Does JB check with your current employer before offering the job? I'm at a small part 91 job now, and the owner is big on loyalty. I am in perfect standing, but if he gets a call about me working elsewhere, I would need that job offer ;)

Just curious and thinking ahead...

Yes... hence the 6-8 (or 9, or 10) week wait until completion of Phase 2. It's not a quick process.

So JB will call my current employer BEFORE offering the job? Is that a standard HR verification of employment, just the PRIA or both? My boss would fire me for looking if they call him and don't offer me the job for some other reason. I sure hope they would call the current employer last! My employment record is squeaky clean, so I'm not concerned about that. I just like to have the new one in the bag before I burn the one I have. Or do they offer a CJO before doing the BG check?

I was told before that airlines didn't have to do a PRIA for part 91, but I'm not sure.

I am in the exact same position. They didn't call but sent PRIA immediately following my interview. I almost had to look for a job in the interim. He was upset with me and still is. And they do have to send PRIA and require a response.

Ouch! I simply can't apply to JB in that case. Can't risk loosing what I have without a contingent offer of employment. I know of other pilots in a similar position as ours that weren't put in that situation by other hiring airlines. That's pretty inconsiderate of JB IMO and is really disappointing to me. All they would have to do is offer a contingent job offer along with a class date and check your current employer AFTER you accept the class (just like most other airlines do). Buddy of mine got the job with UAL, and they didn't even require him to fill out a PRIA for part 91. That's why I was currious about JB.

Thanks for sharing!

No Prob. You can opt out of employment verification but no way around PRIA. I read the reg that all airlines have to send PRIA regardless of 121, 135, 91. Not sure if it's new or not. I don't think there is any way around it.

Pretty sad that you can't talk to your boss like 2 adults.

That's why I want to leave.

Yep. I'm ready to move on. I'm wired for 121 anyway, and that's the bulk of my flying. 91 isn't really for me, although I have been making the best of it. It is a great 91 gig though

What all are they looking at during Phase 2? Just trying to understand why it takes so long. The other airlines I have been involved with did a background check, NDR and PRIA. They were very quick and behind the scenes. Does JB go beyond those common areas? I mean are they pulling credit, checking referense, calling all employers, collecting blood samples and Facebook stalking you, etc. ?

My regional pulled credit... Pretty sure that most do that as part of a routine background check. It is what it is, dude. If you can't wait apply elsewhere.

It's the background agency they use. It's better than what it was, but still not great/quick. They check what every other airlines check and don't think they go into anything more.

They do a full FAA file via FOIA. Not all employers do this. Depending on the workload at OKC it can be slow. For me it was the last item by 2 weeks or so as it was over the holidays and they just weren't getting done quickly.

Also since it's a third party background provider they will wait up to the full 60 days as allowed by PRIA before sending the file on if no prompt response from your past employers. Carriers that do this in-house could choose to put you in class while waiting for the results that will never come..

So you can opt out of them calling current employer? I wonder if that reflects negatively. I certainly don't mind them calling the boss as the last thing they do if I'm otherwise being offered the job. The PRIA I understand that's just the way it is. Funny thing is, I check the mail at our flight department...

Sorry for all the questions. I want to apply, but I also want to understand the risk to my current job. Thanks

Correct, they will not call to verify employment if you do not check "Ok to contact" box next to your current employer on your work history. I didn't check it and was asked to provide pay stubs for the current year and W2 from previous years to prove employment. They will still send PRIA regardless but if you get the mail there you can intercept it. You address the PRIA form when you are there for your interview and they mail the exact form. Im sure it doesn't negatively affect you in anyway as they understand it can cause unnecessary stress with your current boss.

Thanks! That really helps. Is the "Ok to contact" box on the application? I didn't see it, or is that something else you complete at the interview?

After you complete your interview you will get a link from GIS. There is where you will have to supply all past employers. At that point you would list your currently employer and advise them not to contact.

If you get to the point where they do a background check, you've already passed the interview, and the only reason you wouldn't get hired is if something came up in your background check that you didn't previously disclose. Getting passed the interview, aka into phase 2, is pretty much a conditional job offer, conditional on the background check and assuming no current JetBlue pilot has beef with you and brings that to light. Really not that different from any other airline's CJO.

Oh but it is for someone that needs the paycheck and may be let go by their current employer for the mere sin of looking for a new job. Most airlines don't go four months from the CJO to the class.

