JetBlue class dates

[ASA_Aviator]

Well, a few years ago when we lost about 10% of the seniority list, they were hiring guys AT a MCO job fair. Took them right upstairs for the drug test, on the spot.
I commute on several regionals. I'm seldom asked about B6 hiring and never by the captains anymore.

Well, the guys in the pool have already gone through the process, so clearly they were interested in B6. I'm betting that out of the 130, 100 will take the job since there aren't many people hiring in large numbers right now.

 

[BeachBummer]

It's been a year. Some could wait others cannot. I know two guys that have left the pool, one went to SWA the other went corperate. Neither will be attending class here.

A year ago it was easy to be "interested" in jetblue. We were the only game hiring in town. I think the real question for the poolies is what is your plan B... or is jetblue your plan B and whats your plan A?

So saying that 130 to get 20 is a stretch, probably, but hardly dishonest. Either way movement at other airlines will make motion here at B6.

 

[Smarta$$]

I have a friend who is number 60 in the pool. By your math he should be called for the next class. I will let you know if you are correct. Don't hold your breath.

 

[Pattern-Master]

Do most pilots at Jetblue see this place as career type of place or just a job until something else comes along? I understand there is a younger pilot group over there and upgrades will take a long time due to lack of retirements or attrition. Also,what is best way to find out of upcoming job fairs at there Orlando facility, I live about 5 minutes from there.

 

[Splert]

How utterly F$&&%$ dishonest.

Your lies never end.

Please quote a single lie and then grow up.

I posted "might' and as another poster wrote when we interviewed in OSC a few years ago pilots went straight from interview to offered class before back ground checks were completed.

JetBlue does not pull from the pool in order. Instead they pull in an attempt to have the "right mix".

 

[Smarta$$]

Please quote a single lie and then grow up.

I posted "might' and as another poster wrote when we interviewed in OSC a few years ago pilots went straight from interview to offered class before back ground checks were completed.

JetBlue does not pull from the pool in order. Instead they pull in an attempt to have the "right mix".

Oh, give me a break... "I posted might" so don't take me serious...

The company says they want 50 more new hires in 2012, so by your math, they would have to be opening the application window and interviewing because the pool would be drained.

You're full of $$$hit.

 

[milehigh6080]

Do most pilots at Jetblue see this place as career type of place or just a job until something else comes along? I understand there is a younger pilot group over there and upgrades will take a long time due to lack of retirements or attrition. Also,what is best way to find out of upcoming job fairs at there Orlando facility, I live about 5 minutes from there.

Good question.

For those who are paying attention, there are two groups- the haves and the will nevers. The haves have been here over 6 years or so and have upgraded. Captain pay here is nothing to be excited about, but viewed against the backdrop of the concessionary contracts that are only now starting to disappear and especially against newhire pay at any major, it's not bad at all. If you're a captain here, it would be a hard decision to leave because it's a decent place to work and it would take a long time to work your way back up the list to break even with your current pay. Captains and people within a hundred numbers or so from upgrade would have a difficult decision to leave.

If you're further than 100 numbers or so from upgrade and especially if you're under 40, it's insanity to not be looking around at your options. Maybe you'll look at those options and ultimately decide to stay, but you're out of your mind to not be looking. The industry is going to retire one pilot every 18 hours once 65 starts really hitting, JetBlue is going to retire about 1 pilot per month during the same period. How does that strike you? Are you willing to bet your career that Barger will magically grow some balls and start aggressively growing the company again- because that's the only way you're going to see upward movement here.

There are definitely worse places to get stuck. If you're in one of those places, come on over to JetBlue- it's pretty nice for the short term and probably not the worst place to get stuck if things don't pan out and allow you to move on to the next big thing, but come here with wide eyes. Come here knowing that nothing is guaranteed, the "work rules" if you want to call them that can change in an instant, almost everything except your pay rate can be taken away from you at any time through a simple email from ELT. For now, it's not bad, in the future, who knows? Come on over if it's better than where you are right now, but keep that resume ready and start sending it out as soon as the real hiring starts.

