Alaska Air Hiring
Today | 09:32 AM
#8831
Line Holder
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 762
Likes: 303
They are not enough to make up for potential realistic stagnation and fleet consolidation, if it comes to pass. We are stagnate right now, consolidation is TBD.
A 25 y/o or 35 y/o new hire should have a nice long run in the left seat of something. A 45+ plus new-hire? Not strictly assured.
More likely there will be some growth, and current payscales facilitate early retirement for those who want it so most likely the upgrade time will be in the 10-12 year range for a while. But if anything goes wrong it could be worse (AZ, 321/717 dumped without one-for-one replacement).
If HA has massive retirement numbers (like AA) that I'm not aware of, then I'm completely off base.
A 25 y/o or 35 y/o new hire should have a nice long run in the left seat of something. A 45+ plus new-hire? Not strictly assured.
More likely there will be some growth, and current payscales facilitate early retirement for those who want it so most likely the upgrade time will be in the 10-12 year range for a while. But if anything goes wrong it could be worse (AZ, 321/717 dumped without one-for-one replacement).
If HA has massive retirement numbers (like AA) that I'm not aware of, then I'm completely off base.
Today | 09:38 AM
#8832
Prime Minister/Moderator
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 45,098
Likes: 788
From: Engines Turn or People Swim
But 40%, plus stagnation and consolidation might not. That is worst case, but rational worst case not crazy pessimistic worst case.
Worth noting that on the AS side we have a backlog of senior FO's waiting to upgrade, as in senior to our junior CA's. Recent contractual improvements and basing shuffle is probably going to flush out those people on future bids. Always a few lifer FO's, but the number is too big for that.
We don't have the retirements of the big three, and our growth is historically measured at best. Last M&A consolidation dumped all VX airbus with basically no replacements. The airline ended up right back where it started after the dust settled (covid early outs helped ease the pain, which was felt way more in CA than in SEA).
Today | 09:50 AM
#8833
New Hire
Joined: May 2026
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Today | 10:46 AM
#8834
On Reserve
Joined: Sep 2021
Posts: 171
Likes: 153
So someone hired today, or recently, won’t see the very bottom of the captain list for 15 years where in all the other young people hired over the last 5-10 years who were in their 30’s will have another 20 years to go in the left seat in front of them — Assuming no other mergers, recessions, or downsizing.
Alaska doesn't have that, and even if they get a no fence SLI, there are going to be very few WB positions available from the time SLI finishes until we take our 17th 787. The number of WB aircraft the combined entity will have is a small percentage of the overall fleet. Especially given the fact that the 787 is moving to SEA prior to SLI so all the positions for the aircraft on property will be spoken for by legacy HA pilots. Plan for a very slow upgrade if you come to Alaska.
Today | 10:50 AM
#8835
Line Holder
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 762
Likes: 303
So someone hired today, or recently, won’t see the very bottom of the captain list for 15 years where in all the other young people hired over the last 5-10 years who were in their 30’s will have another 20 years to go in the left seat in front of them — Assuming no other mergers, recessions, or downsizing.
Today | 10:52 AM
#8836
Line Holder
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 762
Likes: 303
The vast majority of the young people hired in the last 5-10 years haven't seen the left seat yet. It's the pain of single fleet operations, Captain upgrade is your only career advancement move. When you introduce widebodies you have a lot of people who would rather go WB FO than NB CA, so you see much more junior upgrades.
Alaska doesn't have that, and even if they get a no fence SLI, there are going to be very few WB positions available from the time SLI finishes until we take our 17th 787. The number of WB aircraft the combined entity will have is a small percentage of the overall fleet. Especially given the fact that the 787 is moving to SEA prior to SLI so all the positions for the aircraft on property will be spoken for by legacy HA pilots. Plan for a very slow upgrade if you come to Alaska.
Alaska doesn't have that, and even if they get a no fence SLI, there are going to be very few WB positions available from the time SLI finishes until we take our 17th 787. The number of WB aircraft the combined entity will have is a small percentage of the overall fleet. Especially given the fact that the 787 is moving to SEA prior to SLI so all the positions for the aircraft on property will be spoken for by legacy HA pilots. Plan for a very slow upgrade if you come to Alaska.
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