Yes I was recomended, and I first applied about 6 months ago.
In the briefing they gave at the interview they said if you dont have a rec you probably wont get a call. It sounded like the best chance of getting a call was to get the rec and go to an AirInc conference and talk to them face to face.
And by the way, the call I got was to offer me a job. I interviewed on Feb 6.