Ramping for an airline

Ayork62493

Ayork62493

GBR
So, I'm about to turn 18 and have started to apply for ramp positions at OMA. I've wanted to do this job for a long time and can't wait to get out of my current job(Telephone interviewer. UGH)

That being said, I'm only 18 are thye even going to look at me? I've worked around aircraft for four years, and am just about a commercial pilot. Will they care that I have experience around aircraft and know the hazards around? I think it'd be a pretty damn good gig for an 18 year old.

Basically, is the fact that I am a pilot/have experience going to make a difference in how they look at me?
 
18 is the minimum age for most of them. That's how old I was when I started ramping for my current airline. It could help, but the fact is as long as you don't come across as a total idiot you're probably going to get the job. Some of the people I've worked with on the ramp don't even meet that criteria. It can be a lot of fun but anymore I'm just in it for the flight benefits and potential for flying for the company I'm working for. You do get a fair amount of time where you're getting paid to sit around doing nothing too, which has always been nice for cracking the books open. On the clock!
 
I'm a ramper for a regional airline, started off as customer service about a month after I got out of highschool when I was 18. I had a 4 month unpaid internship as a CS agent at Air New Zealand, but other than that no work history. My advice:

1) Make sure you apply to airlines and not contract companies. At contractors, you work harder, for less pay, and you get no flight benefits most of the time.

2) Mention you're a pilot and list your ratings, they love to hire pilots, if you're trying to get your foot in the door they know you're going to work hard. It is a great way to meet pilots, talk to them, make friends, let them know what you want to do. Many airlines have drastically reduced minimums for internal employees, and interviews are practically a guaranteed if you're in good standing at many companies and meet internal mins.

3) It's a labor job. Once you show them that you're determined and career minded, relax, and just be yourself. Especially at an airport the size of OMA where airline ramp crews are going to be small, one of the biggest factors in you getting the job is your personality. Make sure you loosen up and try not to be too nervous while keeping a professional demeanor in the interview.

4) Have fun! It's an awesome job, but it comes with a lot of BS at any company. Just enjoy the job when you put on the vest, make the best of it, have fun with your coworkers, and travel a lot when you're off work.

Best of luck!
 
+1 on getting hired with an airline and not a ground service company. If you live near a hub it'll be more likely that you can find a major airline. At smaller airports try to avoid " ACME ground services," for the above reasons.

Do a good job and at a regional at least you'll be at the front of the line for hiring ( depends on how fast hour mins get instituted).
 
If Delta isn't in your town, try and find out if it is Delta Global Services doing their ramp. Its a spin-off ground handling company Delta made, and you do get flight benefits, just with a low priority. On the positive, an open seat is an open seat as far as getting on the plane goes, despite your priority. If no airlines are hiring but DGS is an option, I've heard better things about it than any other contractor.
 
I believe Regional Elite also gets flights benefits as they were formed under Comair, Mesaba and the other ground handling services. Not sure if they are in OMA though.
 
ChasenSFO said:
If Delta isn't in your town, try and find out if it is Delta Global Services doing their ramp. Its a spin-off ground handling company Delta made, and you do get flight benefits, just with a low priority. On the positive, an open seat is an open seat as far as getting on the plane goes, despite your priority. If no airlines are hiring but DGS is an option, I've heard better things about it than any other contractor.
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The best way for DGS is to walk in and talk to them... if they are there. Otherwise if you find a Delta position let me know. If you're willing to move I know they're hiring for LGA big time right now.

I definitely second the no contract company thing... FBO's can be a good option as well.
 
[quote="cmac88, post: 1846870, member: 18992" If you're willing to move I know they're hiring for LGA big time right now.

[/quote]
Piedmont is furloughing 200+ after the slot swap. Ey took errrrr jaaaaaabs!!!

saxman said:
I believe Regional Elite also gets flights benefits as they were formed under Comair, Mesaba and the other ground handling services. Not sure if they are in OMA though.
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They are in OMA, in fact, I know someone who used to work for them there up until recently. They have flight benefits, but they're so so. Then again, when I worked at Aramark on the ramp for Delta we got nothing.
 
Piedmont is furloughing 200+ after the slot swap. Ey took errrrr jaaaaaabs!!!


They are in OMA, in fact, I know someone who used to work for them there up until recently. They have flight benefits, but they're so so. Then again, when I worked at Aramark on the ramp for Delta we got nothing.
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Pilots or Rampers??... if the latter I'm sure a few of them could make the switch.
 
Rampers. They could, but I'm sure a good number of them were topped out and trying to coast into retirement. It's a lot like flying, I doubt any of them are going to want to start over at the bottom at a worse company. We had a guy transfer down here after all the slot swap talk started a couple years ago, then when it kinda died down he went back up. Guess he's SOL now.
 
True, I kind of always forget that people ramp for a career.... not saying thats a bad thing, just never thought of it that way.
 
Yeah. Although I think a lot of them probably got into it when you actually could make a decent living out of it. I remember one of our supervisors saying when they were mainline he was making something like $24.00 an hour and getting triple pay on holidays. Must have been nice... but that's way overpaid.
 
I'm really trying my best not to have to ramp for an FBO, I will if it comes down to it but I'd rather do the airline side. I'll check out the smaller operators you have mentioned, I always wondered who ramped for them. In OMA the fueling is done by FBOs.
 
It depends on the company and where you are. I started at 8.50/hr so about $17,000 before tax. Even after a couple years if I was full time I'd only be at about $21,000 before tax, we top out at around $29,000. Then I have friends who work for other regionals who started out at almost 3 dollars an hour higher than I did. Granted, they live in more expensive cities, but still, it is a pretty big difference. Especially when you're out in the elements all day.
 
Ayork62493 said:
I'm really trying my best not to have to ramp for an FBO, I will if it comes down to it but I'd rather do the airline side. I'll check out the smaller operators you have mentioned, I always wondered who ramped for them. In OMA the fueling is done by FBOs.
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An FBO will have more variety, allow you to meet more people, and possibly earn a couple bucks in tips. Why do you want to avoid it?
 
I would second trying to get on with southwest. When I ramped at horizon I was paid 10.50. This was 3 years ago now. When my wife was flying I would always pick up extra shifts or hours and I would make double of what she made. You can really make good money if you plan it out right.
 
Where have you applied?
I don't think we have any open lines right now at Regional Elite (Delta) but we have a quick turnover. Piedmont (US Airways) seems to be hiring often too. Not sure about ATS; they ground handle American.. Southwest and United/Continental rarely hire here, probably because they're under a union.
 
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