Earl,
You and I probably know each other. I left AAI about six months ago. Worst place in the world and the sad thing is it could be the greatest place.
I will second what Earl has written. Jerry O will tell you anything you want to hear. Direct's contract isn't worth the paper it's printed on. They/AAI still owe me money and I have had to hire a solictor in the UK to go after them.
It's really a little more than departing with a "snag" or a little bust of duty day. I have seen crews bust duty day by over 12 hours! I have seen aircraft depart with things other airlines would ground the aircraft. I will give you an example..last May TF-ARN aborted a t/o in KUL because of a tire that went flat. Turns out the reason it went flat was because the daily preflights had been penciled in. The tire was leaking an MX never checked it. Boeing did a little further investigating and turns out the tire/wheel/brake shop at Manston was breaking down the assemblies and rebuilding them with an unapproved method!
That is not an isolated instance...TF-ATE flying with rudder ratio inop for over 3 months. In the MMEL that grounds the aircraft. (it was stuck in the low speed mode).
I take to exception to what coldcanuck says. Airlines can make money by maintaining the a/c, by having productive crews. The AAI crews are not productive. I don't know anyone who would not fly 75 hours in 21 days and have the last 10 days off. But at AAI you might fly 65 hours and waste the whole month. That is not productivity. The rock heads have their 3on 3 off deal, but the expats could have a similar one, but it would require advance planning. That is alien to AAI.
I can assure ColdCanuck his time at AAI will not be viewed as quality time. I do some interviewing at a major airline and to be honest, AAI's reputation is well known. It's time that most companies will discount!!!
