jan 1st due to longer upgrades.

New Hires can expect a reserve of 8-12 months in JFK maybe less with the busy season starting..

Great company with typical growing pains of becoming a large company. By far the best narrow body domestic product out there and regardless of what the " Haters" here on the FI and the whacked out media portray people love jetblue.

I made $50,000 year one, $72,000 year two and have averaged 15.7 days off per month

Hope this helps
Click to expand...
 
I don't have a good crystal ball, but I would like to wish all the JBers out there much success. I got friends there and would hate to see them on the street!:beer:
 
I have been here 11 months - straight out of the military. I am an A320 FO. I am really happy here. I was suprised to hear, shortly after I started, all the negativity on bluepilots.com. I think anywhere you go there will be those who just can't be pleased.

I am happy to get paid a little less to not have ALPA on the property. We'll see what our raise brings at the end of this month. We have a great product and flying brand new airplanes is really nice. I always smile when I see the jumpseaters' jaws drop when they see our plane/cockpit and I ask them to please plug in my company-issued laptop into the outlet next to them.

I like it here a lot and I think the company is going to be around a long time. Upgrades is ceratainly a wild card. I figure it will be about another 5 years before I could hold A320 Captain. But I have the option to bid for E190 CA in another year so I'm content with that. Considering upgrade times at other majors/legacies, that's not too bad.

We aren't perfect but who is. I wouldn't leave here except for maybe UPS of FedEx.

I guess I'm just a Flavor-Aid (that's right, not Kool-Aid) drinker. Hope this helps.
 
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It's only A320 right now. A guy in my class which started last April got FLL after doing JFK reserve for about 6 months. It will naturally take him longer to get a line down there but since he lives there he doesn't care.
 
Not sure about LGB. It's the most senior base and a small one at that. Anyone else???
 
All newhires go to JFK, you can hold FLL, BOS in about 6 months, LGB in a year. FLL and LGB are small so reserve is a year to year and a half. 2 hr call out.
 
Fins Up said:
I have been here 11 months - straight out of the military. I am an A320 FO. I am really happy here. I was suprised to hear, shortly after I started, all the negativity on bluepilots.com. I think anywhere you go there will be those who just can't be pleased.

I am happy to get paid a little less to not have ALPA on the property. We'll see what our raise brings at the end of this month. We have a great product and flying brand new airplanes is really nice. I always smile when I see the jumpseaters' jaws drop when they see our plane/cockpit and I ask them to please plug in my company-issued laptop into the outlet next to them.

I like it here a lot and I think the company is going to be around a long time. Upgrades is ceratainly a wild card. I figure it will be about another 5 years before I could hold A320 Captain. But I have the option to bid for E190 CA in another year so I'm content with that. Considering upgrade times at other majors/legacies, that's not too bad.

We aren't perfect but who is. I wouldn't leave here except for maybe UPS of FedEx.

I guess I'm just a Flavor-Aid (that's right, not Kool-Aid) drinker. Hope this helps.
Click to expand...


Upgrade 2.5 years at CAL. What is your experience with ALPA?
 
A few other JB questions:

1. If you commute to reserve in JFK, are there plenty of crashpad options? I.e, is it common to rent a room with someone else, rent a room from another JBer, that sort of thing?

2. Is there a particular part of town where most of the crashpads/commuters call "home"?

3. What do decent local hotels cost with the discount?

4. If you want to fly as much as you can, and stay out of the hotel/crashpad, is there typically enough flying for you to pick up?

5. If you're on reserve at JFK, is it easy to get TDY'd to another base to either sit reserve or pick up flying there if you request it?

6. I know this question has been asked before, but as long as I'm at it, what's your guess for upcoming domiciles, and what timeframe. For example, if you think MCO is going to open up, when do you think that will happen? If you see IAD or OAK or someplace in the midwest, what does your crystal ball tell you as to when?
 
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Lines for April 320 FO's just came out. Jan 3rd hires got lines putting reserve at about 5 weeks on the 320. There were also 4 guys still in training that were awarded FLL. So now reserve is about a month on the 320 and you can get FLL before you are out of training. Nobody was awarded LGB and that base really has no movement. Probably could get there in about a year, but you won't hold a line as an FO until about the time you could hold CA in JFK. Probably around 3 years to hold a line in LGB for guys getting hired right now. Now if we open up an OAK base, then the left coast might actually be an option unlike it is now.
 
The hot rumor right now is expansion in Norcal before Virgin America starts up. Be prepare to see JB play a bigger role in SFO as gates in OAK are limited. JB will be operating out of the new international terminal on the B side (south side). A320s and E190s up and down the west coast. Don't be surprised to see ANC. Southwest will be back in a significant way. JB and LUV will give Virgin Am. a run for their $$$, not to mention UA and AS and AA.
 
Interesting stuff! I look forward for the opportunity to interview with JB. Any recommendations for an interview prep? Any info is greatly appreciated.
 
I went through my logbooks to recall some situations that I've had in the past. This made it easy to tell some stories at the interview.
 
FYI.......

I cut and pasted this. The smiley faces are supposed to be times, as in 2:00, 9:00, and 1:00.

I've now edited this twice. I cannot get rid of the smiley faces, enjoy.


