Originally Posted by
Xray678
Do you do volunteer work? (Not that I think it's an indicator of a good pilot, but evidently AK does) Do you have the same number of letters? What were your grades in college?
I'm sure you do have more experience. But, after a certain level of experience they are looking at the whole person, and the whole person needs to fit their model.
FWIW I went through the same thing with UAL back in the 90s.....people with far less time we're getting hired and I couldn't get an interview.
As a good friend of mine said....airline hiring is voodoo.
UAL hiring in the 90's isn't a fair comparison if you are a white male. I live in the Chicago area, my uncle was a PanAm captain who was absorbed by UAL. His son, my cousin was a DC-10 FO. Both writing letters for me every 6 months and I couldn't get an interview to save my life. One letter from a friend in his 2nd year at Delta and I got an interview in the spring of 2000. The hiring practices of UAL, AMR, and USAir in the late 90's were heavily stacked against White men. In retrospect, I'm happy commuting the rest of my life. Things have worked out a little better here but up until 9/11, I would have taken a job at UAL or AMR if I had been offered an interview. (Assuming they hired me).
At my regional, I talked to female FO's just returning from USAir interviews who were given a secret phone number if they knew any other women who wanted to work at USAir.
And there but for the grace of God, go I. I'm still feeling blessed I was hired before the fallout of 9/11. I would have surely switched careers if I was faced with 5-10 more years at Mesa.