Job offer at AA

[DavStu]

Hi Guys,

I am not sure if this is the right place to post this but I just received a job offer with AA working as a Financial analyst... Like a lot of people there, I am very interested to work for them for the flight benefits... I will have to take a $10-15k pay cut from my current job to join but somehow I think it is worth it...

The parts I am not too sure is if the merger with US Air goes through, what happens to positions like Analyst usually? Also, is the flight benefits really worth the pay cut?

thanks... any insight in the company will help...

 

[Tater Salad]

If you enjoy being crapped on by your employer, working for less than your counterparts in the industry,being away from your family on holidays, sitting in the airport all day to get on a flight, than this is the place for you!


Run away, run far away...

 

[737823]

Hi Guys,

I am not sure if this is the right place to post this but I just received a job offer with AA working as a Financial analyst... Like a lot of people there, I am very interested to work for them for the flight benefits... I will have to take a $10-15k pay cut from my current job to join but somehow I think it is worth it...

The parts I am not too sure is if the merger with US Air goes through, what happens to positions like Analyst usually? Also, is the flight benefits really worth the pay cut?

thanks... any insight in the company will help...

Welcome DavStu and congratulations on your job offer. I don't work for AA but do work for a bulge bracket in finance. My inclination would be to stay away from the airline industry (or certainly AA at the moment). You mention that it would be a 10-15k paycut-is this just off your base or have you considered the value of the other benefits you receive from your current employer? Remember that the flight benefits AA will provide are on a space available basis and not entirely free-there are still taxes and service charges that you will be responsible for. For $10-15k per year you could do considerable traveling on your own both on AA and other carriers. Just my perspective but if the airline industry is where your passion is you should go for it. Maybe some with experience in the industry (eolesen or possibly others) can enlighten you on the tumultuous nature of the industry and other considerations of an airline career. Best of luck with your decision.

Josh

 

[xUT]

Hi Guys,

I am not sure if this is the right place to post this but I just received a job offer with AA working as a Financial analyst... Like a lot of people there, I am very interested to work for them for the flight benefits... I will have to take a $10-15k pay cut from my current job to join but somehow I think it is worth it...

The parts I am not too sure is if the merger with US Air goes through, what happens to positions like Analyst usually? Also, is the flight benefits really worth the pay cut?

thanks... any insight in the company will help...

I retired from Untied and travel benefits are not what they used to be.
Better take that 15K and buy positive space tickets.
With zero seniority and flights being full, you will spend more in hotels and transportation than you would expect.
Unless of course you prefer to try and sleep in the terminal for a few days.
Just my 2 cents.
Good Luck!
B) xUT

 

[xUT]

Welcome DavStu and congratulations on your job offer. I don't work for AA but do work for a bulge bracket in finance. My inclination would be to stay away from the airline industry (or certainly AA at the moment). You mention that it would be a 10-15k paycut-is this just off your base or have you considered the value of the other benefits you receive from your current employer? Remember that the flight benefits AA will provide are on a space available basis and not entirely free-there are still taxes and service charges that you will be responsible for. For $10-15k per year you could do considerable traveling on your own both on AA and other carriers. Just my perspective but if the airline industry is where your passion is you should go for it. Maybe some with experience in the industry (eolesen or possibly others) can enlighten you on the tumultuous nature of the industry and other challenges of an airline career. Best of luck with your decision.

Josh

Sage advice. Weigh all the benefits and put flight benefits dead last.
JMHO,
B) xUT

 

[Rogallo]

Run away, run far away...

And do not look back...

 

[mike7863]

dont work here just for the flight benefits cant hardly get on a flight anyway. flight benefits dont go by seniority anymore at aa supposedly goes by check in time but its amazing how some people will just all of sudden pop up in front of you from no where. also aa treats their employees like crap and refer to us as rocks in their back packs. dont plan on that many raises after you top out and if you do get a raise about a year later you will be taking a pay cut. if i were you i would stay where you at and just buy a ticket when you want to go on a trip.

 

[furp]

Satan says.....come on in and make yourself at home!!
Welcome to my living hell !!!
Worst company ever! Turn!!!! Run!! Don't look back!

