Rumor has it, years ago non-pilot employees could interview and be offered the job with something on the order of 850tt (maybe even as low as 750tt). Going to class was contigent upon having 1000tt at that time. The idea was that it would be a month or two from interview to class date and they could show up right at 1000tt.

The other thing that they've done in the past is allow sim time to count towords total time. I'd heard they had done this to allow someone with some very good connections to get on way under 1000tt.