And unlikely if you knew me sweetie

 

Huge misconception...

Dal hired 51% civilian guys in 2016 and I’m sure a higher percentage in 2017. UAL probably around the same amount of %. AA is a different deal, 75% comes from flow and the other 25% from the street.

I interviewed in B6 in 2015, I was turned down after phase 1. I was really looking forward to work for B6. Hired at DAL in 2016 and I found the interview to be less focused in “why do you want to work here?”, “why will you stay here?”.

To the OP, stay at Envoy, work on your resume and get an app review company. Go to job Fairs, network, keep up with voluntary service and updating the apps regularly. Unless you live in a B6 city and you can drive to work, you’ll have a better future waiting for AA or another legacy/UPS/Fedex. I’m short, yes B6 is better than any regional, but think long term.

 

Yes absolutely... in many cases the math works out that you’ll make more over a career by going to JetBlue and upgrading on the Airbus vs staying at an AA WO regional for 5-10 years before you flow to AA and then waiting another 7-9 years to upgrade to NB Captain there.

The two big things that could really make your flow estimates worthless are AA shutting down new hire classes 2 months a year or any other time the training center gets backed up and a merger amongst the WO (which is being discussed at two of them) and how the ALPA merger policy (seniority determined by DOH) is going to affect flow timelines after a SLI.

 

Unless you’ve spent a day on property at Eagle/Envoy I would seriously reconsider advising people to stay there. I was there for 5 years, and I can tell you first hand that if people think JetBlue is bad you have no idea what you’re in for if you stay at that dumpster of an airline. Involuntary upgrades (yes I said that,) displacements, and the company abuses and violates their CBA on a regular basis. I was displaced TWICE in a 6 month period, my QOL was non existent, and reserve SUCKS. ALPA representation is also non existent, and they will meter flow. Also AA sucks, everyone who flowed over said it was the same BS, just more money.

Also I disagree with advising guys to go out and do community service on their days off to get a pilot job. Absolutely insane. I remember reading that poor guys resume that DAL slandered all over their Facebook page using it as an example of what they don’t want. Guess community service didn’t work for him. I would’ve sued them incredibly hard for defamation of character (I can only hope they did.)

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, our management can easily make this a great career spot, but they’ve made it clear they aren’t going to play ball without a fight.

 

I spent 6 years. I went throu the Bankruptcy and all the whipsaw shenanigans. I lost 2 of my bases and I know how the company works. Watched peers leaving to other companies following upgrades, blah blah blah. That’s why if you read my last line says “JetBlue is better than any regional”.

I have good friends at Jetblue, I wish you guys the best.

 

Good post but I will say that in my experience going to job fairs has not made a difference. I have attended 5 job fairs for Delta alone and every time I got the same old spiel of "you are exactly what we are looking for, just get more TPIC (I have over 2k) or Check-airman time (not possible at my current position). Meanwhile, I keep seeing people with with barely ATP mins getting the call. Looking at my personal and my friends experiences it seems that getting the call is for the most part random or you just happen to be in the demographic that they are looking for.

If you work for a regional with a reasonable flow through or preferential interview deal, I would not leave for JetBlue. Keep your applications updated for the real Majors while you wait for your flow and the odds are you will end up in a much better place sooner rather than later.

 

To add to Rascal, just because you have a flow to AA, you should still be trying to be a street hire at DL, UAL, SWA, UPS and FDX.

They seem to steal each other's regional pilots before taking JB guys. We are losing some, but I talk to too many JB guys that are trying but not getting the call.

 

So, B6 is absolutely, positively better than a regional?

Nice.

 

JetBlue isn’t a bad place. It’s a good place. I bash on all this rsa and helping out, but that’s because we’re negating a contract. Jetblue was founded upon pilots who were totally burned in the industry. UsAir TWA ATA Independence. These guys were lucky to have jobs. They worked hard to make the airline succeed. They did a great job. But through this success the reward has never been two sided. The company has maneuvered its scheduling and operating plan to capitalize on the good will culture and nature of the workers who make the success happen.

Look at the jets that sat off the gates yesterday at JFK. Was senior leadership on those jets answering questions about WTF is going in? Nope. Pilots and Inflight. When a customer decides to like or hate jblue it’s probaby based on the interaction at this operational level. This is where the compensation meets the pavement. The culture and goodwill is there. It’s not going to leave, but this good will capitalization by management is over.

Millions in profits, peer set OAL contracts and the realization that jblue is a big market player are the catalysts that make a CBA nescessary. That CBA will reflect the value of the pilot group and will solidify jblue as a career airline no one questions is the right place to work.

-Bubs

 

Good post, agreed that this can be a great place to work and have a career at. The problem is we don't know for sure or not if that is going to happen. People helping out doesn't speed the process at all.