 

[AA89]

You guys are such short sighted downers.

DavStu, ignore this advice as it may be good for the short term but not at all good for the long term.

My advice to you is to come aboard this sinking ship. Captain Horton has us headed for clear blue skies and before long he will bail with millions of reasons for you to join our "team". You can join us now and worm your way up through the ranks and some day be the darling of the board of directors. No matter how poorly the company performs you will be rewarded with retention bonuses. If the company continues to fail, you simply blame the emloyees, take the company into bankruptcy and cash in your millions. This is better than any deal you will get in other industries.

Oh yeah, first class travel benefits for you and your family.............for life.

 

[DavStu]

Wow... I guess its pretty bad... I did get a weird vibe when I was interviewing... Got a look like... why they hell you want to work here...

Is it the same for employees at the HQ like Financial analysts also? Is it different from Pilot, F/A or Mechanics and ground crew stand point of view...

And thanks for all the replies...

 

[AA89]

I'm a mechanic. The industry has been sinking since deregulation and maintenance has taken a big loss of jobs due to outsourcing and bankruptcy. It has finally caught up with AA.

Sarcasm aside, a job at AA is a job and better than nothing. Take the job but keep your eyes and options open. A merger is likely and who knows what that will bring.

 

[AV1]

Hi Guys,

I am not sure if this is the right place to post this but I just received a job offer with AA working as a Financial analyst... Like a lot of people there, I am very interested to work for them for the flight benefits... I will have to take a $10-15k pay cut from my current job to join but somehow I think it is worth it...

The parts I am not too sure is if the merger with US Air goes through, what happens to positions like Analyst usually? Also, is the flight benefits really worth the pay cut?

thanks... any insight in the company will help...

Seriously? Ask any employee at American except the people on the board and they will let you know how far to run. We only stay here for lack of time to find something else. If some company like Southwest offered every employee at American a job, the place would be empty. Take time and make sure it is right and this place isn't.

 

[IORFA]

The people at HQ ARE the problem and are the ones most likely to ignore the reality around them. Plus after US Air shows up most of the peeps in HQ will be looking for another job shortly. Starting from the top down. I agree, RUN!!!!!

 

[eolesen]

DavStu, you've just met a representative sample of the union employees at AA... If you take the job, you'll probably never have to interact with them in person.

I worked at AA HDQ for 15 years in a couple of different planning and IT roles. Depending on which part of Finance you wind up in, you stand to learn a lot in a very short time-frame, and probably wind up getting some experience that you wouldn't see working for a bank or retailer. Some of the folks I know who worked in Finance say they learned more from two budget cycles at AA than they did getting their MBA or finance degrees.

You won't see that $10-15K back anytime soon -- pay increases have been few and far between for that level of management. Where you might make it up is on your next job -- again, the experience you'll get is the type of stuff that will likely set you apart from other candidates. One of my close friends walked out of a L4 financial analyst job, and into a fairly senior level job with a major retailer (probably doubling his salary in the process).

The offset of flight benefits might be worthwhile if you're single or married without kids, and want to do lots of 1-2 day trips to offbeat places. Traveling with kids got to be too much guesswork & stress, so we gave up and bought a motorhome. That's about the point where I decided it wasn't worth sticking around just for the flight benefits.

As for the merger with US.... My gut says 50% of the combined management will hit the street, and it's not really clear how they'd handle the folks in Tempe vs. Fort Worth.

I can't see them closing Tempe in favor of Fort Worth, and they've already made some commitments that the HDQ will stay in Texas.

Perhaps they'll do what UA+CO and US+HP didn't do, which is to maintain a presence in both places, i.e. finance and HR stay in one place, marketing & planning in another.

 

[Kev3188]

Davstu--

If flying is the main draw, take xUT's advice, roll that 10-15k into "regular" tickets, and never look back...

Otherwise, E's points are worth considering; aviation is a world unto it's own, and things that make no sense on the "outside" are perfectly logical here (and vice versa).

Listen to your gut; it'll never do you wrong.

Good luck!