Jet Blue interview

[Inspector 12]

I am not trying to start a JB bashfest.

I am just curious what the masses think about JB starting to post losses. I have an upcoming interview with them and I'm still on the fence as far as what to do if given the job offer. The main reason why I'm onthe fence is that I have a fairly stable job and I'm just uneasy about going to the bottom of the list.

I would love to be able to go to the interview with a clear mind.

 

[FlyPig]

You gotta spend money to make money. Losses now are due mostly to growing routes and launching new equipment (once fuel is removed from the equation). Consider the upcoming Q4 loss as an investment.

Mind clear yet?

 

[zonker]

You gotta spend money to make money. Losses now are due mostly to growing routes and launching new equipment (once fuel is removed from the equation). Consider the upcoming Q4 loss as an investment.

Mind clear yet?

Then again, you can continue to throw cash at progressively lower yields.

Anyone got that quote about the definition of insanity?

 

[JB Bus Drvr]

It was a crap shoot almost 5 years ago when I started here, and it's still a crap shoot, but I think the odds are in my favor. We did OK through 9-11 and continue to do OK. If you are questioning the level of confidence you have in us, perhaps you might consider another option. We have over 12,000 apps. on file of folks willing to take a chance. Who would have ever thought 5 years ago almost all the legacy carriers would be furloughing pilots and in Ch. 11 today. But we all took our chances, some paid off, and unfortunately for some, it did not.

 

[B6Driver]

"Anyone got that quote about the definition of insanity?"

In the future when all the legacy carriers are gone, I will use your brilliant comment when we speak about them. Fare wars were started and perfected by the legacy carrier and this practice alone is the most detrimental practice that reduced the yield in this crazy business, not the LCC's. Now a LYLC is what you may be speaking about (LOW YIELD LEGACY CARRIER). All of them chased themselves into the grave and all their employees had to blame somebody but were unable to honestly look in the mirror and see who was to blame in the end. How pathetically sad. But isn't it so typical of our current society, absolutely no accountability. Not my fault...................

 

[JohnDoe]

quote:]
"All of them chased themselves into the grave and all their employees had to blame somebody but were unable to honestly look in the mirror and see who was to blame in the end."


Am I understanding you correctly when I take that to mean you believe airline employees are the ones to blame for the current situation at the legacy carriers?? If so, how exactly are they to blame??

 

[IB6 UB9]

quote:]
"All of them chased themselves into the grave and all their employees had to blame somebody but were unable to honestly look in the mirror and see who was to blame in the end."


Am I understanding you correctly when I take that to mean you believe airline employees are the ones to blame for the current situation at the legacy carriers?? If so, how exactly are they to blame??

I think he meant their own management, not themselves.

 

[B6Driver]

"All of them chased themselves into the grave and all their employees had to blame somebody"

Yes I ment the mgt. of the legacy carriers.

 

[Inspector 12]

It was a crap shoot almost 5 years ago when I started here, and it's still a crap shoot, but I think the odds are in my favor. We did OK through 9-11 and continue to do OK. If you are questioning the level of confidence you have in us, perhaps you might consider another option. We have over 12,000 apps. on file of folks willing to take a chance. Who would have ever thought 5 years ago almost all the legacy carriers would be furloughing pilots and in Ch. 11 today. But we all took our chances, some paid off, and unfortunately for some, it did not.

Wow - "If you are questioning the level of confidence you have in us, perhaps you might consider another option."

Not really the response I was looking for. Especially from a JB employee. I do not want to blindly walk into a new company just to fly for the airlines - your airline. I would like to make an educated - informed decision. I would like to place all cards on the table and make a decision... If I am offered the opportunity to make that decision.

I have a job. A good job. I would like to work for JB but am concerned about a few things - one being the $$$ losses. Again, I would love to work there but I am not willing to risk my livelyhood and families financial security to do so.

