Post: #1

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?

Post: #2

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.

Post: #3

(05-13-2012 07:44 PM)FretDancer Wrote:  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.

LOL. If you get yourself into the software engineering, in five years a $1000 roundtrip ticket to Europe would soon be worth your one week work (after tax). Time would be your main issue.

Post: #4

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.

Post: #5

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.

Post: #6

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.

Post: #7

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.

Post: #8

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.

Post: #9

(05-14-2012 01:38 PM)FretDancer Wrote:  Oldnemesis I don't understand your comment, mind elaborating more.

Software Engineers make a lot of money, at least here in Bay Area. After five year experience you're likely be getting around 100K a year, which is slightly less than $2K a week. A roundtrip direct ticket from SFO to pretty much everywhere (AMS, NRT, CDG) costs around $1K. Most engineers just don't have time to travel, money typically is not an issue, so working for the airline for travel benefits doesn't bring as much in value.

In your case if you're interested in travel I'd join a startup, and establish yourself as a trustworthy worker who does the job without supervision. After some time you may be allowed to work remotely - first from home, then from some other location. Then you might end up working from Thailand while receiving the Bay Area salary if this is something you want.

Post: #10

(05-14-2012 04:37 PM)oldnemesis Wrote:  

(05-14-2012 01:38 PM)FretDancer Wrote:  Oldnemesis I don't understand your comment, mind elaborating more.

Software Engineers make a lot of money, at least here in Bay Area. After five year experience you're likely be getting around 100K a year, which is slightly less than $2K a week. A roundtrip direct ticket from SFO to pretty much everywhere (AMS, NRT, CDG) costs around $1K. Most engineers just don't have time to travel, money typically is not an issue, so working for the airline for travel benefits doesn't bring as much in value.

In your case if you're interested in travel I'd join a startup, and establish yourself as a trustworthy worker who does the job without supervision. After some time you may be allowed to work remotely - first from home, then from some other location. Then you might end up working from Thailand while receiving the Bay Area salary if this is something you want.

That sounds sweet, I've never really thought about the time issue.

Working remotely sounds excellent as well. What do you mean by "startup"? I'm not really familiar with English business/job terms...

Post: #11

(05-13-2012 07:44 PM)FretDancer Wrote:  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?

There are IT/engineering jobs at airlines. From a travel/lifestlye perspective it will be the best decision you have ever made. Depending on what airline you work for, you can hop on a plane to almost anywhere for basically nothing. Even if you work for a small airline most airlines have agreements with other airlines for very cheap standby travel. I would not recommend working for an airline as a flight attendant/baggage handler if you have a engineering degree.

Post: #12

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.

Post: #13

(05-14-2012 05:47 PM)BTman Wrote:  There are IT/engineering jobs at airlines. From a travel/lifestlye perspective it will be the best decision you have ever made.

Do you work as a software engineer for the airline? As I said, everyone I know working in IT - for banks, retail chains, even for the state government - have enough money for the luxury travel. They just don't have time to travel.

Post: #14

(05-14-2012 05:08 PM)FretDancer Wrote:  Working remotely sounds excellent as well. What do you mean by "startup"? I'm not really familiar with English business/job terms...

Startup is a young, and typically very small company which is very new to the business. Often you sit in the same room with the company CEO, CTO and CFO (and quite often all those positions are being held by a single person), so the decision making process is very streamlined. You'll also get stock options which may bring you a lot of money if the company becomes the next Google. The drawbacks are the lack of stability as the company is young, has no customers and limited resources, little or no benefits and long working hours.

Post: #15

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.

Post: #16

(05-15-2012 03:28 PM)oldnemesis Wrote:  [quote='BTman' pid='210379' dateline='1337035667']
Do you work as a software engineer for the airline? As I said, everyone I know working in IT - for banks, retail chains, even for the state government - have enough money for the luxury travel. They just don't have time to travel.

I do not and everything I know about IT/engineering could fit in a 3.5. floppy disc. But in my opinion working for an industry outside of the airline industry vs the airline industry will only get you about a 10-15% premium in salary. Obviously a vast generalization, but the ability to fly for free whenever you want is priceless.

Post: #17

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.

Post: #18

(05-14-2012 06:22 PM)Tigre Wrote:  I've heard of small business owners who run company expenses through mileage credit cards, which makes them elite flyer members in no time.

I do that. It's not all it's cracked up to be.

Aloha!

Post: #19

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.