Originally Posted by Whiskey4

Age has nothing to do with the interview invitation process at AA. Even flight experience doesn’t play that big a role since everyone getting selected is “competitive” in some way.

Mil guys are competitive due to their background.

Some people are competitive due to their connections...family and close friends on the seniority list (bonus points if they are in management). This is big since you’re a known quantity.

Someone like Swayne brings unique qualities to the table because of his enthusiasm for aviation, and how he creatively tries to help educate his peers about aviation. Yes, recruiting managers notice this type of attitude. He is also likely well networked.

Just saying, “I’m a 40 year old who is well-qualified” isn’t “competitive”. You need an edge to stand out from 10,000 resumes (over half of which probably update regularly). The 20-something year old getting hired probably has an edge (that may have nothing to do with volume of flight experience).

The majors can be picky. They can invite friends and family before unknowns. They can prefer mil experience. They can invite the guy with the YouTube site or the person who volunteers on weekends.

There is no such fantasy world as “yeah, but assuming all things being equal”. Life isn’t equal (or fair). Anyone wanting to get hired needs to get noticed. My first questions to people complaining about not being able to jump the flow or get hired off the street are:

Have you ever physically stopped by AA recruitment at the Flight Academy to introduce yourself and ask to speak with a recruiter?

Have you ever stopped by the APA headquarters to see if any AA Union pilots would be willing to provide some wise counsel.

Do you ever get a business card from AA guys you jumpseat with and offer to buy them a coffee to talk about Pilot stuff or strategies for getting hired. I’ve met AA guys who mentor other pilots and even students getting their certificates.

Did you attend the AA virtual job fair on Pilot Credentials he other day? I heard that many people who did one-on-one sessions with a recruiter during the fair got invites.

Too many people are just looking for excuses like age discrimination. You HAVE to play the game to get hired outside of flow.