Any Alaska Info?

[reepicheep]

Hey Damion, are you going to send the app. in even though they still say they're not accepting? I also got an app. and am wondering if I should do something or sit tight 'till they officially open the app. window.

 

[DamionInAlaska]

I got my app through a senior pilot at the PANC base, who got it from the base cheif pilot. From what I understand, this is the only way they will take apps, via "Refferal Program". Did you also get an instruction sheet explaining the refferal proscess? PS Ithink this post is riddled with spelling errors. sorry.

 

[av8instyle]

ASA info

Alaska is truly a great company from everything I've heard, but it's a shame that being friends with one of the 1000 or so Alaska pilots is a virtual prerequisite for getting an interview.

This is one of the main reasons we are able to have the pilot group we have. Everyone here is practically family and hand picked. You will fly with the same guy more than once in your career so it suits the company best to hire pilots that our pilots know.

What will I make as a first year reserve guy? (Ballpark) Also, if I live in Anchorage, and do reserve in Seattle, how many days a month can I expect to spend with my wife, dogs, cat, and mosqitoes?

A guy hired right now will make $48/hr based on 76 hr reserve, plus per diem. Line holder is guaranteed 85 hrs.
Reserve lines guarantee 11 days off. 3 blocks of two days off, plus a block of 5 days off. If you want to live in ANC, you may as well bid ANC on 1st available bid. You'll probably get it, but you'll be on reserve up there for about 3 years. VERY senior!
Good luck!

 

[reepicheep]

av8instyle, I certainly respect Alaska's right to use any recruiting method they choose, but a couple of things come to mind. First, maybe it's easier and cheaper for them (and other carriers like UPS and FedEx) to just have their pilots hand them resumes of qualified pilots, rather then actually employ a recruiting staff to go through the stack of applicants and take the time to evaluate them on their own.
And second, the system (unfairly, imo) eliminates a lot of otherwise well-suited applicants who just don't happen to know an Alaska pilot.

That said, as an Alaska hopefull, I'm willing to work with their system and will do everything possible to make myself stand out, "silverbullet-less" though I might be.

 

[AK737FO]

ANC or Bust

The only thing I can add is this...
The ANC base is very senior. Probably 3 or 4 years to get off reserve. The good news is that the quality of life on reserve (if you live in ANC) is excellent. Reserve life in SEA and LAX can leave a little to be desired from time to time.
The rumor (from an ANC union rep) is that there are about 20 pilots "outside" who want to bid into the base but can't because it's locked up. A guy hired this year who wants ANC may end up being stuck in SEA or LAX for a few years. I know a few guys in SEA who have been waiting over a year already...
As to the Silver bullet (or wooden stake) program. It works very well for Alaska, and you know the saying... if it ain't broke...
I think there may be a web based application coming to Alaskaair.com in the future. Rumor has it that it will be FREE. This will be the avenue for pilots who do not have a bullet to get into the system. Right now they are just filling their needs with bullets, and QX pilots - which I think is a great deal since there are 50 "Alaska Air Group (Horizon)" pilots on the street.
Good luck to all.

 

[av8instyle]

Silver Bullet

the system (unfairly, imo) eliminates a lot of otherwise well-suited applicants who just don't happen to know an Alaska pilot

First-they do have a recruiting team that goes through apps. Believe it or not, they do hire a few that don't have a SB. But the best way to get on if you are lacking a SB is to meet Paul Majer at an Aviation conference and impress the he!! out of him. I actually have a good friend that got on this way.

Second-There may be a lot of "well-suited" applicants that don't get a call because of a lack of a SB, but I guarantee that isn't a problem for Alaska. They have more than enough "well-suited" applicants that do have a SB. So why go any further?

Before 9-11 Alaska lost several new hires to airlines such as Delta, United, and American. They went to this program to get people they knew and to stop the loss of guys bailing for the first "Global" that called. The guys they hire now have a known desire to want to stay. That's why the program works.

There are three majors hiring right now, as opposed to all of them this time last year. Alaska is going to be even pickier with who they hire.

Every airline has their own requirements. All of them are different. I don't have any airbus time, so even though I fly for a major, I don't stand a chance at JetBlue. That's just the way of the industry. I'm sorry you don't know anyone here, as I'm sure you're a fine pilot. My advice is to go to the job fairs that AK will be at, and get with friends of friends to find an AK pilot.

Good luck!

 

[reepicheep]

Good idea about the job fair; any idea of when Mr. Majer will next be attending one? A.I.R. is having one in ATL the weekend of July 12 and it appears someone from Alaska will be there; what about Mr. Majer?

Thanks for the info...

 

[English]

Someone from Alaska, please correct me if I am wrong - but I believe Alaska is only looking at those applicants who had applied for employment pre 9/11, whether they are silver bullets, Horizon pilots or those applicants met at conferences and job fairs. This is also stated on their website. It may not do much good to hike across the country to attend the job fair if you had not already made some sort of contact with them pre 9/11.

 

[reepicheep]

Someone from Alaska, please correct me if I am wrong - but I believe Alaska is only looking at those applicants who had applied for employment pre 9/11, whether they are silver bullets, Horizon pilots or those applicants met at conferences and job fairs. This is also stated on their website. It may not do much good to hike across the country to attend the job fair if you had not already made some sort of contact with them pre 9/11.

You're right; I'd like to see if we can get a clarification on whether they're showing up or not (AIR says they are), and whether they're going to be considering "new" applicants. I don't see why they'd bother to send someone to the seminar if they aren't in a recruiting mode.

 

[FL510GV]

Contact Before 9/11

According to the Chief pilot, if you were in the UPAS system before 9/11 (and downloaded by AS), that constitutes having contact.

from his letter to AS pilots:
"a.Pilot application (either UPAS or the Alaska Airlines’ application)
(1)If the applicant was in the UPAS system before 9/11, they should have a disk that they can update all of their information. They can then print the UPAS application and give that to the referring pilot to forward to the Base Chief Pilots
(2)If the applicant is not in the UPAS system, the Base Chief Pilots will have Alaska Airlines Applications that can be filled-out by the applicant and returned to the Base Chief Pilots. A PDF File will be located on the Chief Pilot’s Conference."

Bottom line here is that they are recruiting, primarily from a group that was interested in AS prior to 9/11, but they will accept the apps that they have since handed out via their base chief pilots.

The AirInc job fair may be the only opportunity you have to get face time. What's a job at Alaska worth?

 

[CMonBoard]

Have you heard?

Has anyone who interviewed in May heard anything yet? Today is the 2 week mark for me. No news is good news? Or??????
Nervously awaiting some news, ANY news, positive news!

 

[publisher]

Job fair

Alaska has always attended Air Inc meetings, whether or not they were looking for anyone. They merely reported in what was going on.

This has for the most part always been a silver bullet airline as the numbers are never so high that they needed to do anything else.

Last I heard, they were not going to do anything of substance other than a class of people they had hired pre 9-11 and were looking to next year.

Then, you also have the Horizon factor. Things could have changed but that was the last heard from Jackie a month or more ago.

 

[mach none]

100 new hire pilots and 8 737NG deliveries is not much?

I am pretty excited to be part of the team.