I don't want to come off as ill informed. I have done my research in the company, like what I have found, but would like input from others in the know ( JB employees and others) about the losses. Again, just trying to make an informed decision.

Thanks again for the input.

 

[JB Bus Drvr]

Your welcome. As you know in life you must make choices.

Choose wisely.

Best of luck!

 

[usav8r]

I have a job. A good job. I would like to work for JB but am concerned about a few things - one being the $$$ losses. Again, I would love to work there but I am not willing to risk my livelyhood and families financial security to do so.

I don't want to come off as ill informed. I have done my research in the company, like what I have found, but would like input from others in the know ( JB employees and others) about the losses. Again, just trying to make an informed decision.



If you have done your research, then you know that there have been no losses---yet. Yes it is probably coming, but it is a very tough time for the entire industry. The company has a very good plan, and I myself am very glad to be here. IF you are not 100% sure you want to be here, please do not waste our time and money to interview you. FWIW....

 

[Booster]

Inspector 12 "I have a job. A good job. I would like to work for JB but am concerned about a few things - one being the $$$ losses. Again, I would love to work there but I am not willing to risk my livelyhood and families financial security to do so."

Just about any pax carrier you go to today is a risk. If you are not willing to take a risk and leave the "good job" I HIGHLY recommend you stay there. Not a Flame just some advice.

 

[IB6 UB9]

Wow - "If you are questioning the level of confidence you have in us, perhaps you might consider another option."

Not really the response I was looking for. Especially from a JB employee. I do not want to blindly walk into a new company just to fly for the airlines - your airline. I would like to make an educated - informed decision. I would like to place all cards on the table and make a decision... If I am offered the opportunity to make that decision.

I have a job. A good job. I would like to work for JB but am concerned about a few things - one being the $$$ losses. Again, I would love to work there but I am not willing to risk my livelyhood and families financial security to do so.

I don't want to come off as ill informed. I have done my research in the company, like what I have found, but would like input from others in the know ( JB employees and others) about the losses. Again, just trying to make an informed decision.

Thanks again for the input.

I think you need to do a little more research on the subject so that you can discuss the $$$ losses again with yourself. I just want you to have the correct information before you go making any decisions. Not trying to be boastful here, but we are yet to have a losing quarter. Yet. BTW, your job can't be that good if you are considering making a move. Consider that this is coming from just one pilot, but this is a great place to work. Better than the last four I worked for, FYI.

 

[wndshr]

I am not trying to start a JB bashfest.

I am just curious what the masses think about JB starting to post losses. I have an upcoming interview with them and I'm still on the fence as far as what to do if given the job offer. The main reason why I'm onthe fence is that I have a fairly stable job and I'm just uneasy about going to the bottom of the list.

I would love to be able to go to the interview with a clear mind.

I would not recommend entering the passenger airline business if you are worried about B6 posting losses! Stick to whatevr you are doing now...or go fly freight...or don't fly...it will ALWAYS be a risk vs reward career if you make a living flying. Remember you have to pass a medical every six months! Without it...you are without a career...not just a company posting losses!!!

 

[buttercup]

Go to work for Jetblue!! I have friends there who are happy. They are a good company.. On a side note though, I do think Neeleman got a little cocky when he said " Jetblue will be profitable even if oil hits $80/barrel".. lol!! All those dinks in China that were riding bicycles now will be driving cars!! Increased world demand for oil will hurt all the airlines!!

 

[tailhookah]

As stated before... we have not posted a loss, yet. We were suppossed to post a loss in the 3Q but didn't. It was close. The 4Q results have two things going against the possibility of a profit... outstanding fuel prices and the write off of a ton of options to get around the new laws for companies to follow concerning options. Song just threw in the towel, a sign that many have been speculating for a long time that Song was not making money. That shows that while B6 has been able to eek out a profit our biggest competitor was not even close. Take this in conjunction w/ extreme growth and many large capital projects during the worse economic times for the airlines, ever. B6 has been able to post profits. So we may not for a few quarters and like some before me said, we are not out of the woods yet. But the woods we walk in I think are not nearly as treacherous as the woods of the other airlines. Any move you take is a chance. But if you never take a chance you will live a life of regrets... B6 is an outstanding chance!

tail

 

[Hair-on-Fire]

IF you are not 100% sure you want to be here, please do not waste our time and money to interview you. FWIW....

