AWA: app to Interview

[holmie]

I worked at Cactus for almost a year until I left for another major and promptly got furloughed in 2002. For the most part I liked working there although I thought about 30% of the Capts I flew with were kind of strange (ie did not want to hang out with on layovers). I was told to expect a lot of red eye flying when I interviewed and of course I said that would be "no problem" but once I got on line that's pretty much all I did. I did not enjoy those one bit. Sleeping during the day in a noisy hotel in NYC was a bummer and then off to LAS at 9pm to get back to PHX at 3am was exhausting. Never got used to it because a lot of the trips were a combination of day and red eye flying. I left a large commuter to go to AWA where I was a Capt and had less days off at AWA than my old commuter operation. One month they went as low as 9 days off. All but one of my crash pad roomies 8 out of 9 quit and left for another major in the span of 4 months. I heard some days there was a line of guys turning in there Jepps to the Chief Pilots secretary. Now of course things have changed since 9-11, I would love to be working there instead of scraping by in a 135 operation but that's how the cookie crumbles. Hopefully the new contract has made life better but I was never sure of AWA's staying power. I did make a lot of friends there and my new hire class consisted of a great bunch of folks. Training dept did all they could to get you through the checkride. FA's were the nicest I've flown with not like my previous carrier where it was all I could do to get them to say hello! Best of luck to those who get hired in todays mega competitive market.

 

[Wiskey Driver]

... the BUS?!?!?! No, no, Whiskey Driver, I'm sure you mean the 757!

Oh No you didn't bring up the 757's. You know that's all about the Bus.

WD.

 

[Cactus73]

Oh No you didn't bring up the 757's. You know that's all about the Bus.

WD.

Let's just put it this way. When all you guys are leaving LAS at 12am you guys have 5 hour flights overnight to the east coast ahead of you. We go one hour to the west coast and are sleeping by 130am. You're just on your third cup of coffee.

It's all about the 737.

Wiskey Driver you're dead on about the 757. Let's not even go there.

 

[Saabslime]

If interviewed and offered a job. What are the schedules like on each aircraft? More red-eyes on one fleet than on another?, days off, reserve time, etc. Thanks in advance ............the slime

 

[Cactus73]

If interviewed and offered a job. What are the schedules like on each aircraft? More red-eyes on one fleet than on another?, days off, reserve time, etc. Thanks in advance ............the slime

Airbus: Lots of transcon flying. Junior guys do a lot of red-eyes out of LAS. Has the most variety in destinations.

757: Goes to the same 5-10 destinations. A few red eyes but not many. Small fleet so reserve time is more than on the other two.

737: Mostly west coast. A few trips to the midwest and New Orleans. Lot's of Mexico on weekend trips.
A few late night LAS flights but not many. I think MSP and STL are the current red eyes. Everything else gets to the hotel by 2am or so. Shrinking fleet as the -200's will be gone by the fall.

Guaranteed 12 days off in 30 day month and 13 days off in a 31 day month while on reserve. Bid daily reserve times by seniority. Can self assign trips and fly on days off if you really want to.

You bid aircraft type during indoc. The 757 usually goes senior.

Hope this helps.

 

[HAL]

Am I more likely to get initially assigned the 757 since I have a 757/767 type, or doesn't it matter? Thanks!

HAL

 

[Wiskey Driver]

Am I more likely to get initially assigned the 757 since I have a 757/767 type, or doesn't it matter? Thanks!

HAL

HAL, it used to now you bid and are awarded based on you class rank (your age) oldest picks first and so on.

WD.

 

[Wiskey Driver]

Let's just put it this way. When all you guys are leaving LAS at 12am you guys have 5 hour flights overnight to the east coast ahead of you. We go one hour to the west coast and are sleeping by 130am. You're just on your third cup of coffee.

It's all about the 737.

Wiskey Driver you're dead on about the 757. Let's not even go there.

You right I am on that second to third cup by that time but you know what?? When I wake up the next day and go have breakfast then go back to my hotel room for a nap wake up shower watch the tube (your on which now your third or forth leg by this time?????) I fly ONE leg back to phx or las and done!! Whew that was hard work one leg over one leg back Ahhh Cactus 73 how many one leg days do you guys have??? Speak up there partner I can't hear ya....

Gotcha!!!!


