Posts: 2,505
Threads: 0
Joined: Nov 2010
Reputation:
25
Working in an Airline?
05-13-2012, 07:44 PM
Hello Forum.
Just today I was thinking on how good it would be for me to work on an Airline. I assume that airline employees get some/alot of discount for flights and maybe other kind of packages.
I will soon graduate as Software/Computer Systems Engineer and I'm thinking on hitting this path, as the way I see it, it would help me achieve my travelling lifestyle easier and cheaper.
What do you guys think? Any of you have experience on this?
Posts: 7,843
Threads: 0
Joined: Nov 2010
Reputation:
121
Working in an Airline?
05-13-2012, 08:36 PM
It would be one of my dream jobs, I have friends that work with Air Canada and great crazy perks. The best job seems to be baggage handler because you can trade your shifts, a more serious job like what you are going for would be more like a 9 - 5.
I would do anything to work there and be able to travel to Europe for $100. Trouble is bagagge handler does not pay so well and it is not a job I would really want to do.
Posts: 639
Threads: 0
Joined: Apr 2012
Reputation:
12
Working in an Airline?
05-14-2012, 06:30 AM
This guy I met in a university class last year spent 2 years working for Qatar Airways as a flight attendant (Yeah, not the best gig but still not bad) Traveled to over 40 countries and earnt decent $$$ too as well as getting most of his overseas accommodation paid for.
Posts: 302
Threads: 0
Joined: Nov 2011
Reputation:
0
Working in an Airline?
05-14-2012, 09:49 AM
Yeah, it definitely would help with your goal of traveling. A relative of mine works for a major airline as a flight attendant, and because we're on his Fly list, we get to travel to most anywhere for free. Plus, you often get moved up to first-class.
Posts: 2,228
Threads: 0
Joined: Mar 2012
Reputation:
65
Working in an Airline?
05-14-2012, 09:55 AM
I know a Jet Blue pilot, he sends me pics of him chilling on random beaches with hotties constantly. I think a flight attendant would be a pretty sweet travel gig, but like everything it has its pros and cons.
First you need to be put on a good route, I have no clue how it works for flight attendants but junior pilots normally get the shittier routes until they work up in seniority. Then you have to deal with bitchy passengers all day who are going to take their frustrations (jet lag, delays, canceled flights, etc) out on you. Most female flight attendants aren't hot anymore, the feminist movement and technological improvements changed that. When have your overnights, you probably wont have much time to go around and check out the scenery. Everyone will assume you are gay.
But the pay is alright, I think most require a bachelors degree. Good benefits. Cheap travel when you have time off. You may have hot female co-workers. You will have a lot of time to study or work on something else. Incredibily easy to establish communication with passengers that are on vacation, you can offer to show them around the town in your remaining overnight.
You could work as a flight attendant while developing location independent software business.
most other jobs with the airlines are low-paid labor intensive work which are more trouble than they are worth.
God'll prolly have me on some real strict shit
No sleeping all day, no getting my dick licked
The Original Emotional Alpha
Posts: 2,505
Threads: 0
Joined: Nov 2010
Reputation:
25
Working in an Airline?
05-14-2012, 01:38 PM
Guys, I am not talking about being a flight attendant or baggage handler. I'm talking about getting a job thats related to my career as an engineer, in an airline.
Oldnemesis I don't understand your comment, mind elaborating more.
Posts: 2,228
Threads: 0
Joined: Mar 2012
Reputation:
65
Working in an Airline?
05-14-2012, 01:54 PM
Well then yes you will get travel benefits and what not.
Why dont you just look for any positions open at airlines, and apply for them?
"Our employees are offered compensation packages that include direct wages as well as health, life and retirement benefits, and generous travel privileges such as greatly reduced air fares for themselves and their families" - American Airlines.
God'll prolly have me on some real strict shit
No sleeping all day, no getting my dick licked
The Original Emotional Alpha
Posts: 927
Threads: 0
Joined: Feb 2012
Reputation:
51
Working in an Airline?
05-14-2012, 06:22 PM
Besides airline jobs, there are other solutions for travel benefits. I've heard of small business owners who run company expenses through mileage credit cards, which makes them elite flyer members in no time.
Also, people with jobs that require frequent business travel easily achieve high tier on hotel and airline loyalty programs.
Finally, just having a high paying job would cover it. In a premium paid job, you would earn enough to pay your travel at full price, and still have more disposable income than what the airline employee would have.
Posts: 194
Threads: 0
Joined: Aug 2011
Reputation:
0
Working in an Airline?
05-15-2012, 07:30 PM
I know a EE girl that was an au'pair and currently is a flight attendant on Qatar. She has some cool travel pics on her FB profile.
I also knew a guy that was an attendant and he would tell me he got mad discounts on hotels and free leisure flights using the "standby" option.
Posts: 29
Threads: 0
Joined: Nov 2011
Reputation:
3
Working in an Airline?
05-15-2012, 08:21 PM
Currently working in the industry as one of the low-paid labor intense workers (which is pretty accurate), the main advantage that we have is time. Trading shifts and making our own schedules is priceless. Of course, we are paid peanuts. As we say, we can go anywhere in the world but have no money to do anything when we get there.
Anyway, that won’t be a problem for you with your degree.
What you are looking for is airline airport agreements. The way ours works is that we can fly for free with other airlines that fly out of our particular airport. For airlines that do not fly out of our airport, we have interline agreements. Interline agreements provide employees and sometimes family members/friends huge discounts on the costs of normal tickets.
My advice would be to seek out the positions in your field where the physical workplace location is on the airport grounds itself, not just with the company in the corporate office. For instance, the IT support technicians that work here at the airport get all the full flight benefits as a baggage handler or gate agent because they work at the airport.
Choose your airline carefully if you do go this route. Airlines are going bankrupt and/or merging all over the place. Depending on how you look at it, this could be a good or a bad thing seeing as how the guys with the least seniority are the first to go.
Posts: 309
Threads: 0
Joined: Oct 2009
Reputation:
6
Working in an Airline?
05-16-2012, 11:15 AM
Overrrated, I know alot of people that work for American Airlines, Delta flight attendants (few i used to smash), baggage handler, to engineers. You always have to fly standby and you are usually lowest priority to paying customers. So to avoid that you have to usually fly and days/times and season nobody else wants to fly, you basically have to check the flight schedule to see how full a flight is and your chance of making it then go to the airport early to get the best chance of catching a flight cause your on standy so if the first plane is full you will get bumped to second flight,or 3, 4 th flight going out or spend the night and try again in the morning.
It's ok for domestic nonstop flights cause you only have to do it once, but trying to coordinate connecting and intl flight will be hell as they have less daily flights per destination.
Unless you work for somebody like jetblue who has alot of nonstop intl flights ie NYC - DR
Example a friend who works for delta flew standy by to come to DR lax to nyc no problem nyc to DR the counter chick gave them a blanket and said you'll be here a couple days we have no availability going to DR for the next 4 months. they had to wait 2 days in airport to fly standby back to lax.
