My belief is they opened the window, and are interviewing, as a dry run to see how well this new format works when hiring really ramps up for the NEO's..
I mean.. Why do all this application, interviewing, REC letters etc etc.... For 14 new hires... 4 of which were picked from the last window 2 years ago...
Sorry dude, but you have the rose colored glasses on.
Isn't it obvious what happened? They need only 18 pilots, and they still have a large pool from the last window already interviewed. They could pick from the ones they already interviewed (like everyone else does) or they could open a new window and start over again. So what do they do, they pick 4 from the groups that interviewed two years ago, so that shows they have no problem picking someone from two years ago. Why not pick the other 14 from the same group? Because they are looking to get some with local connections that are not in the pool from the last window.
You think that there is a "new"process, that is laughable. Look what happened. They open the window, then someone realizes they didn't give an option for zero PIC time on one of the questions. ( didn't anyone think they should proof read the app Qs) So they send out emails to the people that filled out the app on the first day and ask for up dates. Then the next day they send emails out saying, " in case you didn't realize it, you are no longer in the running from the window 2 years ago." ( and they send the same letter to a bunch of pilots that already work there. LOL) Why did they send the emails after the window opened? because they had to keep the old app window open until they pulled the select few and someone forgot to close it.
or maybe some called in and said, hey I interviewed last window do I have to reapply?
Face it, the process has not changed much, same incompetent people running the show. Only thing that really changed.... they have gone back to the old Hawaii way....you have to have the hook-up to get in.
So maybe the pilots did succeed at getting HR out of the loop.
Time will tell if I'm right. Look at who gets offered those 14 slots. I bet they all have local connections.