Russian Speakers Hard to Come By?

[IORFA]

Looks like AA is having a hard time finding people to qualify for ORD-DME. I just noticed this on the careers page on AA.com. This is the same job PAP flights have for Creole speakers.


*Flight Service Director - 0801567

Job Description


Individual oversees the Moscow flight by assisting customers with official documents and acting as liaison between Russian-speaking customers and AA employees, both in-flight and on the ground. Responsibilities include pre-flight, in-flight, and post-flight duties. The Flight Service Director interprets/translates in English and Russian to/for customers as well as AA employees.

1. Interpret and translate in English and in Russian to customers in-flight.
2. Interpret and translate in English and in Russian to customers pre and post flight with the ground
personnel working the inbound and outbound flight.
3. Composes reports, conducts follow up and summarizes future tasks to ensure we meet our customer
and government needs/concerns.
4. Facilitates the total customer experience for those Russian-speaking customers
5. Performs other duties as assigned or requested


Qualifications

Individual must speak/write/read fluent English and Russian. Must exhibit excellent interpersonal, oral communication, leadership and problem resolution skills. Have and maintain a working knowledge of current events in Russia and Moscow. Ability to work with minimum supervision. Prior customer contact experience preferred. Must posses the right to work in U.S. and ability to transit in and out of our international destinations. Candidate must also complete all required training. Work nights, weekends, and holidays with a fluid schedule requiring overnights away from home on a regular basis. Must successfully pass all pre-employment screenings as well as any and all DOT/TSA requirements.


If you are interested in this position, click here.

Thank you.

 

[CubsFanJohn]

I thought they couldn't hire any new Cabin Service people until all the FA's were called back. I would think some TWA people would still beable to speak Russian.

 

[FWAAA]

I thought they couldn't hire any new Cabin Service people until all the FA's were called back. I would think some TWA people would still beable to speak Russian.

These employees, Flight Service Directors, aren't FAs; they are in addition to a full complement of FAs, so they can be hired even with FAs on furlough.

 

[IORFA]

I thought they couldn't hire any new Cabin Service people until all the FA's were called back. I would think some TWA people would still beable to speak Russian.

If there are, they haven't shown any willingness to qualify.

 

[eolesen]

This is a management position, and FSD's used to go thru FA training so they could occupy the jumpseat for takeoff and landing, but they weren't able to perform crewmember duties. Is that still the case?

If so, there's nothing that would prevent furloughees from applying for the position, except they might risk losing their APFA seniority number.

 

[IORFA]

I think if you are furloughed you can still apply for jobs within AMR and not lose recall rights. Though I could be wrong. In my experience, FSD's can sit in J/S's and are just as able to start an evacuation and assist during one. Service during flight isn't handled by them. They are supposed to go around and help with questions and do forms. That includes answering questions about the forms and helping to fill them out. Without F/A speakers, they would also do the all foreign language PA's. When the A-300 had the pressurization problem at JFK in 2000, when the purser got sucked out, the other person up front trying to operate the 1R door was an FSD.

 

[WingNaPrayer]

The problem is, AA doesn't compensate it's employees for foreign language skills. Gate agents are assigned based on flight destinations and their language skills which AA takes full advantage of without paying for it. I know of two agents who speak other languages fluently but don't on the job because AA doesn't pay a premium for it, which they should.

In my estimation, if your skills in russian language are as good as AA is asking for, then you would be better off working in a government position or, at the U.N. where not only do they pay for the language skills, they pay handsomely. AA would never get me to fork over my foreign language skills for free. They would have to kick in some type of premium that makes the pay equal to what could be commanded elsewhere.

The starting salary for a russian translator at the U.N. or any one of it's ancillary locations is $71,521.00 per year, and you aren't addressing hundreds of people in aircraft all day long either. That's just the starting pay and says nothing for the benefits, it's still a starting base of about 37.00 bucks an hour. AA barely pays a starting agent ten.

Document translators at government levels command $110.00 per 1,000 words. The U.N. pays significantly higher. Sign language interpreters are paid $44.00 per hour minimum and that rate can as much as triple when your skills are needed in court proceedings.

AA is not unique in their cashing in on language skills of their employees for free. Not many airlines pay a premium for language skills. In fact, I believe the only two U.S. based carriers that do are UA and NWA and since their bankruptcies I'm not sure if that is still true.

I have a good friend who is an agent for AA in MIA, she speaks Creole fluently but doesn't tell AA because she knows she would be stuck working PAP flights for the rest of her days and she doesn't want that. The same for an agent I know that speaks portuguese and an O.C. that speaks fluent German. You don't give your skills away for free because that just cheapens you and makes more money available for the corporate siphons.

That job descripton posted above is unrealistic. It carries zero stability and pretty much enslaves the employee based on a language skill. AA just isn't worth it.

:censored:

 

[jimntx]

At least, technically, there should be no reason why a furloughed former TW f/a could not apply for one of these jobs and still remain on the recall list.

When a f/a takes a management job--such as, FSM--as long as they remain in Flight Service they retain their right to return to flying. And, (correct me if I'm wrong) without any loss in seniority.

So, it seems to me that it would be perfectly legal within the bounds of the CBA for a furloughed f/a to apply for one of these jobs. If they speak Russian, lord knows they would go directly to IOR if they were recalled. Interesting question, though, considering that they will have to be trained on door drills, etc...say they've been back working as an FSD for 6 months to a year and get recalled. Would they have to go through the 5 weeks of training that the other people their seniority would have to endure?

 

[kirkpatrick]

I would think some TWA people would still beable to speak Russian.

I can think of several, but only one that I know of intends to qualify. It means moving or commuting to ORD and flying one flight for the rest of your life, unable to trade or drop, for very little more money.

I myself am qualified in three languages (Spanish, Portuguese and German) but won't exercise them because I'm not willing to give up what little scheduling flexibility I have for so little in return.

MK

 

[WingNaPrayer]

Aqui! Aqui!

Bom Dito!

Stehen Sie Ihren Boden

(Excuse my syntax and seplling) [sic] ^_^

 

[IORFA]

Funny thing is that AA used to have Russian speakers. Problem is that when they got on this kick of making people re-qualify a few years ago, they dropped all the languages they weren't currently using. No Moscow flight, hence no need for Russian speakers and thus no need for a test. IOR already has enough, if they were still qualified. We have a lot of Polish F/A's that were forced to learn it when they were in school.

 

[L1011Ret]

If there are, they haven't shown any willingness to qualify.

Nonsense, some TWAers have already bid DME flights.

 

[Maark767]

Nonsense, some TWAers have already bid DME flights.

?????.... You are mistaken .... Noboy has the ability to bid for DME flights. We dont even fly that trip yet. Do you mean some people have quAAlified as Russian speakers , hoping to fly DME trips ???? That is the only way TWAers will hold that trip ( as a speaker).

 

[Maark767]

Nonsense, some TWAers have already bid DME flights.

?????.... You are mistaken .... Noboy has the ability to bid for DME flights. We dont even fly that trip yet. Do you mean some people have quAAlified as Russian speakers , hoping to fly DME trips ???? That is the only way TWAers will hold that trip ( as a speaker).

 

[ual777fan]

It sounds like the APFA needs to sit AA management down and demand bonus pay for language skills as well as secure promises that just because you are fluent, you won't be chained to one route for the rest of your life.