Pilot Open House
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Orlando Support Center
8265 Hangar Blvd.
Orlando, FL 32827
10 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Visit our Training Campus in Orlando, Florida and meet the JetBlue Flight Operations, Training and Recruitment Leadership Team. Transportation: Our JetBlue 32 passenger bus will be departingMCO Terminal A, lower level, spaces 27/28 every 20 minutes between 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. If you are driving, parking is available on campus.Attire: This is a casual event so please wear commuter friendlycasual business attire or your uniform. Apply on-line: If you are interested in joining the JetBlue Flight Ops Team, please apply on-line at www.jetblue.com. Candidates must meet our First Officer minimum qualificationsto be considered for employment. You are welcome to bring an updated resume to the Open House. Attendance is not required to be considered for an interview.
 
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My F/O this month just got called for an interview later this month. He's ready to jump. I'd be a bit cautious. Heck, they just lowered their starting salaries. No a good start.
 
HarryParatestes said:
My F/O this month just got called for an interview later this month. He's ready to jump. I'd be a bit cautious. Heck, they just lowered their starting salaries. No a good start.
Click to expand...

Disagree.. The bus was dropped to $47 to match the 190 rate.. Year two and Three are big jumps about 20% each year plus the 401k match is up to 5% with a min 5% additional benefit ( any profit sharing over 5% paid in cash)

Year three premium pay ( amt over 70 hrs is around $105 an hour year one premium is around $75) As busy as we are rignt now a new hire will be on reserve only a few months and could eaily pick up hours left and right if wanted.

Commuters can make around 50-55K year one and average 15 days off a month and a really aggressive in base FO can make almost 70,000 year one not counting the 5% ret 5% 401k or per diem.

Insurance is from day one,, paid $2500 a month in training, We have an awesome training facility with great instructors, transportation to and from training provided on JB and very nice hotels while in MCO..

Stock options are going away for new hires in favor the retirement above..
 
clickclickboom said:
Disagree.. The bus was dropped to $47 to match the 190 rate.. Year two and Three are big jumps about 20% each year plus the 401k match is up to 5% with a min 5% additional benefit ( any profit sharing over 5% paid in cash)

Year three premium pay ( amt over 70 hrs is around $105 an hour year one premium is around $75) As busy as we are rignt now a new hire will be on reserve only a few months and could eaily pick up hours left and right if wanted.

Commuters can make around 50-55K year one and average 15 days off a month and a really aggressive in base FO can make almost 70,000 year one not counting the 5% ret 5% 401k or per diem.

Insurance is from day one,, paid $2500 a month in training, We have an awesome training facility with great instructors, transportation to and from training provided on JB and very nice hotels while in MCO..

Stock options are going away for new hires in favor the retirement above..
Click to expand...

That's an overly rosy picture of what a first year guy will get based on my experience.

My frst year was 1.5 months on training pay ($2500 @ month), 9 months as a reserve on min guarantee ($3950 @ month) and 1.5 months as a lineholder (average credit about 85 hours). That's a grand total of arround $46K and I had zero opportunity to improve that because I was on reserve for almost all of the first year. That also means I had only 12 days off every month, not 15. Sure, there were some months I got cut loose a bit early, but did I average 15 days off? No way.

The new second year pay may be a 20% raise over the new first year pay of $47 but its a lousy $1 raise over the old 2nd year pay. I was already going to get $56 bucks next month and now I'm going to get $57. Whoohoo. That is not going to stop the bleeding of FOs to SWA, FedEx and UPS.
 
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Caveman said:
That's an overly rosy picture of what a first year guy will get based on my experience.

My frst year was 1.5 months on training pay ($2500 @ month), 9 months as a reserve on min guarantee ($3950 @ month) and 1.5 months as a lineholder (average credit about 85 hours). That's a grand total of arround $46K and I had zero opportunity to improve that because I was on reserve for almost all of the first year. That also means I had only 12 days off every month, not 15. Sure, there were some months I got cut loose a bit early, but did I average 15 days off? No way.

The new second year pay may be a 20% raise over the new first year pay of $47 but its a lousy $1 raise over the old 2nd year pay. I was already going to get $56 bucks next month and now I'm going to get $57. Whoohoo. That is not going to stop the bleeding of FOs to SWA, FedEx and UPS.
Click to expand...

How bad is the bleeding of FO's?
 
Caveman said:
That's an overly rosy picture of what a first year guy will get based on my experience.

My frst year was 1.5 months on training pay ($2500 @ month), 9 months as a reserve on min guarantee ($3950 @ month) and 1.5 months as a lineholder (average credit about 85 hours). That's a grand total of arround $46K and I had zero opportunity to improve that because I was on reserve for almost all of the first year. That also means I had only 12 days off every month, not 15. Sure, there were some months I got cut loose a bit early, but did I average 15 days off? No way.

The new second year pay may be a 20% raise over the new first year pay of $47 but its a lousy $1 raise over the old 2nd year pay. I was already going to get $56 bucks next month and now I'm going to get $57. Whoohoo. That is not going to stop the bleeding of FOs to SWA, FedEx and UPS.
Click to expand...

Caveman I should have stated " First year as a continuous lineholder..

I agree we are losing FO's We used to have an unlimited supply of former captains with 4000-8000 hrs and thousands of PIC waiting for the call from JB.. Recalls are happening, Top tier companies are hiring and the shortage of qualified candidates is beginning.. It is the best thing that can happen for each and every one of us..
 

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