Job offer at AA

[AAviator]

Lemme get this right..

AA is restructuring and already cleaned house in all areas of Centreport.

Now, AA is hiring finance people?

Did they cut too deep or are they not paying enough for the required talent?

 

[AA89]

There are openings for maintenance supervisors and engineers posted as well. This after they let some damn good ones go in the "Cascade".

 

[Rogallo]

There's always openings for the crappy jobs!!!

 

[Bob Owens]

So you are going to give up $10k to $15k a year so you can try and fly standby??

Well if you are willing to go from Job to job, meaning you arent making a career out of it and plan to do a lot of traveling over a year or two then go for it.

If you have a large family and want to go to someplace like China or Japan, and want to go first class then you may be able to capture some of that value back that you said you would be giving up.

But if you only get one week of VC a year like us for the first five years stay away, bank that extra $15k and buy a regular ticket.

You have to keep in mind that travel benefits on an airline are like Dumpster benefits at a resturaunt, you only get what they could not sell, and they only try and make what they can sell. You could spend a few vacations in airports. My Family and I had to spend an extra night in a fleabag overpriced Hotel this past summer because the company decided to put extra freight on board and leave all the standbys stranded. They let us know after being at the airport for eight hours and already giving us seats. Not devastating but you have to be able to withstand a lot of uncertainty, and do it silently. All in all the trip was a good experience, once I got on it was great, but in hindsight if I were to choose an Industry I would stay away from the Airlines.

 

[DavStu]

Thanks again guys for the replies...

eolesen, I just have a quick question since you have worked for HQ... I interviews and talked to I think about 7 different managers and analysts when I was going through the interview process... They all have been there for a lot of time and all seemed like they can find a job somewhere else... why are they not leaving the company to go somewhere else if it is so bad there?

 

[Frank Szabo]

snip ...

Did they cut too deep or are they not paying enough for the required talent?

No - not too deep. Deeply enough, however, to get rid of who isn't liked (re: finance - think of an accountant with common sense) within the particular department - manager's discretion, you see, along with the standard dose of office politics.

As for "talent" - it's a shame this isn't the "Gong Show" - anyone remember that?

 

[eolesen]

They all have been there for a lot of time and all seemed like they can find a job somewhere else... why are they not leaving the company to go somewhere else if it is so bad there?

Probably for the same reason all the "bitter clingers" don't quit: at the end of the day, it's really not a bad company to work for. If the demands of the job still provide the ability to maintain a decent personal life, people don't have the motivation to look for something else. But.... read on.

Lemme get this right..

AA is restructuring and already cleaned house in all areas of Centreport.

Now, AA is hiring finance people?

Did they cut too deep or are they not paying enough for the required talent?

Probably a little of both. I've seen this happen a couple times... and not just at AA.

1) Announcement of management RIF, people start looking for outside jobs
2) Some find jobs and take a buyout or quit before the RIF
3) RIF occurs
4) Survivors get overloaded and/or start wondering when the next RIF will be
5) Survivors step up their job search, and quit on short notice
6) That overloads the already overloaded remaining survivors
7) AA starts hiring

Steps 4 thru 6 repeat endlessly until the next RIF announcement, which has been every 12-18 months for management for the past 12 years.

You also wind up with a subset of survivors who end up getting promotions as middle managers leave (be it voluntarily or involuntarily). That also creates openings at the lower levels.

 

[FWAAA]

I could see flight benefits as an attraction back in the days when load factors hovered in the 63% to 67% range. Now that load factors average 82% to 85%, I can't imagine wanting to take a paycut so that I could have the lowest standby priority for very full flights. As others have said, that $10k to $15k buys a lot of airfare (and paid travel comes with AAdvantage miles to boot - which can be used for even more confirmed space travel). Take the position if, as eolesen said, the career experience is worth the paycut. But don't do it for standby flight benefits.

 

[Veritas]

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.

Not completely accurate. With five years seniority, domestic coach travel is free of any surcharges, fees or taxes.

With zero seniority and flights being full, you will spend more in hotels and transportation than you would expect.

At AA, non-revs board by check in time within the pass classification, not by seniority.

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...

Sage advice.

 

[xUT]

Not completely accurate. With five years seniority, domestic coach travel is free of any surcharges, fees or taxes.



At AA, non-revs board by check in time within the pass classification, not by seniority.

Interesting. At UA a retiree after 25 years had the best pass possible, by seniority.
Since the UA/CO merger, it still goes by seniority but the retiree pass was eliminated and active employees go first, kind of like the new US Airways policy. Pass travel is not written into any contract that I am aware of and changes are at the whim of the company. Pass travel today might not be the same tomorrow, if the company thinks it necessary to make a change. Just take that into consideration as well.
Can you do online check in or do you have to physically be at the airport?
Thanks!
B) xUT

 

[PITbull]

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...

Taking a $10,000-15,000 pay cut per year will take you probably a few years to break even. And a few more years after that to be a little ahead.

Not worth it. The benefits were great back in the 80-90s when you could non-rev and have a fair chance to get on the flight. Today, with the internet and folks buying seats on the cheap as airlines look to fill up the planes last minute, and having many flight crews ahead of you trying to get to and from work who don't live in ftheir base.... you would be last on the list, spending a ton on hotel rooms waiting... and...you won't get on a flight to anywhere decent but Timbuktu.

Don't do it. This industry has changed for ever.

 

[Flying low]

I've always been told that if one was to switch jobs/careers make sure it's better than the one your leaving. In my opinion a 10-15K paycut isn't doing better. Just going for the flight benefits would be the wrong reason for going with an airline.

 

[eolesen]

Something else to consider is what is attached to that extra $15K salary, guys.

There are consulting firms where I could earn more money, but I'd be expected to work 12 hour days and travel 150 nights a year... It's the same way at many investment banks. There's always a deal in work, and a tight deadline....

AA finance isn't going to require even 10 hour days, except during the budget process. The rest of the year it is more like what we call bankers hours....

So.... Depending on what your priorities are, and how much you value your own time, the lower salary may not be a pay cut at all when you figure in the longer work days.

 

[NewHampshire Black Bears]

Jesus,
Don't tell me I'm the Only one who mildly suspects that 'our new friend' DavStu, might be our OLD Friend..........Dave Stewart ?

 

[Flying low]

Something else to consider is what is attached to that extra $15K salary, guys.

There are consulting firms where I could earn more money, but I'd be expected to work 12 hour days and travel 150 nights a year... It's the same way at many investment banks. There's always a deal in work, and a tight deadline....

AA finance isn't going to require even 10 hour days, except during the budget process. The rest of the year it is more like what we call bankers hours....

So.... Depending on what your priorities are, and how much you value your own time, the lower salary may not be a pay cut at all when you figure in the longer work days.

You do have a point. I used to argue with a friend and have said that I'd rather make a little less, but be happy in my career then make more and be unhappy.