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Hello. I've been stop and go with college, getting full time jobs here and there. I will be graduaing in May 2011 with a B.S. in Business Technology and Management. I've held a few aviation related jobs from working the desk at a local flight school to Flight attendant for a regional. I quit the flight attendant job to finish up my college and the local flight school couldn't me on due to lack of business. I am interested in getting a job with Airline or Airport Management. Right now I have my eyes on Austin, TX (but also open to DFW, IAH or somewhere else thats nice and warm). I need to move away from VT-- a little, expensive jobless state here in New England.
Do you have any suggestions for me? Would trying to get my foot in the door before I graduate help? Right now I am working in a non-aviation field, would getting a job in the aviation biz be a good idea or does the fact that I worked at the flight school and was an FA look ok for now? I tried to get a summer internship at SWA but I wasn't accepted.
I am interested in getting a job with Airline or Airport Management.
Do you have any suggestions for me?
Sure, I have some suggestions.
Once you get your job, champion the following initiatives:
Quit sticking it to the flying public with fees for everything.
Keep the frequent flyer programs simple.
Offer anything other than the worst possible flight combination for the frequent flyer award flights.
More legroom.
Lower the beer prices to $0.50 per can.
Allow people to bring their own beer on board. Free corkage for wine.
When men are flying alone, make sure they are sitting next to a hot mom or nice looking lady and not some overweight, smelly guy who doesn't have any personality. Have a special section and boarding process for singles - speed seat swapping - singles change seats every 30 minutes so they can check out the other fliers.
Have taller armrests so the jerk that I always getting stuck sitting next to can't hog the entire arm rest.
Free internet on board, all flights.
Airlines that change my flight schedule owe me $100.
All passengers will rate all the flight attendants after every flight. Any flight attendant consistent exhibiting "female dog"y attitude will eventually be booted out of a job (and that includes not taking advantage of the TSA rules: "The passenger in 16B wants another Coke while I'm on break in the back of the plane?" "Excuse me Captain, notify the authorities, we have a suspicious, aggressive, potentially violent passenger here.")
Hello. I've been stop and go with college, getting full time jobs here and there. I will be graduaing in May 2011 with a B.S. in Business Technology and Management. I've held a few aviation related jobs from working the desk at a local flight school to Flight attendant for a regional. I quit the flight attendant job to finish up my college and the local flight school couldn't me on due to lack of business. I am interested in getting a job with Airline or Airport Management. Right now I have my eyes on Austin, TX (but also open to DFW, IAH or somewhere else thats nice and warm). I need to move away from VT-- a little, expensive jobless state here in New England.
Do you have any suggestions for me? Would trying to get my foot in the door before I graduate help? Right now I am working in a non-aviation field, would getting a job in the aviation biz be a good idea or does the fact that I worked at the flight school and was an FA look ok for now? I tried to get a summer internship at SWA but I wasn't accepted.
Thanks for your time
Aviation management jobs are hard to come by. Most airports are city, county, or state run. It is not so much what you know, but who you know that gets you the job. Airport management openings are usually not well advertised. Chances are if you see an ad in the help wanted section of the paper the position has already been filled and the ad is just a formality. For whatever reason, airport management jobs are often filled from outside applicants rather than promoting from within. However, the applicants that get the job usually have worked several years for one of the businesses or airlines at that airport. I think your best chance of getting an entry level airport management job without having a contact on the inside, would be to apply at a smaller regional airport. The downside to that is often they do not pay well.
Getting hired for airline management is just as hard. Your chances of getting hired straight into management at a major airline is slim to none. Usually you have to start out as a part time baggage handler or ticket counter agent. Chances are for the first couple of years you will work during the peak season and be laid off during the slow season. If you tuff it out and get to know the right people then you can make the move into management. Getting on with the smaller but well established airlines is just as hard. Getting hired for just about any position where I work, management or not, requires an internal recommendation. If you are willing to take the risk you might want to consider getting on with a start-up airline. Odds are the airline will fail within a couple years. However, if the airline survives, within in a few years you could be sitting high up in mangement making a good paycheck.
OP you need to do some research. Understand the difference between the major airlines (Delta, US Airways, United) and the fee-for-departure airlines that are commonly called "commuters" or "regionals". SkyWest, Republic, Expressjet, etc.
A good track into management at any airline is some form of accounting degree. Management is management, whether it's for an airline or construction company. While there may be a few people promoted from the ranks of rampers and agents to management I don't think that is the best way to go, as you most likely will be limited to managing rampers or agents which really is just a slightly higher paying gig and has you working with them. Not your traditional "management" job, more like a Subway manager where they make the sandwiches as well.
To do what Charles wishes the public has to be willing to pay more. They aren't.
I'd be happy to pay 25-50% higher for more legroom and less of a Greyhound in the skies mentality. Unfortuantely I know I'm in the minority. That's why I do as many short haul mileage flights as I can and use FF miles to fly FC on longer haul flights.
I'd be happy to pay 25-50% higher for more legroom and less of a Greyhound in the skies mentality. Unfortuantely I know I'm in the minority. That's why I do as many short haul mileage flights as I can and use FF miles to fly FC on longer haul flights.
That option already exists. Exit row seating, economy plus, etc. But to convert the entire cabin to that layout won't work.
Something the network carriers should consider is having separate waiting areas for first class passengers, free internet, better facilities, etc. The people buying first class tickets don't want to sit with the masses. That might steer some away from the fractionals and back into first class at the airlines, especially with the economy. It's long been known that the people paying full fare for first class pay for the flight, the coach is just extra revenue.
That option already exists. Exit row seating, economy plus, etc. But to convert the entire cabin to that layout won't work.
Something the network carriers should consider is having separate waiting areas for first class passengers, free internet, better facilities, etc. The people buying first class tickets don't want to sit with the masses. That might steer some away from the fractionals and back into first class at the airlines, especially with the economy. It's long been known that the people paying full fare for first class pay for the flight, the coach is just extra revenue.
It would probably be easier to allow those holding a FC ticket to use the Clubs, although my guess is that many of us who fly FC on any type of a regular basis already hold a membership.
Yeah I was thinking that too. Although space is limited, you don't want to overcrowd the clubs.
Figure that half or more FC pax already have a membership, and some people won't be bothered because they aren't going to be in the airport that long to begin with, I think the impact would be minimal.
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