Virgin American Hiring Window Open

Is it a good thing if they mention this?
Yup! From my experience I had applied online, then got asked to do the assessment shortly after. 5 months later I went to Women in Aviation and found out I had passed it and was emailed the Chief Pilot Questionnaire later that day. 1 month later I was offered an interview. 2 weeks after the interview I got asked to go do the drug test and 2 weeks after that I was offered the job. That was just my timeline from Spring of last year, I think things are moving a bit quicker now.
 
Did the recruiter mention anything about sending you a chief pilot questionnaire?

CP questionnaire is key. I had applied multiple times and taken the assessment at least twice. Buddy walked my resume in and suddenly I had the chief pilot questionnaire in my email. Filled it out and sent it back. HR then calls and says my assessment is over 12 months old and to take it again. I did. Interviewed a few weeks later. Unfortunately I didn't get the nod.

Was about to apply again during this window, but I see they require a bachelor degree now. 1 more semester!!!
 
CP questionnaire is key. I had applied multiple times and taken the assessment at least twice. Buddy walked my resume in and suddenly I had the chief pilot questionnaire in my email. Filled it out and sent it back. HR then calls and says my assessment is over 12 months old and to take it again. I did. Interviewed a few weeks later. Unfortunately I didn't get the nod.

Was about to apply again during this window, but I see they require a bachelor degree now. 1 more semester!!!
Get that degree knocked out and reapply! Good luck!
 
Big news day at VX, a few new routes and hiring/upgrade numbers!

Later in the year going to start SFO-MSY, BWI, PHL, BNA, IND, KOA, and RDU.
56 additional new hires and 18 upgrades, TOTAL of 121 new hires and 48 upgrades for the year.

My girlfriend just got the interview invite 2 days ago shes pumped, its her #1 choice. Any gouges out there? Thanks!
 

Don't fret. I spoke to a couple of Alaska guys this past week up in Seattle. During the course of our conversation they told me that at the Northwest Aviation Conference just last month that Alaska only had about 260 people show up for their job fair at the event. In past years that number has been over 600. I was told that it got the recruiting departments attention, hard. True or not? I Don't know. That's just what they told me.
 
My girlfriend just got the interview invite 2 days ago shes pumped, its her #1 choice. Any gouges out there? Thanks!

Very easy going, personality based. I didn't prep, I didn't study, and I didn't sound a robot. 2 of those in out interview group did not get the nod and they sounded over prepped. Just tell her to be herself, be friendly, be pumped, be honest, and be personable. Good luck!
 
I will add, that Alaska fully takes over the interview process in April. I had a hybrid Alaska/Virgin panel for my interview.
 
Don't fret. I spoke to a couple of Alaska guys this past week up in Seattle. During the course of our conversation they told me that at the Northwest Aviation Conference just last month that Alaska only had about 260 people show up for their job fair at the event. In past years that number has been over 600. I was told that it got the recruiting departments attention, hard. True or not? I Don't know. That's just what they told me.

I went to the NW Aviation conference a few years ago specifically for Alaska. The line to talk to a recruiter was 3 hrs. long and I had a 45 SECOND conversation with a CP that ended with him saying I wasn't competetive because I hadn't upgraded, yet as a 8.5 yr regional FO. Ummm... my first airline got shut down and my 2nd airline had almost 8 yr upgrades... Not knocking AS, I think they are an awesome company and I would have loved working there, but it is funny how airline recruitment has changed in just fhe past 2 years. One of my classmates at my last regional, who never upgraded just got hired.
 
I will add, that Alaska fully takes over the interview process in April. I had a hybrid Alaska/Virgin panel for my interview.

April 6th interview... she had to push it to that date as her recurrent was on the date they offered initially end of March. Do you think it will be a full alaska interview by then?
 
Don't fret. I spoke to a couple of Alaska guys this past week up in Seattle. During the course of our conversation they told me that at the Northwest Aviation Conference just last month that Alaska only had about 260 people show up for their job fair at the event. In past years that number has been over 600. I was told that it got the recruiting departments attention, hard. True or not? I Don't know. That's just what they told me.

Interesting stuff. I imagine there might be a bit of trepidation for people just wondering how the merger and contract is going to play out a bit. The lack of scope makes me nervous, and arbitration makes everyone nervous.
 
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Don't fret. I spoke to a couple of Alaska guys this past week up in Seattle. During the course of our conversation they told me that at the Northwest Aviation Conference just last month that Alaska only had about 260 people show up for their job fair at the event. In past years that number has been over 600. I was told that it got the recruiting departments attention, hard. True or not? I Don't know. That's just what they told me.
Anecdotally, the line at NGPA was short during the members-only session. Very short. Like "oh we are so glad to see you at 100TPIC" short.
 
I had a similar experience last year with SWA at WAI. I was treated very poorly by them in public because I didn't meet 1000TPIC. Meanwhile they spent the whole year trying to fill classes which had continuous drop outs. It's only going to get worse.
 
Alaska's draw has always been it's predominantly unique geographical location that offered pilots the Alaska or the Pacific Northwest bases. If you want to fly for a legacy pax carrier and be based in ANC or PDX, Alaska is it. And up until Delta really increased SEA, Alaska was still the big player in SEA (over 1,000 pilots based in SEA out of ~1850 total). So these factors alone always ensured that there was a long and steady line of pilots that wanted to work for Alaska. VX was in a similar position as well, considering they really started hiring like crazy in 2007-2012 which was at a time when virtually no other major was hiring. It was all for SFO and then later a LAX base, west coast options which were heavily favored by many pilots.

Fast forward to today, and all 3 legacy carriers are hiring AND placing pilots in the west coast in a relatively quick timeframe (Delta west coast bases going to newhires, as are some AA). So now in some ways Alaska/Virgin have less a draw to them than they did before. It's still the 5th largest airline in the country, but if you have an offer from the big 3.....
 
Fast forward to today, and all 3 legacy carriers are hiring AND placing pilots in the west coast in a relatively quick timeframe (Delta west coast bases going to newhires, as are some AA). So now in some ways Alaska/Virgin have less a draw to them than they did before. It's still the 5th largest airline in the country, but if you have an offer from the big 3.....

You can add United for new hires getting SFO right out of training and I'm sure OAK is still junior at SWA.
 
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