As a current intern here, I'll weigh in. I personally know of an inten from 2008 who just had an interview and got a CJO just last week (CKA, Piedmont). I have also met plenty of American pilots who were former interns. Some got here via the flow, others were lucky and got on off the street. For those that haven't gotten the call yet, I can't imagine why they don't have a shot in the future if they keep their apps current. As someone who sees the makeups of the new hire classes everyday, the competition for an off-the-street spot is fierce.
Being an intern does not mean you will get hired. It's on you to show the company you want to be there and can one day be trusted to fly their passengers around. This internship is a constant job interview, and you need to put your best foot forward at all times. At the end of the day, the people you work under carry a lot of weight in recommending you for hire one day.
Another thing to remember before applying is that you are not owed anything at AA nowadays. Times are good (incredible really) and the company is paying their interns (generously too, travel benefits included). Back in the bad old days, some interns were paid and some weren't, based on their GPA. From what I understand, the ones who weren't paid were given a handshake agreement for an eventual interview, and that seems completely fair to me. Like I said, times are different now.
One final word about the internship is that the number of interns has been reduced (because we get paid). In the old days, you would have groups of 20 or sometimes even 30+ interns, now it's just 3 per semester, and we're here for six months. What this means now is that you have more time to connect with (and if you're doing it right, impress) people than in previous years. If you work hard and put forth the effort at networking both during and after the internship, there is no way people will forget you for quite some time.
I'm incredibly lucky to be here and I think this will pay off in the end. I've met so many interesting and inspiring people, and regardless of how it plays out down the road, I'm a better (and definitely happier) person now because of this internship. Apply for it, get it, and do it.
Good luck to you as well as all the former interns trying to get on.
Last edited by SunDevilPilot; 02-26-2018 at 04:45 PM.