Mover

More like 50% flow, 5% civilian, and 45% military.

iahflyr

It's smart to hire from your own regionals for the following reasons:
1. It keeps longevity costs down at that regional
2. It encourages pilot retention
3. It encourages pilots to come work for that carrier

All 3 of those are good. What I absolutely cannot stand are flow through agreements! Legacy airlines pay so well and have such a good QOL compared to all the other airlines out there that they have their pick of the best of the best pilots. Why be forced to accept the significantly lower standards that a regional would hire at? Why guarantee a job to a pilot who might not have a college degree, might not be sharp on aircraft systems, or who might just be a pain to fly with.

Seems like union job protection taking to another degree. I'd much rather see legacy airline HR weed out some of the bad candidates and only hire the best at the legacy airlines.

Preferred interview? Absolutely
Guaranteed flow through? No thank you!

rickair7777

Makes perfect sense...in the long term. Unfortunately airline managers are not trained or qualified on "long term".

John Carr

Meanwhile, the XJT-UAL CPP has done JUST THAT.

Tons of "top heavy"/high longevity (expensive) pilots bypassed. Great people, college degrees, clean records. And do all the other stuff HR likes, volunteer, etc etc etc.

Ironcially enough, a few guys that got it didn't have college degrees. And the couple I know are some of the best guys I've known/flown with.

And is the usual W-T-F'erey, senior/expensive pilots that wouldn't have otherwise NEVER pinged the radar got a chance to interview and slipped brought the cracks. Pilots with operational mistakes that exhibit poor judgement, pilots that had 2 decades on property and never bothered to fill out the app, whatever.

Also "accepting" more junior/less expensive pilots that won't even go to class for well over 18 months.

Can't.....reach.....carrot.....

Yep, there's a A LOT of good people it's working out for. But it's far from what you outline above.

Otterbox

It's all about making $$$

Flow through agreements at WOs keep costs of regional lift down (by whipsawing contract carriers) and profitability on domestic routes up by keeping the WO RJs staffed. The AA WOs were late to increase pay/bonuses while contract carriers did so early, only when their flow carrot didn't recruit the needed #s did they increase pay.

You can't guarantee a new hire OTS isn't an a-hole to fly with but years of Training at the AA training should be able to bring a WO pilot up to speed enough on systems abs procedures etc for mainline flying. Also WO pilots can't flow if they've got certain disciplinary issues so that's an extra screen process they don't get hiring OTS.

It wouldn't be surprising if AA pushes to relax scope restrictions with its aging pilot group this next round of negotiations to allow for larger aircraft and great #s in exchange for something it deems or less value.

Dolphinflyer

Well, they can ask, but it's not happening.

Now if the Section 6 process runs to Congress, they will write a 120 seat Scope Clause.

Wildcat at that point.

Aquaticus

Who the legacy airlines hire is less about any one data point and more a look at the whole picture. It is enfuriating to have the goal posts constantly move but if you make it a second job to get hired you can fine tune your app and improve your resume irregardless of where you are employed. Regionals aren't selective in who they hire so getting hired and through training at a LCC does say something. Adding a type rating can also help but is a "points" toss up between turbine pic and right seat at a LCC. Ideally you want both but trying to bend your daily life to fit this goal isn't worth it imo. Live your life, improve your resume and self as best you can, and apply everywhere and decide AFTER you have the job offers in hand if it is worth it. If the music stops on the economy this industry could get depressed pretty quickly.

It is frustrating but the payoff is there.

Smutter

Kirby seemed to really irk investors with how he thought spirit was. But I think Kirby was wrong.

Big E 757

Dolphin just wants to work at American and hasn't been hired there.

Dolphinflyer

My goal is to not work at American, but keep collecting the paychecks.

Not having much luck with the first part, at least the second part keeps happening.