jose1337
Well-Known Member
Based in Burlingame, CA right next to their base at SFO and it looks like they also have an opening for pilots: https://www.virginamerica.apply2jobs.com/ProfExt/index.cfm?fuseaction=mExternal.showJob&RID=1110
Virgin America Crew Scheduler Opening
- Thread starter jose1337
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jose1337
Well-Known Member
North American also has openings for crew scheduler, but the posting was made in January so I'm not sure if they still need them: https://home.eease.com/recruit2/?id=3656751&t=1
belgiumania
Well-Known Member
A little advice here that may go contrary to what a few have said on this forum before: If you want to be a dispatcher, be a dispatcher and not a crew scheduler. Sure it might get your foot in the door, it also might get you stuck in a CS position for a decade.
In any case this is a DX forum not a scheduling forum.
In any case this is a DX forum not a scheduling forum.
CPZ9900
Well-Known Member
I don't agree with this. It's always better to get your foot in the door. Of course, if you can afford to stay unemployed until landing a dispatch job then by all means, go for it. Additionally, I wouldn't touch VX with a ten foot pool. They are doomed.
TaxiBack
Plane planes planes
Nonetheless, Jose, keep on posting! I for one like to see what is out there. I thought I had every job seeking missle out there looking....but i never saw either on of those CS job postings.
Furthermore, Smythington, I think it is a good back door to DXing. There are soooo many post on this forum that remind us that "outside applicants need NOT apply"....!
so thx again. TB-
Furthermore, Smythington, I think it is a good back door to DXing. There are soooo many post on this forum that remind us that "outside applicants need NOT apply"....!
so thx again. TB-
belgiumania
Well-Known Member
If I were at a regional I would take a job at Virgin in a heartbeat; it looks alot more impressive on your resume than a regional and you can bail as soon as you need to. Besides, Virgin has some DEEP pockets behind it and it will die a slow, slow death if indeed it does die.
jose1337
Well-Known Member
That is a good point, Branson does not go down without a fight and they did make a go of Virgin in Australia (granted Ansett's collapse helped them)
manniax
Well-met in the Ka-tet
I agree wholeheartedly with this. In any case, having briefly had to deal with some scheduling issues at one of my airlines, I can say that you couldn't pay me enough to be a crew scheduler, ever. All this being said I have known people who moved from crew scheduling into dispatch jobs at major carriers, but it's not a path I would ever have chosen. Also, scheduling departments don't like losing good people, and if they get a sense that you're just going into scheduling so that you can later move into dispatch at your initial job interview, they probably will offer the job to someone else.
I would agree with Jose's comment as well - Virgin America is located in a cool albeit expensive area, but they have been around a while and appear to be no closer to profitability than when they started. Other non-major-sized carriers (Allegiant, Spirit, JetBlue, Alaska) are making money also. It would suck to move out there and then be furloughed six months later.
manniax
Well-met in the Ka-tet
Virgin may have deep pockets, but Virgin Atlantic has also been losing money of late...as well as just signed a codeshare with Delta. In any case, US law prohibits a foreign entity from having more than 25% of voting shares of a US carrier, or having majority ownership - my point is that, as much as they would like to, Virgin doesn't have any direct control of VA's day to day operations. Even an airline everyone likes can't keep losing money indefinitely forever (see Midwest Airlines for a case in point. Everyone in MKE loved them but they no longer exist.)
OneBadLT123
Well-Known Member
This is absolutely some of the worst advice I have ever heard. We always consider schedulers as options. In the last 2-3 years I would say we hired about 3 or 4 schedulers and passed over many, many external qualified applicants. This is at one of the "majors"
Hell, even at the old regional I used to work at during my short tenure there we hired several as well.
While virgin has been losing money for a while now, didnt they just make a big airbus order recently which would indicate growth? Thats my guess. Who knows where they will be in a few years though.
I have to agree somewhat with belgiumania in a lot of ways. Getting your foot in the door helps if you try to do that at the airline you want to make a career of. If you're just trying to back door into anything however, then forget the crew skd route. Go to a regional and dispatch instead.
F9DXER
Well-Known Member
There is no right or wrong way to get into dispatch. I have seen internal candidates come from a variety of positions: Load Planning, Flight Attendant, Crew Scheduling, Customer Service Agent and Ramper.
Most of us that went straight into dispatch without prior airiline experience more than likely went the regional route.
Personally it all depends on what that individual wants. Maybe someone wants to work for Company XYZ and wil take any position to start and wait for an opening to their final career goal.
Thus I don't see anything wrong with posting a CS position here.
Most of us that went straight into dispatch without prior airiline experience more than likely went the regional route.
Personally it all depends on what that individual wants. Maybe someone wants to work for Company XYZ and wil take any position to start and wait for an opening to their final career goal.
Thus I don't see anything wrong with posting a CS position here.
belgiumania
Well-Known Member
Yeah, but only if you know for a fact that dispatchers get hired from other departments. I know of more than a few airlines who wouldn't bring on a CS candidate just due to the working relationships at said companies. Yes, it could get your foot in the door but if you gamble wrongly you could easily end up getting burned.
I suppose what I'm really trying to say is KNOW THE COMPANY before you gamble on anything. Yeah, it is well known that Southwest almost exclusively hires internally, but unless you have reliable info on hiring practices I think that getting dispatch experience is the way to go. Especially if we're talking about a major.
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