rickair7777

Agree with a lot of that, but if one needs financial assistance a deal with the devil might make sense.

FreqFlyer

Exactly, I’ve see too many good people run out of money mid way and give up. Going into financial debt is also crippling. If someone knows they want to be at Alaska, it seems like a great way to enter with little debt, which would put them lightyears ahead of the Riddle grad at Delta that is $100+K in debt….

Flame on though…

echelon

Of course it's my opinion, but at least it's an educated one. You literally just told everyone that you don't know any of the details about the program - why don't you Google around for a few minutes and then form your own opinion, and in the meantime, stay out of the conversation if you don't have anything but uneducated speculation to offer?

Alaska pays $26k toward an applicant's Commercial and in exchange, participants agree to work for QX for at least two years. To be eligible to continue on to AS, they have to upgrade and get 1000 PIC at QX and release their attendance/discipline records, while AS hires RIGHT OFF THE STREET WITH ZERO TPIC.

Would you sign that? All those strings attached for $26k? QX and every other regional will hire anyone with 1500hrs. QX FO's are getting hired everywhere, including DAL/UAL, without even upgrading. Why on earth would you commit to sitting there for at least 2 years when all your friends are going to LCC's or legacies? Or going to Alaska first because they got hired off the street instead of having to check all these extra boxes that you agreed to?
$26k is better than nothing, but you'll make that up pretty quickly just by getting hired at a major airline a year or two sooner than the suckers that handcuffed themselves to the Ascend/Pathways program.

AviationAl

I understand that a pipeline program looks like a trap to most, from my perspective I would be the first in my family to pave a way for an aviation career. I also am on the older side of being 28 so I have a late start into getting in early. I flew back in 2015 and without the proper financial set in place I was able to make it to my solo by paying for all the training to myself. The program comes off as being really affordable and a guaranteed job with the airlines that I wanna be attached to. I grew up in the PNW so Alaska has always been the premier airline in the region, so I have some bias that I would definitely be more interested in working with them especially since their bases are in the areas I would like to live in. I guess I like the pipeline programs cause they are stream lined to be a year and then you have the perspective licenses you need to time build to make it to the airlines. I have seen a bunch on how bad pilots are need and I’m in a way better financial situation to be working towards this career that I’ve always wanted to be in but, what are the general routes do you recommend if not ascend? My options that seem most affordable and appealing are Ascend, local flight school but cost for all my licenses is 100k, big bend which is a two year program and 60k, Lift academy which is 60k but have to move and be working for republic for 5 years, or HAA without Alaska and be around 75k. I would love to connect with some pilots and hear some ideas from y’all. Aviation is a huge commitment in general but this is absolutely the field I wanna be in.

ImperialxRat

We all took different paths to end up at the same place, here at Alaska. Some paths are quicker and cheaper than others, however I’m sure most of us would have done things a little differently if we could go back. I went to Embry-Riddle and paid a lot more than I feel like I would have if I had done my research and gone to a state school and done local flight training. Then again, maybe I would have become one of the statistics of people that begin flight training and stop halfway through.. who knows. I slogged along in Part 135 charter for 8 years when my friends at the regionals were building 800 hours a year.. it set me behind flight time wise, although I did start earning TPIC time earlier than them, but at a slower rate.. who knows which way was better.

My point is that even though to some people here the path doesn’t look to be optimal, it will still get you where you want to go. Sounds like it will work out great for you, if you want to work for Alaska and be based in the PNW. Be yourself at the interview, and be honest, and just tell them what you told us… that you really want to work here, and you’re getting a later start in your career and could use the financial assistance.

NYpioneer2

Any ride reports on time from interview to class? I'm coming up on 6 weeks without word.

FreqFlyer

I’d definitely shoot an email to someone if you can. Also if you are ready to go to class anytime, let them know that in case there are any cancellations/spots open up etc.

miker1

I bet they have last minute openings frequently

Akcfiguy

For those who got hired recently.

What are your stats?

Is there anything special on your resume? (Military, internal, etc)

From when you submitted your app, how long did it take them to reach out?

Also,
For any recruiters on here, how can an applicant make himself/herself stand out?

I currently have 2,100TT 500 turbine, regional FO , with an internal rec from a current pilot.

Jetlikespeed

currently 1000 turbine time is a hard minimum 2000TT and 1000 turbine are the current hard mins had a buddy apply with less than 1k turbine and his app for rejected right away