Not to high jack the thread, but I agree with this guy big time. In my new hire class, everybody (nearly) was "required" to have 1 sponsor who had flown with you, + 2 additional LOR's, one of which had flown with you. Then, one of the ACPs was standing in the corner chatting with our class during a break, and people were asking him how to get their buddy's hired. He went on to reiterate the whole sponsor thing and said, and I QUOTE, "3 to 5 letters of recommendation."

This process in NO way ensures quality pilots or even decent people or smart union members. It just ensures friends of friends get hired.

Hopefully with HKG going unfilled, they'll be a change in this process. I can't imagine, in good consciousness, telling my bud in his mid 30's with a wife and 2 children that I'd do everything possible to get him hired so he can go to HKG on 52 an hour. I'd tell him "aren't SWA, CAL, DAL, UAL, etc hiring? They definitely pay a little less for the first couple of years, but weigh that with going to Hong Kong for 3+ years on our expoop package, well, then, uhhh... Maybe try to get a job with one of them first while we see what shakes out around here..."

Now, if I was back in my previous life at the commuters where all my bud's were all 24, no wife / no kids / everything they owned fit in their car, then yeah, I'd probably tell them to come to FedEx and try out HKG.