Many of the crazy pro company people on this board fall into one of two camps. Camp one is very senior and has no idea what it's like to not be very senior here because the company was growing quickly when they got here. Camp two is made up of people who, above all else, want to believe that they've made the best possible decision for themselves, and with no regard for any and all evidence to the contrary, they have their eyes closed and their fingers in their ears. They're only concerned with justifying their decision rather than analyzing new information and recalibrating. Don't be that guy, it's sad and pathetic.

 

[Smarta$$]

Or, they like their job. That could also be the case sir.

As far as upgrade or progression, we have some retirements further down the road, we have growth (aircraft orders are big, while returning almost no airplanes these days) and we have attrition. Now you people who pretend this place is a Chinese sweat shop always say how we will be losing hundreds of pilots due to attrition... Well, that will equate to movement from those at the bottom, and the growth and retirements, plus attrition will mean decent movement.

Yes the attrition will be from mostly FO's, although we have many captains with legacy recalls, so they could leave as well, if this place were as bad as you pretend.

Either way, we are one union vote from fixing most of our benefit issues, and I can guarantee you, you guys still won't be happy.

I fly with VERY FEW people who actually entertain leaving JetBlue, contrary to the picture you paint.

 

[Splert]

Oh, give me a break... "I posted might" so don't take me serious...

The company says they want 50 more new hires in 2012, so by your math, they would have to be opening the application window and interviewing because the pool would be drained.

You're full of $$$hit.

Why would we open the application window?

Also the "company says" ... That is funny

The "company said" in recurrent last year we would hire 250 + pilots in 2012.

Still waiting for you to quote a post were I lied.

You are all velocity and no vector rookie and you guard this web board like someone who sticks up for their girl friends honor even though everyone else knows she is smoking the football team.

 

[say again]

Why would we open the application window?

Also the "company says" ... That is funny

The "company said" in recurrent last year we would hire 250 + pilots in 2012.

Still waiting for you to quote a post were I lied.

You are all velocity and no vector rookie and you guard this web board like someone who sticks up for their girl friends honor even though everyone else knows she is smoking the football team.

:beer:

 

[BeachBummer]

I have a friend who is number 60 in the pool. By your math he should be called for the next class. I will let you know if you are correct. Don't hold your breath.

I think you just like to see yourself type. Your so busy being a smarta$$ you don't even realize when people agree with you... Good luck to your buddy.

 

[BeachBummer]

Do most pilots at Jetblue see this place as career type of place or just a job until something else comes along? I understand there is a younger pilot group over there and upgrades will take a long time due to lack of retirements or attrition. Also,what is best way to find out of upcoming job fairs at there Orlando facility, I live about 5 minutes from there.

The "magic" time for jetblue was to be hired in or before 2006. Whether or not this place is for you is and if you want to stay for the long haul is personal.

Between now and 2022 there will only be about 115 forced retirements. So if you simply look at attrition there is not much movement. We still have a good set of planes on order(+/-100ish), and the plan is to have 6-8% increase in ASM year over year. The company has a history of letting older planes go as new ones come onto property, so don't take the purchase of planes as an increase.

There are guys that are looking to get out from all seniority levels. There are also lots of guys that are perfectly happy here. We have issues here that need to be addressed, but over all it's a good working environment.

I keep my apps out, and if I were to be hired tomorrow by DAL or FEDEX I'd have a really hard time not making the jump. The difference in retirement alone is a lifestyle at the end of career.

goodluck

 

[Flyby1206]

Or, they like their job. That could also be the case sir.

I love my job and I honestly loved my job when I flew for a regional too, but I left because of crappy pay and work rules. I will do the same at jetblue if/when an opportunity at better pay/work rules presents itself. People who stay here soley because they "love" their job are in for a big letdown when they find out their job doesnt love them.

As far as upgrade or progression, we have some retirements further down the road, we have growth (aircraft orders are big, while returning almost no airplanes these days) and we have attrition.

