Nite_Flite: My question about "cereal box" license was directed to Diesel8 as he made the statement.
Thanks for your answer anyway.
Never heard that label before despite having flown in the US and Europe and other places a few years.
As far as the US Airlines picking up the tab for your license: Not true.
You need the initial tickets before you can apply to any job in the US.
(No Cadet Programs over here.)
Usually an ATP is required. Sometimes with a type rating.
If you are already flying the line and in a position to upgrade, yes, the airline pay for your training and captains check-out.
Over the last 10 years some US Commuter Airlines and other shady companies have required "Pay For Training". To get the job you fork over 10 to 15 thousand dollars.
That resulted in situations where some rich "Daddy's Boy" with no time could buy the job, despite being less than competetive as far as aero nautical qualifications.
Also it resulted in "Scabs" who was black listed from real airlines could buy their way into a seat, "Value-Jet" comes to mind.
Again qualifications was not an issue, just a line of credit.
(Perhaps safety suffered a bit from that policy?)
Not taking the high moral ground here guys.
Everybody do whatever they choose:
I have been unemployed many times and would rather drive taxi cabs than pay some greedy Lorenzo Trainee for a seniority number with a company that is bound to be an un-happy place to work for.
(Had the choice a few times: Family Airlines, Arrow Air, and others. Already had the B-747 time and the DC-8 time, current and qualified for the jobs, yet they would try to milk an un-employed pilot for his savings.)
Screw 'em all.
As for SAS being a good place to work: Un-doubtly. A very good place indeed.
They do have a bunch of rigorous tests for candidates to pass. Many folks failed those tests and were not qualified to fly for SAS as they did not measure up.
Yet when SAS bought or merged with some other
company, the pilots from the other company got on SAS's seniority list as a result, despite half of them having failed SAS's test earlier. (Was LinjeFlyg one of them?)
Also many pilots for SAS Commuter never made the SAS screening a few years ago. Lately the Commuter guys can go into mainline SAS and keep their number.
All good pilots for sure, one just have to question the validity of the testing as SAS ignores it later. Seems bogus to this outsider.
(Never applied to SAS, no sour grapes here)
Fly Safe.
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Men, this is no drill...