New Hire Flight Attendant Questions...

[Farley]

Blueflyer,
If you are employed at Jetblue, your comments are interesting to say the least. We now employ dozens of furloughed former employees of ALPA represented airlines who were eagerly let go to try to preserve the pay of the more senior members. B and C pay scales have also been the hallmark of ALPA and APA. Why? To enrich the more senior members, and to provide pilots to the company at a ridiculously cheap rate. Jetblue never tried to pay anyone anything other than a fair market rate. FO''s make a very decent wage, as do FA''s. Captain''s pay is very fair, as well. Beyond the pay, it is the company''s desire to do the right thing that makes Jetblue a unique place to work. If you long for the bitter struggle over company resources which ends up with over compensated CEO''s and greedy pilots, mechanics and FA''s tearing the company up-go for it! Or just go!

 

[JS]

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On 6/16/2003 8:42:35 PM BlueFlyer21 wrote:

Dgs,

Did you actually read what you wrote?? "When you trust your management". HELLO. If you seriously think that our management wouldn''t screw with our work rules (which dont exist) or payscale, to better the bottom line... think again. Sure they are treating us wonderful now... because things are going good. Do you think the same would apply if things weren''t so good? I think we all know the answer that, no. Management (in general, not airline specific) is evil. They dont give a RATS ASS about the front line workers, or their families affected by their decisions. The only - ONLY - sense of security is having contractual protection. That is the only way that management cannot f*ck with you.

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Sure, that contractual protection comes in real handy when the airline declares, or is about to declare, banktrupcty.

A contract doesn''t pay the bills if you''re furloughed or the bankruptcy judge chops your pay.

 

[JS]

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On 5/24/2003 2:30:47 PM flyguy121 wrote:

Well, well...judging from some of the responses I have received in reference to my post further proves to me that I probably made the right decision...because after all...I (just like all of you) have to make the decision that best accomodates me and my lifestyle.

Funny that jetblue claims to be a "different" kind of airline...but still will lie to you from the very beginning. I was told by the recruiters at my interview just 2 weeks before training was to begin that ALL NEW HIRES WOULD BE JFK BASED! GUARANTEED! When I asked about how long the waiting list would be for a FLL transfer; the recruiters responded with "There is a long line of flight attendants ahead of you waiting on FLL and when it does open there are only usually 8 open spots at a time. You''re looking at about 18-24 months."

I don''t think it is unreasonable of me to feel misguided by the information that I was presented with at my interview. FURTHERMORE, I was also told that I would have to find a PERMANENT RESIDENCE in the vicinity of JFK while still in training! No help was offered in finding accomodations, and I did make a point of asking if assistance would be available in locating a place to live. Again, the response was, "It''s up to you to find accomodations."

I have been throught this before, I am certainly not a novice to it. I know how airlines work. I''ve attended SEVERAL airline interviews in the past. I have already been down that road...made a decision in my life to attend training, leave behind a city I loved to relocate in another, incur further substantial debt...only to get furloughed just months later due to 9/11. PARDON ME IF I''M A BIT CAUTIOUS AND SKEPTICAL OF THE ENTIRE INDUSTRY!!!

Ironic that airlines expect you to invest your time, resources, energy and essentially YOUR LIFE in them but provide so little in return. They are so quick to turn on you someday...and leave you with nothing...forcing you to start over at a time in your life when you shouldn''t have to.

Like I said before, I''ve been through this before, I''m not some starry-eyed fool that has delusions of grandeur about some flight attendant position that when you get right down to it...no matter WHAT airline you work for...they all operate pretty much the same. FOR THAT REASON, IF I AM TO BE EMPLOYED BY AN AIRLINE AGAIN I WILL DO ALL THAT I CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT THE POSITION WORKS FOR ME!!! There is certainly nothing wrong with that, if anything it shows a more well-thought out approach than many of the others I have encountered at airlines past and present.

What is more, I have EVERY right (just like any of you) to apply with and interview at WHATEVER airline I choose. The fact that jetBlue is primarily New York based means NOTHING, because I went into the interview hoping that I might hear some good news about the need for flight attendants in FLL where there is ALSO a crew base.

One last thing...it seems to really bother you that I "was offered" or "was invited" to training and then turned it down. I never said, I was an "off the charts f/a", I was just stating a fact because I was indeed, "invited and offered". My apologies if what is right for you isn''t necessarily the right decision for me. That''s OK though...I''m due for another raise in a month, and likely another promotion before the year''s end at my current job where I am now making the same as a 4 or 5 year flight attendant and in much less time...with 2 paid weeks of vacation, a week of sick time, 10 paid holidays a year, full medical and dental benefits, tuition reimbursement for continuing education, every weekend off and additional incentives throughout the year. Yeah...I think I''ll stay put.

