AA poll

[theflyingcondor]

Hi guys and gals, I'm the new kid on the block here.

I've been reading a bunch of posts... It seems that almost everyone on the forum has negative stuff to say about AA and its pilots, from working conditions to pay to internal strifing, etc. I thought AA had similar work rules compared to most other Majors excluding Delta. Is it really a bad place to work? Are there any AA pilots that could explain why?

PS Why are they called the Sky Nazis?

 

[BigMotorToter]

Actually, the term Sky Nazi's has roots all the way back to the days of the Hindenberg. AA had conection service via a DC-3 to New Jersey where the Hindenberg would take the people to Germany. In those days the Hindenberg also had a big fat swatztika emblazened on the tail. Germany, even before the war was known as racist country but apparently AA didn't care, money is money no matter how many people where tortured and killed there.

If you would like to confirm this, do a search on AA advertising. Airways magazine about 2 years ago actually printed the un-edited version of this conection service advertisment, swatztika and all. Some other versions have politically corrected the ad and the swatztika has been edited out.

AA had no morals then, and they continue that tradition today, as evidenced by the wholesale slaughter of the TWA employee's. I guess we weren't pure enough.

P.S.
I am not comparing the TWA/AA situation to the unimaginable horrers cast upon millions of people in Germany durning WWII. Just showing that AA has been a ruthless, uncaring machine since its inception.

 

[theflyingcondor]

AA had no morals then, and they continue that tradition today, as evidenced by the wholesale slaughter of the TWA employee's. I guess we weren't pure enough.

P.S.
I am not comparing the TWA/AA situation to the unimaginable horrers cast upon millions of people in Germany durning WWII. Just showing that AA has been a ruthless, uncaring machine since its inception.[/QUOTE]

Big Motor,

I think that all the big airlines act the same way, not just limited to AA. I'm not too familiar with the AA/TWA merger but all airline pilots I've talked to say that there is always an employee group that feels they got the shaft during an airline merger regardless of the airline.

A couple of buddies at UAL and DL also feel that their airline is big, immoral and uncaring, I don't think AA is the only one.

I used to fly TWA a lot and loved their service, but do you really think they would have been still flying after 9/11. Not saying that AA came and saved the day but wouldn't the TWA employees have been even more in a bad situation had they gone out of business? It seems like a lot of TWA pilots kept their jobs with AA even though a lot also got furloughed. It seems to me that every airline has furloughed pilots after 9/11, not just AA.

Not trying to stir the pot, just looking for opinions or views.

 

[OUjetdrvr]

Thats fascinating about the AA-Hindenburg connection, never knew that one.

The AA pilots as a group, now seem to fill the role of sky nazis very well. I think that term got spread by a bunch of Eagle pilots after being countinually and ruthlessly crushed, much like the originals did to others.
Its also amusing to note, that if they, at AA, are called sky nazis, then we, at Eagle, must be the hitler youth...

 

[yaks]

AA was a pretty good place to work. Management no better or worse than anywhere else. From what my friends tell me now Arpey is actually doing a good job at listening and implementing some employee suggestions, unlike previous bosses. It was a hell of a lot better than the current LCC gig.

 

[AA717driver]

Yaks--How many other airlines have you worked for? AA's management spends far more effort on monitoring and punishing its employees than most dictatorships.

In matters of employee relations, AA should not even be mentioned in the same breath as SWA, JB, CAL... Being a large, monolithic corporation is one thing, treating your employees like two-year-olds is quite another.TC

 

[yaks]

Three plus the ANG. Take the emotion away from your reactions to day to day goings on and you will see they are all pretty similar (with the possible exception of SWA). Just because the company smiles and pats you on the back while you're getting hosed doesn't make them benevolent.

 

[CSY Mon]

Tend to agree with Yaks.

Got treated pretty good over at AA: Chiefs, check-airmen and g/s instructors went out of their way to help if I had problems or concerns.

Same with fellow employees, 99% were super nice...Found one or two rotten apples in the cockpit, but every other airline s'got 'em as well.

Have worked for 18 or 19 flight schools, charters, commuters, non-scheds, airlines and majors so I have quite a "data-base" to compare with...

Understand there is plenty of rah-rah over at SouthWest and JetBlue 'cause the working environment is aye-so great, yet I had no complaints with AA, enjoyed the 3 years there.

(Not so sure I enjoy the furlough however, but that sort of becomes a habit in this business, 4th or 5th time so far...... )

 

[AA717driver]

Sorry guys, I've seen both sides now... Lousy song... Anyway, I checked with my friends who have been there since the mid-80's. They agree with my assessment. So did several of the APA guys I worked with last year. (In fact, they were considerably more harsh toward management than I was.) I guess everyone has a different perspective.

Besides, it takes more than three years to flush any airline's kool-aid out of your veins...

yaks--I know they can be laid back, but the ANG still doesn't count as an airline. TC

 

[CSY Mon]

Besides, it takes more than three years to flush any airline's kool-aid out of your veins

No Cool-Aid in these veins Mr. AA driver.
I did not want to work there or anywhere else...
When Tower Air went down the drain, I was more than ready to sell the junk and take off sailing forever...Had some fights about it at home.
Then reluctantly went to work for AA, 4 weeks later I asked for a leave of absence, in the middle of FE ground school...Took 3 weeks off and almost got a divorce as I wanted to quit and leave the airline business for good.
But alas, I lost the battle, wife won and I crawled back to AA and got another class date.

To me AA was just a meal ticket, not a goal...After that is said however, I did enjoy the job once I got used to the 757/767 and the reserve system and all that.
Then comes 9/11 and the pay cuts, then the furloughs, etc, etc.