JetBlue hiring numbers?

[kman]

Would anyone happen to know roughly how many pilots JetBlue is planning to hire the rest of 08? Also anyone know how many pilots get hired every month. How many classes each month, and how many new hires are in each class. and Do you think in todays market with everyone folding, would it be a good idea to be put on the bottom of JetBlues seniority list as a newhire? Appreciate any info, thanks

 

[35off]

answers

I just jumpseated jetblue. An emb190 capt, who does do job fairs and is involved in interviewing said they orginally were going to hire 350 for 08, and just reduced that to 200.

As far as joing the bottom of the list, you have to do your research and decide. What is thier cash position? (I don't know). If it is realatively low than we need oil to drop soon. Will that happen? (i don't know). We are in a not so favarable economic environment for airlines. They will have to weather the storm. Can jetblue do it? That is the question.

One thing is for sure. Great company, great people. It is changing a little as they get bigger, but I would argue a lot better place to be than most of the rest.

How do I know all this? I interviewed there, unfortunately turned down. I know a lot of people there and all are happy. They tell me how is its, good and bad. Not the perfect place, but everyone I know has no regrets going there and are overall happy.

 

[flying mantis]

About 1 billion in cash.
With a 300 mil. lump sum payment (can't remember the exact #)

I don't care how much money you have. I think we would all breathe easier if fuel was under 100.

 

[IronCityBlue]

Yeah I think there is 1.1B+ in cash, but an approximate 200m bond due in the summer. It was going to be tight were it not for Lufthansa's investment, but now even with 105-110 oil the end of the year will most likely be a manageable loss (50-100m) taking the balance sheet back to where it was before the LH investment, but without the impending 200m note.

Going anywhere, I mean anywhere, right now is a huge risk. As is staying anywhere. Obviously seniority can cushion the risk and minimize or emilinate the damage, but the number one pilot at an airline that folds is still on the street. That said, JB is in an OK position right now. I guess it depends on where you are now, how far up that list you are, where you live/want to live, etc.

Many of JB's core weaknesses bave been or are being addressed right now as well. Screwed up ramp ops (which has actually gotten better of late) will become seamless with the new terminal opening up. 26 gates and no alleyways, and one of the fastest and simple baggage systems of any terminal that size.

Route structure is already 12-14% international, and although its primarily liesure international, Air Lingus code share (not really a traditional code share, but results are the same) now and a Lufthansa code share soon, will help to fill out a huge hole currently in the route structure.

Emphasis on connecting dots versus adding 16 cities a year, and better fare/yield management. Someone finally kicked the crappy marketing department in the jimmies (or whoever was responsibile for marketing and its budget) and a true nationwide campaign will kick off soon.

#1 domestic carrier out of NYC, the world/s biggest domestic O&D market. #1 out of Boston, a high travel market with a high percentage of (per capita) upper middle class pax.

Rolling the dice with a huge MCO expansion, but not just for tourists but also untapped/underserved O&D opportunities, plus international connections down the road.

Taking advantage of a limited window of oportunity (1 or 2 more years) to reduce or stop growth on the 320 by selling older airframes. This yields a small 2-4m profit, avoids a multimillion dollar heavy check, and replaces it with a new plane thats under warranty and a lease/debt terms similar to the ones that were sold in the first place. Again, the opportunity to do so is limited. Airbus is ramping up 320 production by 20% and as that market segment fills out and more used 320's hit the market JB won't be able to count on that anymore. I think that's why 2010-2011 deliveries were mostly pushed back til 2012-2013. At that point its cheaper to defer than it is to sell.

But like I said, it all depends on where you are now, now senior you are, where you live/want to live, etc. Good luck rolling the dice in this crazy career we call aviation.