Originally Posted by Aquaticus

There may not be 11,000 qualified applicants but to think that there isn't a horde of people fighting for a slot at a legacy is just insane. Going to a career fair was eye opening and very humbling for me. There was a line before and after me filled with great candidates. Every LCC, regional, and military branch was there networking to get hired. There are thousands of others that couldn't make it with similar qualifications. I think you are referring to competitive minimums and not the posted minimums because those are already low. The competitive minimums are pretty high right now. Avg age of 37, 5500TT avg (weighted down by fighter guys), 4 yrs college, and 50/50 split mil vs 121.

Optimistically if you are 121 and want United there are 350 spots a year (Last number was 650-700 total for 2017) and the rest are military. There are a ton of regional guys who are motivated, flying 800 hrs a yr, and upgrading within a year at some places. Add in a volunteer position, networking along the way, and in 4 years you have a solid applicant who will be standing in line like the rest of us. You have stiffer competition than you think.

Originally Posted by MAGA

What does volunteering have to do with flying a plane?

Originally Posted by cadetdrivr

There currently is no shortage of folks who can "fly a plane" and that is reflected in the hiring process---for example, there is not a stick-and-rudder evaluation. Simply having an ATP demonstrates at least some level of competence.

Thus, many airlines (UAL included) are looking for well rounded employees. With 10,000 apps on file UAL can be picky.

Originally Posted by MAGA

That's the problem with this country in general. Forget about hiring someone who is actually competent at their respective job..... Political Correctness must override professional competence.

Originally Posted by detpilot

Or maybe they want to hire people who give a $&@? about someone else every once in a while. Not sure what that has to do with political correctness...

And how exactly is a qualified pilot who volunteers not competent at their job?

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Originally Posted by MAGA

I want someone that actually knows what the h#ll they are doing flying the jet. Let the F/As and CSRs handle the customer service end of things.

Originally Posted by APC225

I think much of the extraneous fodder on the app has to do with the competitive nature of the process. None of it is required but when the core competencies of 11,000 people are all the same then the only way to choose is to look at other stuff. Having a masters degree or working at Habitat for Humanity simply makes the app different from the others, providing a reason to look at it longer among the haze of similarity in the rest.

Originally Posted by MAGA

That's the problem with this country in general. Forget about hiring someone who is actually competent at their respective job..... Political Correctness must override professional competence.

Originally Posted by detpilot

As stated above, United wants pilots who can do more than fly. Again, how does volunteer time make a person not know what they're doing?

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