3/15 Interviews
 

So is it safe to say that the pilot hiring committee is more or less just a formality? As in they just look over your references to make sure you're not a D-bag and/or check to see if any skeletons popped out of the closet during phase II?


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I just called GIS and they have all of my PRIA forms and the background check is processing. Is PRIA usually the main holdup with the background check? From other posts it seems that it is the big issue.

Take what GIS tells you with caution. In my experience only a couple folks in the verifications department actually know how the process works. I was lucky enough to speak with a nice lady last week about my PRIA and she knew my name and who my PRIA was going to without even looking up my information. She was, I believe, the person who actually does the legwork. As it turns out GIS was faxing my PRIA to a random fax number to which I did not provide them with. I corrected it.

Fast forward a week, I called to check on the status as I do every week and customer service tells my my PRIA has been received!

Skeptical, I called back an hour later to speak with another person who said they had no PRIA, and that the other agent was letting me know they had my PRIA forms that I had filled out for jetBlue.

It's hard to get a real picture on where they are in the background check and what is still pending. I can only imagine how inundated they are with work.

Regardless, I hope you did get your PRIA back that fast. That is great news, but be warned you may hear something different next check in. Good luck. Hope to see you in class if - fingers crossed - we are that lucky.

GIS told me two weeks ago that they had my PRIA and my file was being sent tovJetBlue. I was contacted by my recruiter and advised that they are still waiting on PRIA.

They told me (yesterday) that they sent a reminder notice to my previous employer last week. As such, I called said employer who denied all of this. There's got to be a better way...

Thanks for the intel! Yes, hopefully we get it soon! I thought it may have been too good to be true. I was in the 3/30 group so I dont expect anything soon. Ill try them again today and see if i get a different answer. Thy did say they were processing me which brought some optimism, but from what Ive been seeing here, it may mean nothing. It so arbitrary with them. Ive seen it take 6 weeks in the early February/late January groups, but it seems theyre slowing down now. I guess we'll see.

I had the same issues 2 years ago. I had to bring the forms in personally to get anywhere. The previous company were being *******s. They said they got the forms and sent them back, which I highly doubted. Good luck. It's a PITA

I called GIS 2 hours ago, they said they were waiting on PRIA, DOT, and driving record. They also said the were waiting on the employment gap, to which I said "what gap, I've been employed for the past 12 years." So they fixed that. Hung up the phone, called a prior carrier, ask if they received my PRIA, they said no. Called my GIS back, asked if there was a time stamp on when it was sent out, figuring maybe it was still in the mail. Her reply "oh, your PRIA hasnt been sent out yet." Meanwhile I sent them everything they needed 20 days ago. What a joke, I shouldn't have to do these peoples jobs for them...


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Can we be sent to class with no returned PRIA? My fear is that I give notice 2 weeks before class and my boss gets ****ed at me for leaving, then the day before class find out that my class will have to be postponed since they haven't gotten a response. At what point do they move forward and accept the fact that they didn't respond?

Only if they need to I think(last minute class date with no applicants ready). I have 2 friends hired last year that were given class dates before phase II was complete. 1 in each of the class was given the boot once their background check cleared and revealed a few things. So I'm sure JB will try to avoid that in the future.


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You have no idea!

Interestingly my Phase 2 complete email came already however per my last conversation they're still waiting on PRIA.

Just started my GIS this past Monday after my interview on 4/12. Hoping for a smooth and rapid completion.

Good luck!

Recent intel update from my friend at JetBlue who was asking around about anticipated class date start times for the March interview crowd:

He was told, if hired, we should be in class by mid-summer. This is a touch later than we were led to believe at the interview, but still not a very long wait.

Also, I checked the box on the PRIA forms saying I wanted copies of whatever the FAA sent to GIS/JetBlue and I received a copy of it from the FAA recently.

Has anyone else that asked received their personal copy of data from the FAA?

I've received nothing, but finally figured out that GIS was sending the request to the wrong fax number. After some phone tag, got that corrected. They apparently have my FAA and DOT, just waiting on PRIA.

From what I've been told you get a copy of the PRIA regardless if you ask for it.

Called for my weekly update and they have everything but NDR for me.

Anyone else from 3/15 with an update?

Called again this morning... same as the above. Maybe they'll wrap it up this week? 7 weeks down and the suspense is killing me.

Talked to GIS yesterday. They are waiting on my DoT stuff.

Also, talked to my company (Air Methods) today and they are in the process of responding to information requests as well.

Hoping this all ends soon and smoothly!