AlbieF15
F15 Ret/FDX/InterviewPrep
- Joined
- Nov 25, 2001
- Posts
- 1,764
I think the fact JetBlue was the only game in town hiring and expanding in a tough shrinking market allowed A) hiring to be pretty selective and B) JB guys to be targets of a bit of resentment as other folks airlines were hurting.
If SWA really does hire 300-400 this year, and AirTran does the same thing...along with America West, ATA, and perhaps FDX reopening the window for a few folks...I think you will see a slight (notice I said slight) downward pressure on qual requirements. Plato Rhyne II at DAL used to say his favorite candidate was a former military guy with 121 experience. JetBlue has always tried to give a cross section of applicants an opportunity, however, and prides itself of its mix of flying backgrounds.
PIC issues and high time requirements made sense as the airline was expanding rapidly and guys/gals would be Captains in 6 months to a year. Another not so good factor for Jetblue hopefuls is the PIC or other requirements MIGHT soften down the road, but that likely means its due to a longer wait until your Captain's upgrade. I know the folks I've helped get ready for interviews all have had significant leadership time...in the military, corporate world, or at another airline. Jetblue doesn't seem to want to "groom" or produce captains, it wants to HIRE them and put them in the right seat a while until they can upgrade. (Former USAir guys with 6000 + hours are the exception here) Most airlines SAY the same thing, but if you look historically at some hiring (during the good old days of the late 90s) you can see that there were some pretty low time guys hired at the majors. I'd say those days will be gone until a major upturn in hiring cycle.
Another factor here (and I'm not bashing anyone) is that the attractions of working for JetBlue when I got offered a position were:
A- Rapid upgrade & awesome seniority
B- Early entry into stock options
C- Great company leadership and highly motivated workforce
As time goes by, and more and more folks are hired, the upgrade and seniority possibilities, while still much better than most places, do diminish somewhat. The upgrade times at JB are no longer 1 year, and although I don't know the exact times I'm sure ATA and AirTran upgrades are getting close to about the same time. As Airtran takes its new 737 fleet and expands, a nice jump in seniority for guys hired in the last year will also occur. We've all seen the hit JBLU took this month...and while it may or may not rebound back into the stratosphere, the initial hires and first 300 or so folks there have done VERY well. For subsequent hires..well...I don't know...but like at SWA the difference of a year or two can mean a million dollars or more to a retirement portfolio based on stock options.
And that leaves C--a great company with good folks at the helm and in the trenches. I don't think JB ever thought they'd be without competition forever, and I'm sure their high level of customer service will keep them successful for a long time. However, this last month has shown they aren't "magic", and that coupled with other airlines hiring will likely mean JetBlue will have to compete for the most qualified candidates with other carriers. Just as ticket prices go down in a competitive market, I'll bet some of the quals might eventually be loosened just a bit.
As always...I'm just a fighter pilot (and panel b!tch) and I may be wrong...
And as for board posts, momma always said "please" and "thank you" go a long way. Play nice everyone...
If SWA really does hire 300-400 this year, and AirTran does the same thing...along with America West, ATA, and perhaps FDX reopening the window for a few folks...I think you will see a slight (notice I said slight) downward pressure on qual requirements. Plato Rhyne II at DAL used to say his favorite candidate was a former military guy with 121 experience. JetBlue has always tried to give a cross section of applicants an opportunity, however, and prides itself of its mix of flying backgrounds.
PIC issues and high time requirements made sense as the airline was expanding rapidly and guys/gals would be Captains in 6 months to a year. Another not so good factor for Jetblue hopefuls is the PIC or other requirements MIGHT soften down the road, but that likely means its due to a longer wait until your Captain's upgrade. I know the folks I've helped get ready for interviews all have had significant leadership time...in the military, corporate world, or at another airline. Jetblue doesn't seem to want to "groom" or produce captains, it wants to HIRE them and put them in the right seat a while until they can upgrade. (Former USAir guys with 6000 + hours are the exception here) Most airlines SAY the same thing, but if you look historically at some hiring (during the good old days of the late 90s) you can see that there were some pretty low time guys hired at the majors. I'd say those days will be gone until a major upturn in hiring cycle.
Another factor here (and I'm not bashing anyone) is that the attractions of working for JetBlue when I got offered a position were:
A- Rapid upgrade & awesome seniority
B- Early entry into stock options
C- Great company leadership and highly motivated workforce
As time goes by, and more and more folks are hired, the upgrade and seniority possibilities, while still much better than most places, do diminish somewhat. The upgrade times at JB are no longer 1 year, and although I don't know the exact times I'm sure ATA and AirTran upgrades are getting close to about the same time. As Airtran takes its new 737 fleet and expands, a nice jump in seniority for guys hired in the last year will also occur. We've all seen the hit JBLU took this month...and while it may or may not rebound back into the stratosphere, the initial hires and first 300 or so folks there have done VERY well. For subsequent hires..well...I don't know...but like at SWA the difference of a year or two can mean a million dollars or more to a retirement portfolio based on stock options.
And that leaves C--a great company with good folks at the helm and in the trenches. I don't think JB ever thought they'd be without competition forever, and I'm sure their high level of customer service will keep them successful for a long time. However, this last month has shown they aren't "magic", and that coupled with other airlines hiring will likely mean JetBlue will have to compete for the most qualified candidates with other carriers. Just as ticket prices go down in a competitive market, I'll bet some of the quals might eventually be loosened just a bit.
As always...I'm just a fighter pilot (and panel b!tch) and I may be wrong...
And as for board posts, momma always said "please" and "thank you" go a long way. Play nice everyone...