All true statements, but to add some color to that... We have 169 retirements over the next 10 years. That equates to ~7% of our current seniority list. Places like AA/US/DAL/UA have 40-50% retirements over the same time frame. But yes you are correct, we have a few retirements down the road. We do have growth, like we hashed out in an earlier thread aircraft deliveries dont necessarily mean more block hours flying. But yes, we have been averaging 2-6% block hour growth Y-O-Y for the past 5 years. Attrition exists as well! I have been here 1.5yrs and moved up 15 numbers during that time.

I fly with VERY FEW people who actually entertain leaving JetBlue, contrary to the picture you paint.

You are correct, there hasnt been a mass exodus like in 2007 largely in part because UA/DL/AA arent hiring/recalling.

 

[Smarta$$]

Why would we open the application window?

Also the "company says" ... That is funny

The "company said" in recurrent last year we would hire 250 + pilots in 2012.

Still waiting for you to quote a post were I lied.

You are all velocity and no vector rookie and you guard this web board like someone who sticks up for their girl friends honor even though everyone else knows she is smoking the football team.

This is actually a pretty funny post. I give you credit for that.

 

[CapnVegetto]

There's a lot of arguing here, but as with most things, the reality of the situation is somewhere in the middle. My opinion:

This job is better than ANY regional. Period. Either seat. Just look at the payrates, B6 FO scale is higher than any Captain scale at pretty much any regional. Translation: You will make as much or more money in the right seat here then in the left seat at any regional. You can NEVER upgrade, and you will still do better than you will at a regional, not even counting premium pay.

There will be movement here, but it will be mostly to attrition. We are growing, but at Dave Barger pace. that means we are growing slower than molasses in winter. Barger seems incapable of doing ANYTHING other than New York to Florida. If he continues, he is going to saturate the market to the point to where we start competing with ourselves.

The operation is really stupid sometimes. They do a lot of stupid things, from the disasters of the past, to the BDL thing, to sending planes to Florida during a tropical storm just recently, with a system chief pilot sitting behind a damn desk thousands of miles away saying 'everything is fine'. I really fear that it is only a matter of time before something really bad happens. I just hope nobody dies.

Benefits suck a$$. Most expensive health insurance in the industry BY FAR. I pay double what I paid at a regional for full coverage. Retirement just improved some, but it is still behind. PTO accrual is significantly lower than it should be. STD and LTD are a serious pain.

If you are junior, your schedule will suck. You will fly nothing but a bunch of $hitty unproductive redeye crap ion the 320. Due to the lack of retirements and slow growth, you can expect $hitty trips on the bus for a long time. The 190 is a much better airplane to be junior on, at least in my opinion.

Summary: Don't believe the idiots that act like this place is a Vietnamese sweatshop putting Reeboks together. It's not. You'll make a good living, and even the $hitty trips are better than banging out 5-6 legs a day in a freaking RJ only to finish in an 8 hour overnight. However, when you compare B6 to Delta, WN, UniCAl, FEDEX, UPS, i.e. all the big boys, you're a MORON if you pass a job up there for B6. It's a stepping stone, period. Come here and cool your heels in a nice Airbus before jumping to one of the big boys. If something happens and you get stuck here, you'll be WAY better off than being stuck at a fricking regional.

Have fun and good luck.

 

[Flyby1206]

There's a lot of arguing here, but as with most things, the reality of the situation is somewhere in the middle. My opinion:

This job is better than ANY regional. Period. Either seat. Just look at the payrates, B6 FO scale is higher than any Captain scale at pretty much any regional. Translation: You will make as much or more money in the right seat here then in the left seat at any regional. You can NEVER upgrade, and you will still do better than you will at a regional, not even counting premium pay.

There will be movement here, but it will be mostly to attrition. We are growing, but at Dave Barger pace. that means we are growing slower than molasses in winter. Barger seems incapable of doing ANYTHING other than New York to Florida. If he continues, he is going to saturate the market to the point to where we start competing with ourselves.

The operation is really stupid sometimes. They do a lot of stupid things, from the disasters of the past, to the BDL thing, to sending planes to Florida during a tropical storm just recently, with a system chief pilot sitting behind a damn desk thousands of miles away saying 'everything is fine'. I really fear that it is only a matter of time before something really bad happens. I just hope nobody dies.