There is quite a bit to be said for job security...that''s something you''ll NEVER have working for an airline. Sure jetBlue looks good now, but beware...the airline business is volatile and I am not willing to put my future in the hands of such an unstable industry again.

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It''s a good thing you didn''t accept the job, because that doesn''t sound like the kind of person JetBlue would want. Actually, it doesn''t sound like the kind of person any employer would want.

You''re assuming the "friend of a friend" story to be Honest Abe, gospel truth? Get the facts yourself before you blow off an entire company.

You also need to realize that recruiters are similar to real estate agents -- they seem to be incapable of telling the truth. If there really are FLL openings, maybe the recruiter was misinformed. It happens at a company with more than 5 employees. Or maybe the recruiters want to cut down the number of applicants so that only the best of the best are hired. Who knows. More to the point, who cares. If you don''t want to work for them, I''m sure they will have no trouble finding someone else.

 

[pitguy74]

Two months ago I applied online for a F/A position at JetBlue (currently laid off from another airline). Is it a bad idea to apply again online between the 1st and the 7th of the month. I just have a gut feeling that my current application is "on File" and probably will never be looked at again. I am really interested in working for JetBlue (along with hundredes of others i''m sure). Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thx

 

[viggen597]

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On 6/26/2003 105 PM pitguy74 wrote:

Two months ago I applied online for a F/A position at JetBlue (currently laid off from another airline). Is it a bad idea to apply again online between the 1st and the 7th of the month. I just have a gut feeling that my current application is "on File" and probably will never be looked at again. I am really interested in working for JetBlue (along with hundredes of others i''m sure). Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thx

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many people apply more then once, id give it a shot!

 

[cltflyguy]

Question:
I noticed some of you saying that there is no max of hours you can fly
and that some of you have flown anywhere from 100 or more hours in a
month. So for new hire flight attendands and any one for that matter
that would be junior to you......are they making their time every month
as well? Im gonna reapply with you guys again. Do you know what
the hiring status is at the moment? Thanks guys

 

[cltflyguy]

Unless its been past 6months that you have applied....filling out
another application won''t help. I applied about two months ago
as well and filled out the application again the other day...at the
end when i went to submit it...it told me my application already exist
in their database. So its just a waist of time filling it out again.

 

[pitguy74]

Thanks for the info cltflyguy. I have my fingers crossed

 

[cltflyguy]

Hey pitguy74....i actually got a responce today from them...just
saying that they were unable to consider me for the flight attendant position any further. Ill probably try again later...Im furloughed like you...so not like i don''t have the time to reapply!! Good Luck!!

 

[jetstewus]

Geez!...What is that supposed to mean, though? "We are unable to consider you any further." I understand competition is fierce but why wouldn''t they at least talk to you? I heard they were sued over asking someone to resign from their original airline. Not sure if that''s true but if so maybe all of us on furlough are now out of the running for jetBlue. Too bad for us...one less prospective employer; too bad for them...there are alot of great flight attendants out there eager to work.

 

[cltflyguy]

Im not sure "jetstewus" on what it means...other than i didn''t get
accepted for an interview! I applied atleast two months ago
and a friend applied a month before that. He still hasn''t heard
anything...so i told him that might be a good thing....We both
worked for the same airline....same hire date and same furlough date!
Right now i guess airlines that are hiring can afford to be very picky
since there are so many furloughed flight attendants applying to airlines
that are hiring. I have a degree and was a f/a for 4 years. Not sure
what they go on but sucks because ill never know. So again, i will
probably apply and try again later. Will see!!

 

[flyguy121]

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It''s a good thing you didn''t accept the job, because that doesn''t sound like the kind of person JetBlue would want. Actually, it doesn''t sound like the kind of person any employer would want.

You''re assuming the "friend of a friend" story to be Honest Abe, gospel truth? Get the facts yourself before you blow off an entire company.

You also need to realize that recruiters are similar to real estate agents -- they seem to be incapable of telling the truth. If there really are FLL openings, maybe the recruiter was misinformed. It happens at a company with more than 5 employees. Or maybe the recruiters want to cut down the number of applicants so that only the best of the best are hired. Who knows. More to the point, who cares. If you don''t want to work for them, I''m sure they will have no trouble finding someone else.

