jetBlue Hiring
04-10-2026 | 08:19 AM
On Reserve
Joined: Mar 2026
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If UA gets 250 new planes in two years, B6 pilots will not help staff those.
Merger announcement=> regulatory approval => financial consumation is 1-2 years.
Then JCBA, another 1-2 years.
Then SLI, another 1-2 years.
SLI will need to be complete before B6 pilots can fly UA airplanes (and vice versa). So realistically 4-ish years, maybe more. AS+HA is currently looking like maybe more.
Merger announcement=> regulatory approval => financial consumation is 1-2 years.
Then JCBA, another 1-2 years.
Then SLI, another 1-2 years.
SLI will need to be complete before B6 pilots can fly UA airplanes (and vice versa). So realistically 4-ish years, maybe more. AS+HA is currently looking like maybe more.
I hope you are right. I am a B6 CJO holder with deferred class date that’ll be great for people like me. Lol
04-10-2026 | 08:51 AM
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Joined: Mar 2024
Posts: 378
Likes: 44
If UA gets 250 new planes in two years, B6 pilots will not help staff those.
Merger announcement=> regulatory approval => financial consumation is 1-2 years.
Then JCBA, another 1-2 years.
Then SLI, another 1-2 years.
SLI will need to be complete before B6 pilots can fly UA airplanes (and vice versa). So realistically 4-ish years, maybe more. AS+HA is currently looking like maybe more.
Merger announcement=> regulatory approval => financial consumation is 1-2 years.
Then JCBA, another 1-2 years.
Then SLI, another 1-2 years.
SLI will need to be complete before B6 pilots can fly UA airplanes (and vice versa). So realistically 4-ish years, maybe more. AS+HA is currently looking like maybe more.
04-10-2026 | 09:35 AM
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Aug 2020
Posts: 2,662
Likes: 125
As much as I like B6 and want to eventually work for them, I think JetBlue wont hire anymore. A merger will be announced soon and wont make any sense to start hiring after.
United just announced 250 aircrafts within next two years (i know most of them will be replacements but there is def some growth as well) and UA is not sending as many interview invites to OTS from last few months. May be thats because they don't need to hire if they’ll be getting 4000 or so JB pilots anyways.
I can be wrong but it’s kinda strange to me that UA is not hiring as aggressively as they had planned for and DL on the other hand is full throttle with hiring these days
United just announced 250 aircrafts within next two years (i know most of them will be replacements but there is def some growth as well) and UA is not sending as many interview invites to OTS from last few months. May be thats because they don't need to hire if they’ll be getting 4000 or so JB pilots anyways.
I can be wrong but it’s kinda strange to me that UA is not hiring as aggressively as they had planned for and DL on the other hand is full throttle with hiring these days
04-10-2026 | 09:56 AM
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Joined: May 2012
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United is currently starting large weekly classes, hiring continues, and the majority of the aircraft are “planned” as growth. Raising fuel prices and weakening demand can always alter those plans, but for right now it’s full speed ahead (either towards success or into a brick wall). I seriously doubt that the Willis Tower crowd is even remotely interested in adding a costly and time consuming merger to the mix, especially one where most of the acquired aircraft would never see conversion or entry into revenue service.
04-10-2026 | 10:00 AM
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Aug 2020
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The value in another legacy airline acquiring JetBlue isn’t about immediate gains. JetBlue is an asset-heavy airline with established infrastructure and operational scale, making it a long-term strategic investment. The real lens here is 5, 10, even 15 years out—where buying that infrastructure today can limit competitors’ future growth and, in some cases, take them out of the equation entirely.
04-10-2026 | 10:04 AM
Prime Minister/Moderator
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 44,906
Likes: 691
From: Engines Turn or People Swim
Only way it would happen is if UA throws a bunch of money at JCBA to expedite that, and then also does some sort of drug deal to incentivize both MECs to agree to an SLI... while theoretically possible, that normally never happens, it goes to arbitration which takes time and can't really be rushed. So agreed SLI would also involve throwing a bunch of money at the group, either signing bonus, hourly rates, career progression guarantees, etc.
Otherwise SLI is just too contentious, no MEC can give up any meaningful compromise or they'd get lynched by their own people.
04-10-2026 | 10:10 AM
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Joined: Nov 2025
Posts: 231
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As much as I like B6 and want to eventually work for them, I think JetBlue wont hire anymore. A merger will be announced soon and wont make any sense to start hiring after.
United just announced 250 aircrafts within next two years (i know most of them will be replacements but there is def some growth as well) and UA is not sending as many interview invites to OTS from last few months. May be thats because they don't need to hire if they’ll be getting 4000 or so JB pilots anyways.
I can be wrong but it’s kinda strange to me that UA is not hiring as aggressively as they had planned for and DL on the other hand is full throttle with hiring these days
United just announced 250 aircrafts within next two years (i know most of them will be replacements but there is def some growth as well) and UA is not sending as many interview invites to OTS from last few months. May be thats because they don't need to hire if they’ll be getting 4000 or so JB pilots anyways.
I can be wrong but it’s kinda strange to me that UA is not hiring as aggressively as they had planned for and DL on the other hand is full throttle with hiring these days
I get that you guys have a vested interest in willing this to happen but it’s just not gonna happen.
04-10-2026 | 11:12 AM
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 3,257
Likes: 53
From: 190 captain and “Pro-pilot”
Which one of the little guys merging would save any of them now?
04-10-2026 | 11:45 AM
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Aug 2020
Posts: 2,662
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I really don’t know that it would. I also question if the Spirit/JetBlue merger would have created a viable company or just a bigger mess. I can however see the smaller companies merging to gain scale and try to compete/survive. The big 4 seem content on growing organically and avoiding acquisitions.
04-10-2026 | 11:54 AM
Gets Weekends Off
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 3,257
Likes: 53
From: 190 captain and “Pro-pilot”
I really don’t know that it would. I also question if the Spirit/JetBlue merger would have created a viable company or just a bigger mess. I can however see the smaller companies merging to gain scale and try to compete/survive. The big 4 seem content on growing organically and avoiding acquisitions.
That is definitely what they say. We will see. The new fact is the possibility of JetBlue putting itself up for sale. That is an opportunity that did not necessarily exist before. I’m not saying you are wrong just that things change and talk is cheap.
UGH oh a merger is such a hassle and it’s hard we just want to focus on our growth can go out the window real quick if the right deal comes along.
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