WD.

 

[TWA Dude]

About bidding for equipment: the last several classes and the next couple are planned to be all Airbus. Possibly one 737 class at some point. Now that they've moved to smaller classes of ten or so I betcha there won't be any equipment bids. The choice is easy when you have none.

Dude

 

[LearLove]

Does anyone know where to find that "Van Reve Weave" (spelling??) profile?

Thanks

 

[English]

Hansoma and HAL,

How do you compare Hawaiian vs. America West? If recalled by Hawaiian, will you go back or stick it out with America West?

Congrats on finding new employment!

 

[HAL]

I really don't think I can answer that since I haven't even been down to interview yet. All I know about AWA is what I read here and what my friends there tell me.

As for going back to Hawaiian I really can't answer that either until that times comes up. Of course for now my focus is AWA and I hope it's a long and profitable career there. If and when HA starts recalling I'd have to look at where I'm at then and what the circumstances are. The history at HA isn't good with regard to expansion, furloughs, bankruptcys etc. On the other hand it was a fun place to work while I was there. But like I said, for now the focus is AWA.

HAL

 

[Cactus73]

Ahhh Cactus 73 how many one leg days do you guys have??? Speak up there partner I can't hear ya....

Gotcha!!!!


WD.

Very true. You guys even have those nice bras they put on your windows. Don't want you guys getting too warm in there.

We had a Bus FO in our jumpseat the other day on a 200 and he couldn't believe how much we really do. To him we were almost a different company!

Cactus73

 

[TWA Dude]

LearLove:

www.aviationinterviews.com has what you're looking for.

Dude

 

[HAL]

Change in AWA procedure

For those of you in the process with AWA, I got a call yesterday from Tammy in Recruiting saying that effective immediately the company won't pay for your airfare to Phoenix. It's not that it would be a problem with a little planning or notice, but I had three days to go till I left and even had a ticket in hand that was suddenly worthless. Want to know what a short notice ticket is from Fairbanks to Phoenix? Too much!!! Jumpseating is my only option now, and hopefully there's room on the plane.

Just seems like a little bit of a chicken sh!t move to me to do this with no notice, and to revoke the tickets already issued.

HAL

 

[English]

For those of you in the process with AWA, I got a call yesterday from Tammy in Recruiting saying that effective immediately the company won't pay for your airfare to Phoenix. It's not that it would be a problem with a little planning or notice, but I had three days to go till I left and even had a ticket in hand that was suddenly worthless. Want to know what a short notice ticket is from Fairbanks to Phoenix? Too much!!! Jumpseating is my only option now, and hopefully there's room on the plane.

Just seems like a little bit of a chicken sh!t move to me to do this with no notice, and to revoke the tickets already issued.

HAL

Hal,

Sorry to hear of your troubles. Hopefully, it will all seem meaningless after you start your new job. I hope it is everything you expect.

If it helps you feel any better, you are not the only one experiencing the out-of-pocket expenses involved with starting a new job. Many airlines won't provide transportation for interviews, transportation to class or even a hotel room during training. I spent quite a lot of money on a hotel during new hire training with Aloha, and they didn't provide air transportation for the interview or for ground school.

Good luck HAL!

 

[Wiskey Driver]

HAL are you saying that we won't let you ride on us for free??? I can understand that if they are not going to cover off line carriers but on us on the dreaded mesa that would be totally out to lunch...


WD.

 

[xanderman]

About bidding for equipment: the last several classes and the next couple are planned to be all Airbus. Possibly one 737 class at some point. Now that they've moved to smaller classes of ten or so I betcha there won't be any equipment bids. The choice is easy when you have none.

Dude

This is true. In my 6/21 class there will be 7 of us and it will be all airbus. No choices. No bids. This come from Tammy and frankly I love it! I wanted the bus!!!!
See you on the line...
Andy

 

[HAL]

HAL are you saying that we won't let you ride on us for free??? I can understand that if they are not going to cover off line carriers but on us on the dreaded mesa that would be totally out to lunch...


WD.

The word from recruiting is that there are no more passes on AWA for prospective employees to/from the interview. I'll be jumpseating, but my biggest worry was not getting on since there is only one flight per day from ANC down to PHX. Oh well, gotta concentrate where it's important, like the sim ride and interview.

HAL