Alaska Pathway - Where else can you go after?
 

Ok... I've been reading other posts regarding Horizons pathway program to Alaska on a few threads. Seems like its more of a carrot to attract new hires. I understand why Alaska would what to meter the flow of pilots out of Horizon into their ranks as that creates more pressure Horizon to continuously hire.

SO, for all of us newbies out here looking for the right place to go, answer me this:

What other majors have pilots from Horizon going to? Does DAL, AA, UAL, JB, etc. want to pick us up at some point?? Can we expect a good shot at any of the other legacy carriers?

Cheers

The "Pilot Pathways Program" is mostly worthless. It was developed with little or no input from the pilot union and is NOT supported by our union.

As far as going on to other airlines, I personally know pilots who have been hired by Delta, United, Southwest, Virgin, and Hawaiian. Delta's snapped up a bunch of our pilots, even a couple of fairly junior FO's. If hiring at the majors continues, I wouldn't be surprised to see an actual "flow-through" program with Alaska. This will, of course, only happen after Air Group management has exhausted all other options.

Maybe I'm confused, what is the difference between the pathway and a flow? Also who has a flow that is legitimately working? Sounds the AA WO's one is a bust from a timeline perspective.

Pathway is more of a gimmick. Its just an interview.

A genuine flow through agreement is seniority based, meaning you just wait your turn to go to a major airline. Both Unions agree to it. In theory if you get hired at PSA or Envoy that could be the last interview you'll ever have in your life. Just wait and flow to American. The time it takes is the downside; 6 to 10 years depending on who you talk to.

American has the only real flow from what I've read. Gojet is calling their pathway to spirit a "flow" but it's still another interview and there are other things that make it a bad deal. Correct me if I'm wrong but from what I've seen you're more likely to see a flow through agreement to a major from a regional that is 100% owned by that major I.e. American Airlines and PSA, Envoy, Peidmont. The only other majors with wholly owned regionals are Delta - Endeavor and Alsaka - Horizon. United doesn't own any regional just yet but we'll see how that shakes out in the next few years.

Granted I haven't started training yet but if Horizon did have a flow they would be the perfect airline for me.

Pilot Development Program
 

Does anyone have experience with this interview process and how it differs from the "standard" interview? I'm considering applying but haven't done full interview prep yet and don't want to come in too unprepared.

Serious question. Why would anyone who’s done their homework on career expectations look at Alaska as anything other than Plan “B” or a resume builder?

Living in PDX is the only reason I could see.

Certainly would not count on that. Word is leaking out that the ”pdx experiment” may be nearing an end....PDX growth has been 100% outsourced to Skywest/Horizon E-175’s .Possibility of a long, slow draw down of the Alaska 737 base in favor of mid California growth....

Close to 100 pilots from the first round of applications are swimming in the hiring pool. July/August is the rumored first class for this program. Next application window opens April 6.

Be ready for the following question: "What series of unfortunate personal and professional mis-steps have led you to be here with us in this room today"?

Just asking, can that be correct? Assuming all the canidates are CAs, "close to 100 pilots" would be roughly be a quarter of QXs captains. If the pool is an mix of CA and FOs that's about 12% of the whole pilot population. 100 poolies just seems like a big number.

Correct. As of the current list, it's 95 pilots in the pool. The majority of the list are junior-ish people when looking at the big picture. Pilots 1-8 are 1999 hires and earlier. Pilots 9-10 are 2004 to 2005. Pilots 11 to 95 are 2012 to 12/4/2017 hires. It's a mix of CAs and FOs. close to 50/50. Pilots are added to the list in respective seniority and are offered class dates in seniority.

Aaaah, I see. It’s a seniority stacked scheme. Lower seniority folks will be in the pool a very long time. Thanks.

Latest Pathway list has 206 pilots. That has doubled since the previous round of interviews. Still dead in the water with Alaska putting hiring and classes on hold. Rumor is classes could resume by October/Fall. Coincidentally, that is when the Alaska/Virgin SLI should be completed.

Lots of stagnation at Alaska right now. Compared to the majors the retirement rates and growth are very small. Expect to sit in the right seat for at least 10 years

The pathways pilots will begin to move over this Fall. :eek:

September 10th 12 pilots - (6 QX GI last of the Guaranteed Interview and 6 from the external pool)
October 1st 12 pilots - (5 pathways and 7 from the external pool)
October 15th 12 pilots - (5 pathways and 7 from the external pool)
October 29th 12 Pilots - (7 pathways and 5 from the external pool)

Good news!

What is the external pool?

Everyone else

Derp. :o:o

Flowing 36 pilots in October? That's a ton!

Edit: 17, still a lot!

I doubt they will maintain that rate. Could be it for several months / next spring. Alaska isn't growing and has very little retirements compared to everyone else.

Would not be any classes except we agreed to a delay in JCTE until March. They are running these classes because the Airbus pilots are now blocked from bidding to the boeing....beyond that no classes planned

It’ll be interesting to know how many Skywest pilots are in the”external pool”.

Usually one or two. With 5000 pilots they are a good source for airlines to draw from.

Apparently the target is now 50% according to their pathway website and all Horizon social media outlets.

What's 50% of 0?

They are running classes starting next month. And classes are about 50 percent Horizon pilots.

That's what they told us at interviews as well.

The QX pilots in next months class are hold overs from the guaranteed interview program that have been in the pool for quite some time. QX has only provided an estimate of 17 pathways pilots to be moved up this fall. They also included a disclaimer that there are no guarantees that this will even happen. AG is milking this Pathway Program to attract as many QX new hires as possible before the program looses its legitimacy.

Thats true. I was more responding to his quote about zero pilots. Which isnt entirely true. They are taking some QX pilots, just not from the pathways program yet.

The chief pilot told new hires today that only 206 QXers are in the CPP, so they can expect to get to go to Alaska in 3.5 years. :D

Wildly inaccurate. There's a lot of people who aren't putting themselves on the list because they're actively trying to get to other places. If their plans don't work out, they can just opt in whenever they want since it's seniority based. There's no rush, and nothing stopping someone from waiting to opt in until they're within 20 numbers of going.

Yup I am one waiting to opt in.

Which begs the question as to whether he was woefully ignorant of that or knowingly deceiving the newbies.

There isn't actually a GOOD answer ti that sort of question though...

Probably both. Woefully ignorant, but if he learned the truth he would still knowingly deceive new hires to get them in the door.

Totally accurate that that's what he said. But I know what you mean. I was just stating a fact, not as opinion. My opinion is that it's a bs hiring gimmick. I also find it interesting that he quoted 3.5 years at 50% flow, which means only 400 new hires at Alaska the next 4 years instead of the. 7-800 Alaska is claiming to hire in the next 3 years...

I'm told "DEC" are not getting the left seat out of training any more either...

Out of curiosity, what is the reason for waiting to join the pathway program?
:D

Handing over your employee records to Alaska and anyone else they want to give them to.

Sounds like they can close the window to the program at any point they want.

That's not different then the American flow agreements. Endeavors preferential Delta interview has the same requirement.

What are you afraid of?

Not sure where the 700-800 number is coming from, there are three more classes this year for a total of 40-50 and nothing announced beyond that. At the “growth rate” they are talking about there won’t be any need for those kind of new hire numbers.