I understand where you’re coming from with this, but I really disagree. I say go to the interview. In fact, I’d be really disappointed if anyone thought they were 100% sure going in. JetBlue doesn’t want to hire lemmings that blindly believe. They want you to buy into the culture and make the decision based on experience. There’s a great amount of unknown in starting any job, but the interview process will give you insight into what JetBlue believes and how they treat their people. David Neeleman summed it up for me when he spoke to our new hire group. He said that he knows it’s difficult to get hired at JetBlue, but he wants the company to treat you like they had to beg you to come work for them. Pessimism is a healthy. Give us a chance, I think you’ll be glad you did.

As far as loosing money in future quarters; I’m just a regular pilot--who knows? However, I’m optimistic and happy to be onboard. Good luck.

 

[lazy8s]

Ask Dave...

I am just curious what the masses think about JB starting to post losses. I have an upcoming interview with them and I'm still on the fence as far as what to do if given the job offer. The main reason why I'm onthe fence is that I have a fairly stable job and I'm just uneasy about going to the bottom of the list

Just ask Dave Barger or Al Spain at the interview, They'll be more than happy to discuss the business plan and put you mind at ease. That's the great thing about JB, you can pose hard Qs to the leadership team and you'll get immediate, straight answers...

good luck

 

[AnimalTale]

Word of Advice:

This is the Airline Industry. Find a mean, other than your airline, to support your retirement. Also know that u could be out of a job, at a blink of an eye. HAVE A BACKUP.

Knowing these two things. Enjoy your FLYING JOB. Go FLY for who u want to. Go interview with JB. Take the job and if things go bad and u r going to lose your job (i doubt this will happen). Well you have a backup, and on to your next airline or job, U go.

Good luck,

Cya

 

[Dogwood]

Wow - "If you are questioning the level of confidence you have in us, perhaps you might consider another option."

Not really the response I was looking for. Especially from a JB employee. I do not want to blindly walk into a new company just to fly for the airlines - your airline. I would like to make an educated - informed decision. I would like to place all cards on the table and make a decision... If I am offered the opportunity to make that decision.

I have a job. A good job. I would like to work for JB but am concerned about a few things - one being the $$$ losses. Again, I would love to work there but I am not willing to risk my livelyhood and families financial security to do so.

I don't want to come off as ill informed. I have done my research in the company, like what I have found, but would like input from others in the know ( JB employees and others) about the losses. Again, just trying to make an informed decision.

Thanks again for the input.

Inspector,

Don't let a single or even a few quarters of losses or profits for that matter, affect your decision. Look beyond that. "Is the mgmt acting with vision?", "Are the current losses a result of bad mgmt or external forces?", "Is the airline sitting there scratching their heads figuring out what to do, or are they actually getting things done?"

My advice is that it is worth the risk right now, but that's just my opinion. If you want to get into the airline fray right now JB is not a bad place to be. I would also consider SWA if I were you. Their fuel hedges won't be an advantage forever, but it certainly is now.

DW

 

[wndshr]

Word of Advice:

This is the Airline Industry. Find a mean, other than your airline, to support your retirement. Also know that u could be out of a job, at a blink of an eye. HAVE A BACKUP.

Knowing these two things. Enjoy your FLYING JOB. Go FLY for who u want to. Go interview with JB. Take the job and if things go bad and u r going to lose your job (i doubt this will happen). Well you have a backup, and on to your next airline or job, U go.

