AirTran cancelling classes

[Quimby]

"wind check..."



"280 at 4........still cleared to land":beer:

 

[RIDETHELIGHTING]

Just heard that the next class is april 7 (I think). It will have 22 new hires in it. Then there will be a break, and ramp back up in Aug. We going to hire the same # pilots just making some adjustments to class dates.

 

[Fly4$]

Ridethelighting,

does the august class starts info come from a reliable source or is it just a rumour. HR told me they were hoping to resume classes late summer or fall, but that could be anywhere up to December.

 

[Lear70]

That may just be conjecture from the training department on the Aug. start dates.

Would make sense though, seeing as we always drop capacity at the end of the summer but want it back up for the holiday season and initial takes about 2 months.

Late Aug. class dates would let the trickle of attrition we have thin the ranks during the summer peak season, leave it at lower levels for Aug, Sep, and Oct, then put a class of new-hires on reserve just in time for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's.

 

[bleagle]

Do you think attrition at AT will slow down or pick up?

 

[Britpilot]

A quote from the NPA blast mail;

Even with a less aggressive growth plan, the good news is our company continues to grow. They have indicated that upgrade and New Hire classes will continue throughout ‘08. We will provide you with updated information regarding the status of future New Hire classes as it becomes available.

 

[PCL_128]

Do you think attrition at AT will slow down or pick up?

With all of the legacy carriers stopping or slowing hiring, and the cargo carriers not hiring, attrition will slow to almost nothing, in my opinion.

 

[atpcliff]

Hi!

PCL_128 is talking about American hiring.

The Asian carriers are hiring full-bore, so there will still be attrition. In fact, they are getting more and more desperate for pilots, and they will take action to improve those jobs, to get the pilots they need.

cliff
YIP

 

[PCL_128]

PCL_128 is talking about American hiring.

Um, yeah, that's what matters. I can't think of a single one of our pilots that has left for a foreign carrier. Living in the sand in Dubai doesn't appeal to too many people.

 

[Secret Squirrel]

Our union vice president a few years back left for Emirates. People do leave for foreign carriers. Cathay just opened a bunch of new US bases for their cargo ops including Atlanta. Never say never.

 

[PCL_128]

I'm not saying "never," but it's extremely rare. Not enough to even register on the attrition radar. When we've got 1700 pilots, 2 or 3 leaving for foreign operators doesn't really mean much.

 

[Dumb Pilot]

The international market will only get more interesting, most of the carriers that hire expats are revising their contracts (more pay) and some of them are considering US bases to attract American pilots. Why? The usual supply for these carriers (Australia, England by 60+% and the rest of Europe) is draining out because their nations aviation markets are getting pretty good and there are many more high paying jobs in those countries and the dollar keeps loosing value. Here in the US the market is not only bad but actually getting worst with all this restructuring going on, so expect a more aggressive hiring campaign from the expat markets, not only in the middle east but Asia as well

 

[tubelcane]

A guy who commuted from Pit just left a few months ago to go to Emirates, he would have been able to upgrade here I believe in fairly short order, if not already. I just saw him a few weeks ago, he is happy with his decision.

 

[AV80R]

The international market will only get more interesting, most of the carriers that hire expats are revising their contracts (more pay) and some of them are considering US bases to attract American pilots...

Hey, did I run into you in Narita a few weeks ago by any chance? I was talking to one of your guys - ANA Cargo (maybe you?) - at the hotel and he seemed to be very happy with his gig. I think he moved his wife and the kids to Thailand and they loved it over there. I agree with you that foreign carriers will be upgrading contracts and benefits in the near future - good luck to all of you. I was the UPS guy in case you’re the person I was talking to…

 

[Dumb Pilot]

Hey, did I run into you in Narita a few weeks ago by any chance? I was talking to one of your guys - ANA Cargo (maybe you?) - at the hotel and he seemed to be very happy with his gig. I think he moved his wife and the kids to Thailand and they loved it over there. I agree with you that foreign carriers will be upgrading contracts and benefits in the near future - good luck to all of you. I was the UPS guy in case you’re the person I was talking to…

I commute from the States. Maybe my sim partner during training, he is the one for sure that I know is living in Thailand with his wife but we both are in the passenger side of the equation. Besides maybe a couple more days off a month, the gig has indeed turned out pretty good so far. By far this option was better for me than the two offers I had back stateside.

 

[Lear70]

I don't know PCL... if ANA or Korean, etc opened up a U.S. base and gave a schedule with 14 days off a month and did DECA hiring like ANA is doing right now, I'd go and wouldn't look back.

It's not that I don't like airTran, I do (or rather the crews and flying), but the asian carriers are pretty much the last vestige of "upscale" flying left on the planet and I'd like to experience working in that kind of environment.

God knows it's not going to happen flying for a U.S. carrier and the "greyhound of the skies" experience it has become.

 

[dispatchguy]

Back to the original question again,

They also canceled the hiring of 2 dispatchers, and saying that they were planning at least through the summer of not filling those positions, and just using overtime and spreading the workload to the remaining dispatch sectors.

 

[Ty Webb]

Um, yeah, that's what matters. I can't think of a single one of our pilots that has left for a foreign carrier. Living in the sand in Dubai doesn't appeal to too many people.

We have had three go to Emirates that I know of (2 were Captains, not sure about the third). We had one 737 CA go to Spice Jet in India, but his wife's family is there. At least one retiree went to India . . . , And, no, it wasn't Dave McK . . . . although I am sure some would think that to be some serious karma at work.

 

[instructordude]

I don't know PCL... if ANA or Korean, etc opened up a U.S. base and gave a schedule with 14 days off a month and did DECA hiring like ANA is doing right now, I'd go and wouldn't look back.

It's not that I don't like airTran, I do (or rather the crews and flying), but the asian carriers are pretty much the last vestige of "upscale" flying left on the planet and I'd like to experience working in that kind of environment.

God knows it's not going to happen flying for a U.S. carrier and the "greyhound of the skies" experience it has become.

I bet there are a lot of other benefits by going Asian, kinda like the Asian Persuasion! I don't know if I would ever come back with all of the "Me love you long time Instructordude!"

 

[CoolSidePillow]

I bet there are a lot of other benefits by going Asian, kinda like the Asian Persuasion! I don't know if I would ever come back with all of the "Me love you long time Instructordude!"

Not you again. Your mother should have aborted you last month. You are the poster dork for planned parenthood.

On the lighter side of the news . . .
I like women who wear those black leather boots to work. It gives me the tinglies in the stick and pouch.