Any American Eagle guys care to comment on this letter?
All American Eagle pilots,
I would like to announce the launch of a new innovative pilot career development program at American Eagle. Developed with ALPA as part of the Plan To Win Project, the goal of this voluntary program is to assist pilots seeking mainline careers with their job search and application preparation. By helping participating Eagle pilots that may have a goal of flying for a mainline carrier, the program will enhance the career opportunities for all pilots while securing the future of Eagle by improving the cost competitiveness of the company. Once again I want to stress that this is a voluntary program.
A key element of the program will be a dedicated Career Development Staff to provide career guidance to eligible Eagle pilots, including a personalized economic analysis showing the lifetime financial impact of transitioning to a mainline carrier. For pilots opting to pursue a job at a mainline, the department will assist pilots with the application process, including: logbook preparation, letters of recommendation, and interview preparation.
All Eagle pilots will be eligible for the program in seniority order. Participation is entirely voluntary. I will be sending personal letters, in seniority order, to Eagle pilots in the near future to further explain the process. Given today's difficult recruitment environment, placement spots will become available as Eagle successfully recruits more pilots than is required to maintain current levels of flying.
Once we have established a pool of candidates, seeking to move to a particular mainline or cargo carrier, Eagle management will meet with that airlines senior management and attempt to form a preferential hiring agreement. For carriers where no partnership is in place, Eagle will still provide pilots with interview and application support.
We are also working with third-party lenders to arrange loans for pilots to bridge any gap in pay between Eagle and the initial pay at a mainline.
We believe this innovative program creates a unique "win-win-win" situation for pilots, mainlines, and the company. For pilots who joined Eagle with the goal of flying for a mainline, the program will provide a leg up in the highly competitive application process. For pilots wishing to stay at Eagle long-term, the program will create more opportunities for advancement as senior pilots take advantage of the program. Mainline partners will benefit by getting preferential access to a highly experienced, well trained pool of Eagle pilots. For Eagle, the program will help the company reduce its average seniority, and will reduce costs which will help to secure Eagle's future while maintaining a pilot group with a broad range of experience.
I appreciate your professionalism, Jim W.