QOL at AA depends entirely on who you ask. We have a bunch of "sky is falling" types that find EVERYTHING negative no matter what... we also have plenty of optimists who are convinced Doug Parker is a knight in shining armor and that the new AA will be "Abe Frommer, The Sausage King Of Chicago..."
Generally, those who do the best here are those in the middle.. I count myself as one of those.
So to add my opinions:
- Morale is somewhat improved, at least on the line and in the passenger reports I read. Most guys here are "cautiously optimistic." Keep in mind, we have huge changes coming our way: merger headaches, SLIs, the TWA arbitration, etc.
- Junior base is actually MIA with LGA being a close second. As was mentioned above, possible ORD and DCA as well.
-I have no doubt AA will attend job fairs in the near future.
Concerns? SLI, culture change, good management, getting our JCBA up to DAL/UAL Plus, to name a few.
Praises? Not a day goes by that I don't give praise for having a job at a major. In the past 11 years, there are many, many pilots whose lives were far more adversely affected than mine.
Here's my opinion: those that are hired in the first few months will be joining an airline that has plenty of opportunities to become great once again, in the hands of the right management... not to mention the rapid rise up the seniority list thanks to years and years of stagnation.