Good luck,

Cya

EXCELLENT ADVICE!!! flying planes should be done for FUN...not for MONEY, a second source of income should pay the bills. this way you will continue to love flying and it will not be the only source of income if the flight doc decides you are done! unfortunately, that happens to pilots flying for the most stable, lucrative and profitable airlines/companies!

 

[stb]

This and knowing that Dave and David are paid around $250,000 a year and both gave back 100% to JCCF, the employee hardship fund.

 

[a319drvr]

Am I foolish or can I call it integrity?

I am interviewing this week with JB. I have spent a large amount of time learning about the company's history, where they came from, how they got here and what there goals are. I know the general background of the key players as well. Now for the question.

I found all the gouge questions early on in the process and after quickly looking at them (must have been 100) I decided that I understood the general gist of what they were after and have not looked at them since.

Instead, I have gone over my logbooks and discovered I had a ton of stories to tell and I can only hope that I can draw on them to fit a scenario based question that I may be asked.

In recent years, (UAL in particular) the gouge is what got you in the door. It always seemed like a "Stump the chump" session with technical issues and if you did not aquire and use the information that was out there you were percieved as unprepared.

Hopefully, I have not made a mistake in my preparation and they will be able to see me for what I present as a person. Regardless, it's too late now and I will live with my decision whatever the outcome.

Thoughts?

 

[AlbieF15]

You will know next Wednesday if that was a good approach...

 

[Hair-on-Fire]

I am interviewing this week with JB. I have spent a large amount of time learning about the company's history, where they came from, how they got here and what there goals are. I know the general background of the key players as well. Now for the question.

I found all the gouge questions early on in the process and after quickly looking at them (must have been 100) I decided that I understood the general gist of what they were after and have not looked at them since.

Instead, I have gone over my logbooks and discovered I had a ton of stories to tell and I can only hope that I can draw on them to fit a scenario based question that I may be asked.

In recent years, (UAL in particular) the gouge is what got you in the door. It always seemed like a "Stump the chump" session with technical issues and if you did not aquire and use the information that was out there you were percieved as unprepared.

Hopefully, I have not made a mistake in my preparation and they will be able to see me for what I present as a person. Regardless, it's too late now and I will live with my decision whatever the outcome.

Thoughts?

I don’t think I’d call it “integrity”. You’d be pretty stupid not to do as much research as you could regarding the interview process and type of questions asked. In fact, the guy that interviewed me asked me what websites I used to find gouge on the interview process. I told him flightinfo.com, aviationinterviews.com, etc. He thanked me for being honest and said he hates it when people sit there and tell him they didn’t have any gouge. Either they’re lying (probably), or they didn’t consider the interview important enough to do a little research.

 

[a319drvr]

Well that about covers the gamut of what to expect because a friend of mine that recently was hired at JB who used the same method as me was told specifically "We would have been very disappointed if you had studied the gouge".

Oh well, what they see is what they get I suppose.

 

[wndshr]

Well that about covers the gamut of what to expect because a friend of mine that recently was hired at JB who used the same method as me was told specifically "We would have been very disappointed if you had studied the gouge".

Oh well, what they see is what they get I suppose.

you can just tell them that you have spent a significant amount of time researching and learning all aspects of the company. that just about covers everything without giving any details. if they probe you can tell them that you have researched the "interview process and its style" and talked with many B6 pilots etc etc...i agree it wouldn't be the smartest move to just come out and say "....i got the gouge on the web."

 

[Falconjet]

And then you should volunteer to work for free because we are so lucky to have a job flying, huh wndshr?


FJ

 

[wndshr]

And then you should volunteer to work for free because we are so lucky to have a job flying, huh wndshr?


FJ

just wondering...falconjet...what would possibly interest a cargo 727 FE to read through this thread?

 

[Falconjet]

Just nimrods like you suggesting we are all lucky to have jobs and should be happy to fly for free.

What about you?

FJ