Grumble

Wow, that's the margin they operate on between profit and loss?

upndsky

Kind of backing up what RockyBoy wrote. One of the interviewers looked through my logbooks and wrote down a bunch of dates, all holidays, then asked me why I wasn't flying those days.

In my case, it threw up a bunch of red flags because of the hiring pattern at my regional when I was hired there. By my first holiday season there, I was already senior on the reserve list, so I was able to bid thanksgiving, xmas and new year off. The second year I had enough seniority as a line holder to do it. Then there was the year when we had our son and I was out on FMLA. Each holiday I was off was legitimate and I was able to explain it.

They also asked me how many times I've called in sick and I told them the truth. Then again, I didn't have that many. They also asked if I had ever called out in the middle of trip (I had, because I got laryngitis).

Point is that it was very non-confrontational. I never felt like they thought I was trying to hide something, which I wasn't. They just wanted to know.

BTW, I added I wasn't a pilot who took "sickations" and they had never heard the term. I had to explain it which got a good laugh. I've never heard anyone at Delta use it, either. I wonder if it's a COEX thing.

acl65pilot

No it is used all over the place. They have an expectation that you would show up here, and many do just that.

It is called Professionalism.

Grounded320

How do you think the hired guys at NWA, poolies that never made it to class. Will they get a shot. I went back to school waiting. I have not flown since May of 08 after my NWA class was cancelled. I am starting a DC9 FO job to get current this month, Do you think people like us are going to have a chance at the big dance?

forgot to bid

I heard they called Comair (I think thats right) and asked about the status of several interviewing pilots that day that were Comair. Turns out they had called in sick so as to interview. I'm sure that didn't go well, if true.

When they got to sick policy with me was actually funny. I was the Chief Pilot of a corporate department, it was a 6 day a week job unless you were flying, then it was 7. The airplane and the stupid new hangar we kept it in were my responisibility 24/7, 365 and I was on 2 hour short call unless the plane was broke, which is when I had the phone glued to my head. If I called in sick, then the boss was out $4500/hr and probably anywhere from 5-10 hours per day. The boss called all hours of the day but it his favorite was to go over numbers at 6pm or 10am on Saturday. And don't ever, ever, ever, ever let that phone go to voicemail unless you were flying.

All that to say the guy interviewing me asked, so if I were to ask about your sick days, who would I ask, you? "Yes" And how did you do? "Great." He laughed.

wmuflyboy

does this have any effect on regionals?

RockyBoy

On some routes I'm sure it makes a difference. The biggest difference is you would be flying CRJ-900's around with 70 seats in them when you could do the same thing with a less expensive CRJ-700. The 900 will be a big money loser if you fly it around with 70 seats just like a 50-seat jet with 37-seats in it makes no money.

GunshipGuy

Agreed. I didn't have a red tie, and while shopping for one almost gave up because I couldn't find one I liked. Had I not come upon one I liked I would have worn the yellow one that was more appealing to me. Dark gray suit as well, and jacket came off. The interview was the least stressful part of the day.

GunshipGuy

Non-currency is a deal breaker. Guy in my interview group would have been hired had he been current (or so we were told). I don't know how he got the interview in the first place without recent currency, but he did.

maddogmax

I thought it was " I see said the blind man who picked up his hammer and saw"