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Your foolish and ill informed post proves my point perfectly. You go on believing everything jetscrew tells you. My information isn''t that "friend of a friend" gossip that you would so quickly like to dismiss it as being. Nope...not at all. It''s all based on what I have PERSONALLY EXPERIENCED.

You go on believing everything jetscrew tells you. You sound like all the other fools that so gullibly play follow the leader, drinking the company''s kool-aid and making it simple for them to control you. The real truth is that jetblue is no better than any other airline! I have been witness to SEVERAL lies MYSELF including the following:

1) Being lied to about where new hire f/a''s would be based. I HAVE FRIENDS THAT WERE IN MY SCHEDULED CLASS THAT GOT BASED IN FLL!
2) Being told there would ABSOLUTELY NOT be a Long Beach crew base. (Yeah right...opening in September right?)
3) More recently: After a hiring frenzy...jetblue has found they have TOO MANY f/a''s. (Interesting...I was told at my interview there would be 1200 new f/a''s this year and 800 more next year).

They have stopped hiring and are now looking for any lame reason to "reduce the ranks" by firing f/a''s. I know this for a FACT to be true. It has happened to people I know and others that work there who have experienced and seen it themselves! Guess that''s what happens when you allow management to dictate all your work rules and tell you how much, how long and how often you will work and can change it at their every whim. I''m not necessarily an advocate of Unions, but these fools blindly follow and believe all the garbage that management feeds them.
4) New RJ order: I love this one! Do you really think that jetblue won''t come up with a "B-scale" of their own to fly these cramped pieces of crap? And don''t think for a minute that the flying public enjoys a Regional jet. I''ve NEVER heard anyone say a positive thing about them to my face.

Lies, misleading rhetoric and nonsense...jetblue didn''t invent it but they sure are keeping the tradition alive. Get a clue, open your mind and think for yourself...or don''t...but don''t hate the rest of us because we have the ability to cut through the bull**** and can think for ourselves!

The more I discover about jetblue...the more confident I am that I made the right choice when I REJECTED THEM! I just feel sorry for those inexperienced folks that think they have found a permanent and stable career and future and don''t know any better because they are so new to this industry. To those folks I wish you the best...

 

[Diesel8]

Flyguy,

Not sure who you get your info from, but it appears to be very misleading.
The fact that you were not assured, nor offered a FLL crewbase, should not be a point of contention. The recruiter would have no way of knowing, if a position would be open.

The LGB crewbase was just announced, at the time you interviewed, it may not have been on the drawing board.

F/A''s are not being let go, at least not for silly reasons. Nothing would spread faster through the ranks than that. I keep my ear to the tracks and I would most definitely have heard that. The company has gone out of their way more often than not, with counseling and advice. It is the rare instance someone is asked to resign.

Niether you nor I can speculate on the pay on the EMB-190. Odds are, that the F/A''s will be paid the same on either type, since they will more than likely be crosstrained. Whatever you postulate at this time, is pure speculation.

I think you are right, I do not think jetBlue would not have been a good choice for you, nor do I think you would have been a good choice for jetBlue.

I wish you the best of luck in your new career!

 

[USAirBoyA330]

I must agree with flyguy121. Jetblue is not looking for trained, seasoned or experienced Flight Attendants. They want someone who will come in and doesn't know any better. They want someone to drink the BLUE COOLAID. They certainly don't want the word UNION on the property. I know people that were lied too by JetBlue about bases as well. Your right when you say people are on the wait-list to get into FLL, but here it the difference...
Instead of letting current JetBlue F/A's bid into FLL from JFK, they just send a new hire class to FLL thus negating more senior F/A's seniority rights. What recource do thay have? NONE
It's the JetBlue way or NO WAY.
Just be careful on what your stepping into and don't be so quick to give up recall rights if they ask for them. I know LOTS of furloughed F/A's that were turned down by JetBlue and some speak 4 languages and are VERY PROFESSIONAL. What a shame.

 

[Marriott]

JS, I do not work for Jet Blue, but, as someone that does mentioned in a previous post, call them about the FLL base openings What have you got to loose? Just because one misinformed interviewer said FLL was not going to happen anytime soon, well do not take it out on the whole airline. I am sure she really believed what she said, but in this industry, the only thing for sure is "nothing is for sure" I always loved the Us Airways employees and I hope you get this to work for you. Please post again if you do and let us know how you are doing.