Benefits suck a$$. Most expensive health insurance in the industry BY FAR. I pay double what I paid at a regional for full coverage. Retirement just improved some, but it is still behind. PTO accrual is significantly lower than it should be. STD and LTD are a serious pain.

If you are junior, your schedule will suck. You will fly nothing but a bunch of $hitty unproductive redeye crap ion the 320. Due to the lack of retirements and slow growth, you can expect $hitty trips on the bus for a long time. The 190 is a much better airplane to be junior on, at least in my opinion.

Summary: Don't believe the idiots that act like this place is a Vietnamese sweatshop putting Reeboks together. It's not. You'll make a good living, and even the $hitty trips are better than banging out 5-6 legs a day in a freaking RJ only to finish in an 8 hour overnight. However, when you compare B6 to Delta, WN, UniCAl, FEDEX, UPS, i.e. all the big boys, you're a MORON if you pass a job up there for B6. It's a stepping stone, period. Come here and cool your heels in a nice Airbus before jumping to one of the big boys. If something happens and you get stuck here, you'll be WAY better off than being stuck at a fricking regional.

Have fun and good luck.

Great post, this sums it up perfectly

 

[Splert]

There's a lot of arguing here, but as with most things, the reality of the situation is somewhere in the middle. My opinion:

This job is better than ANY regional. Period. Either seat. Just look at the payrates, B6 FO scale is higher than any Captain scale at pretty much any regional. Translation: You will make as much or more money in the right seat here then in the left seat at any regional. You can NEVER upgrade, and you will still do better than you will at a regional, not even counting premium pay.

There will be movement here, but it will be mostly to attrition. We are growing, but at Dave Barger pace. that means we are growing slower than molasses in winter. Barger seems incapable of doing ANYTHING other than New York to Florida. If he continues, he is going to saturate the market to the point to where we start competing with ourselves.

The operation is really stupid sometimes. They do a lot of stupid things, from the disasters of the past, to the BDL thing, to sending planes to Florida during a tropical storm just recently, with a system chief pilot sitting behind a damn desk thousands of miles away saying 'everything is fine'. I really fear that it is only a matter of time before something really bad happens. I just hope nobody dies.

Benefits suck a$$. Most expensive health insurance in the industry BY FAR. I pay double what I paid at a regional for full coverage. Retirement just improved some, but it is still behind. PTO accrual is significantly lower than it should be. STD and LTD are a serious pain.

If you are junior, your schedule will suck. You will fly nothing but a bunch of $hitty unproductive redeye crap ion the 320. Due to the lack of retirements and slow growth, you can expect $hitty trips on the bus for a long time. The 190 is a much better airplane to be junior on, at least in my opinion.

Summary: Don't believe the idiots that act like this place is a Vietnamese sweatshop putting Reeboks together. It's not. You'll make a good living, and even the $hitty trips are better than banging out 5-6 legs a day in a freaking RJ only to finish in an 8 hour overnight. However, when you compare B6 to Delta, WN, UniCAl, FEDEX, UPS, i.e. all the big boys, you're a MORON if you pass a job up there for B6. It's a stepping stone, period. Come here and cool your heels in a [edit: nice Airbus] POS E190 before jumping to one of the big boys. If something happens and you get stuck here, you'll be WAY better off than being stuck at a fricking regional.

Have fun and good luck.

See edit above. Except you may or may not be better off at a regional. If this place is a stepping stone then you better have the PIC requirement (published and unpublished) before you "get stuck here".

This place is buyer beware.

 

[milehigh6080]

Great post, CapnVegetto, I absolutely agree.

 

[johnsonrod]

For those pilots who have left B6 in the last year or two, where have they typically gone? Any examples?

Obviously many of the legacies have stalled their hiring (with the exception of USAirways) but could be opening up soon...

 

[Flyby1206]

For those pilots who have left B6 in the last year or two, where have they typically gone? Any examples?

Obviously many of the legacies have stalled their hiring (with the exception of USAirways) but could be opening up soon...

Buddy in my class left for FDX. There hasnt been much attrition lately. I was hired 1.5yrs ago and moved up about 15 spots since I started.