A bit more perspective from JB's ALPA reps:
Fellow Pilots:
As you know, many paths are available to those wishing to become an airline pilot in the United States. Each of you spent years in the military, regional airlines, cargo, or corporate flying in order to build the flight experiences necessary to be a safe and professional aviator. It takes years of flying in all types of weather and in all situations to make one competitive enough to become a JetBlue pilot.
More than 14,000 ALPA pilots at regional airlines with several thousand hours of 121 experience are qualified and ready to join the ranks of JetBlue. The issue of hiring and retaining qualified JetBlue pilots comes at the price of a quality collective bargaining agreement—not at the prospect of hiring non-aviators and hoping that their simulator time and flight training in a blue-sky world prepares them for shooting an ILS to minimums during a winter storm.
Please don’t let our profession down or lower our standards for the promise of a raffle ticket by participating in JetBlue surveys which seek to gather data to model the typical JetBlue pilot. JetBlue’s attempt to create an ab initio program is not an effective way to secure qualified aviators, and we are concerned that the program is an attempt to deal with an increasingly competitive market for pilots without dealing with the need to improve rates of pay, rules, and working conditions.
The best way to attract and retain the best pilots is with a great CBA. One of the greatest assets our negotiators have at the table is the professionalism and experience of our pilot group. With that kind of wealth of skill and capability, we can negotiate a contract that will enhance JetBlue as a destination airline. In this fashion, we can recruit and maintain the finest aviators who come with seasoned proficiency and safety.
For these reasons, we ask you not to participate in Gateway 7 program surveys.