Hawaiian Airlines - the good, the bad and the ugly..
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: USA
Age: 44
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hawaiian Airlines - the good, the bad and the ugly..
I've got an interview with HAL and wanted to ask anyone on here familiar with them before I wasted their time and mine.
I work for a decent LCC carrier now as a 4th year FO... but it's not the kind of place I see myself making a career for a number of reasons.
I am interested in HAL and would love to fly for them from what I can see, but as I don't know anyone personally over there and don't really know the ins and outs of it I wanted to ask a few questions..
-Is this a good job for someone living near LAX and willing to commute? Can I expect to get block days off for reserve, etc?
-How is the moral and how do you all get on with management?
-Is there a culture of paranoia with the pilots when they're on probation?
-How is the training dept?
-What do you all see as the long term for Hawaiian? Part of DAL or American? independent for another 30 years? Where is the new Brit CEO taking you?
Anything else you want to add.... thanks again.
I work for a decent LCC carrier now as a 4th year FO... but it's not the kind of place I see myself making a career for a number of reasons.
I am interested in HAL and would love to fly for them from what I can see, but as I don't know anyone personally over there and don't really know the ins and outs of it I wanted to ask a few questions..
-Is this a good job for someone living near LAX and willing to commute? Can I expect to get block days off for reserve, etc?
-How is the moral and how do you all get on with management?
-Is there a culture of paranoia with the pilots when they're on probation?
-How is the training dept?
-What do you all see as the long term for Hawaiian? Part of DAL or American? independent for another 30 years? Where is the new Brit CEO taking you?
Anything else you want to add.... thanks again.
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Europe
Posts: 1,482
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thought it was mandatory for all Hawaiian pilots to:
- grow a moustache
- wear a Detroit Tigers cap
- wear short shorts
- live in the bungalow of a mysterious writer's mansion on the beach
- drive a Ferrari for free
- hang out with a Hughes 500 chopper pilot
- investigate/solve murders on the side
(a salute to all of those Magnum PI fans out there - great show!)
- grow a moustache
- wear a Detroit Tigers cap
- wear short shorts
- live in the bungalow of a mysterious writer's mansion on the beach
- drive a Ferrari for free
- hang out with a Hughes 500 chopper pilot
- investigate/solve murders on the side
(a salute to all of those Magnum PI fans out there - great show!)
Last edited by Iver; 8th Nov 2012 at 20:57.
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Honolulu
Posts: 197
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Good place to work, no need for paranoia just do what you are supposed to do. Commuting is possible, but can be tough especially early on where you may not be able to get a schedule you like.
Good training, though the hiring process leaves a lot to be desired.
Good training, though the hiring process leaves a lot to be desired.
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Seattle
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I know it's a few months later here, but if you are waiting to hear (or waiting to re-interview), here's what I know.
Commuting can work, unless you get assigned to the interisland flying. You can still commute then, but you'll be home a lot less, since it's hard to commute with the 717's schedules. Out of LAX it's a piece of cake, as there are at least three flights a day to HNL, plus some seasonal flights to OGG. I commute too (not from LAX), and have never had a problem on our own aircraft.
There's very good morale between the employees & management. Of course there's always the 2% that complain continuously, but overall it's pretty good.
I've never seen any FO get paranoid about probation. You have to really mess up bad to face termination. Really, they're not 'out to get you'. You have to prove you're a screw-up in order to attract management's attention.
Training department is good, but overwhelmed at the moment with all the growth. We use our own pilots to teach ground school & sim, as well as being check airmen, so they know and understand what they're doing.
Hopefully, and truthfully, I hope HA stays by themselves over the next several decades. That's not to say they might not be swallowed up by AA or DL, but if they were, whatever it is that makes HA profitable and a good place to work would be erased, and thereby erasing any reason for them to be bought. HA seems to be making the right decisions on growth and profitability, but they aren't doing anything another airline could do on their own, without having to buy HA. Our CEO seems to be a large part of that good decision making, so I hope he stays around for a while.
Commuting can work, unless you get assigned to the interisland flying. You can still commute then, but you'll be home a lot less, since it's hard to commute with the 717's schedules. Out of LAX it's a piece of cake, as there are at least three flights a day to HNL, plus some seasonal flights to OGG. I commute too (not from LAX), and have never had a problem on our own aircraft.
There's very good morale between the employees & management. Of course there's always the 2% that complain continuously, but overall it's pretty good.
I've never seen any FO get paranoid about probation. You have to really mess up bad to face termination. Really, they're not 'out to get you'. You have to prove you're a screw-up in order to attract management's attention.
Training department is good, but overwhelmed at the moment with all the growth. We use our own pilots to teach ground school & sim, as well as being check airmen, so they know and understand what they're doing.
Hopefully, and truthfully, I hope HA stays by themselves over the next several decades. That's not to say they might not be swallowed up by AA or DL, but if they were, whatever it is that makes HA profitable and a good place to work would be erased, and thereby erasing any reason for them to be bought. HA seems to be making the right decisions on growth and profitability, but they aren't doing anything another airline could do on their own, without having to buy HA. Our CEO seems to be a large part of that good decision making, so I hope he stays around for a while.
