Originally Posted by
grim04
Yeah and they shouldn't bother coming. If they don't want to make JB a career then go somewhere else. Every time we hire someone and they leave that's training costs that come out of my pocket via profit sharing and stock price. Why would we want that? Good pilot or not I'd rather fly with someone who wants to make this a better place and not someone who could care less because they are trying to go somewhere else. If you want to go somewhere that's fine but at least you should work off your training costs
I'm a newbie so fresh out of the womb I'm still dripping blue juice wherever I walk, but I've got an issue with this kind of thinking.
First, few people are blessed to know exactly what they want to do and with whom they want to do it with right out of the gate. Personally I'm very happy here, but again I'm pretty wet behind the ears. I don't plan to leave, but if I got offered a job tomorrow that combined body-doubling for Brad Pitt (given that they'd have to make me uglier and keep me from working out so much) during the week and flying P-51s on the weekend for $2.5M/yr, I'd have a hard time turning it down.
Second, I'm willing to wager there are pilots, 100% dead-set on making JetBlue a career, who aren't making this airline a better place. On the flip side, I'll make a bet there are a few "stepping stone" pilots who will do quite a bit for the company in the 6 to 9 months they're here.
Thirdly, the company won't lose much money in training costs. Maybe with a pilot who hangs out less than 2 years (thus the clause). Replacing a 3yr pilot costs them maybe $40-50K. They'll save that over 2 years, maybe over 1, in pay. Will they lose experience? Yes, but that doesn't cost them anything on the books. Besides, you've already said you'd rather fly with a company pilot than a good one. Lots of people agree with you.
Finally, watch what you wish for when you say "pay to play." It wouldn't be the first company to get barely-qual'd pilots to pay for their SIC time...