Mrotenfan

1. That's the right place to be!

2. A lot of positions require high school diploma and minimum age of 19. So you are qualified there. Airlines use seniority system, the early you start the better. Often I wish I'd started at 19 instead of 27.

3. Except the office positions, you will get a lot of exercise. Certainly ramp position. As a ramper you also will exposed to all kinds of weather elements in Milwaukee but you can save the gym membership. As a customer service you will walk a lot, you may will clean the planes too. You work indoor most of time; you will have angry people screaming in your face for something you didn't do, you need to smile and keep your cool even though you have the urge to punch the person standing in front of you.

4. Usually only flight attentant and pilot positions are asked to relocate.

5. It depends on carriers to be free or not. Mine is not free but they offer very generous travel passes to my family and friends. Most airlines offer travel benefits from airlines they are contracted to, also extended to alliance partners. Also you can get Industrial Discount tickets on most airlines, but keep in mind that they sound better than they actually are. Sometimes you are better off going to Expedia or Cheapticket.

All in all, I would suggest that you go to Milwaukee airport to see what airlines are available, and talk to people how to apply.

mbstone

You don't necessarily have to work in the airline industry to get airline perks. For example, you could work for ARINC, a company that has defense contracting and information technology jobs, among others, but the company just happens to be owned by the airlines. Work there 1 year and you can fly anywhere you want as a nonrev, same as a flight attendant.

Cookie Jarvis

I just came off of a year stint with Mesa Airlines (flew as US Airways) as a Customer Service Ramp agent. I thought it was a great idea at the time to take a minimum wage job in order to get flight benefits. I used the flight benefits only twice during that year. My husband used them once, and I had to pay to fly him back home during that one trip otherwise he probably would have been stuck on the other side of the country for an extra 2 to 4 days. My parents did fly quite a bit, and quite honestly, that was the only thing that made the job seem worthwhile.

I hope the OP isn't going to work at a tiny airport. I think maybe that was one of the biggest reasons why my experience was so crappy. It is a given that you are going to be outside in all sorts of weather, and trust me, deicing the plane is no fun when that wind is a-whipping!! For some reason, we were alone working a shift, so I was a one-man band. I marshalled the plane in and out, I took care of passengers, I drove the baggage cart and loaded and unloaded bags (really sucky, most people overpack big-time).

MKEbound

www.midwestairlines.com

They are looking for people in several airports. Often there is a link on the first page of the website.

skchin

I sugest you work for an air freight forwarding company. Not only do you get discounts from the Airlines for cargo usage, you also get to hand-carry things across the country and overseas for your company. You also get to keep the mileage and probably get better pay.

MRKEY

Field station ramp duty requirements seem fairly demanding:

Ramp duties include baggage handling, loading/unloading aircraft, aircraft
cleaning, parking and dispatching aircraft, lavatory and water service, and
de-icing aircraft.

JOB QUALIFICATIONS:
High school graduate or GED equivalent.

Service-oriented personality.

Ability to cope with a variety of non-routine situations.

Possess a valid driver's license.

Ability to work a diverse schedule including nights, weekends, and holidays.

Ability to lift 80 pounds on a regular basis.

Successful completion of 10-year background investigation, physical examination
and drug test.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS OF JOB:
Sit 0-33% of the work shift

Stand and walk 34-66% of the work shift

Lift and carry objects weighing 11-50 pounds 34-66% of the work shift

Lift up to 80 pounds 0-33% of the shift

Lift and carry passengers who may weigh greater than 100 pounds, with the
assistance of other coworkers

Pull and push with a force of 65 pounds to move objects on flat surfaces

Climb stairs, ladders and inclines

Work at low levels in cramped work spaces which require crawling, squatting and
kneeling

Reach and lift above and below shoulder level

Participate in a wide variety of repetitive trunk movements including forward
and backward bending, trunk rotation and bending side to side

Carry objects on a variety of smooth and rough work surfaces, up and down stairs
and ladders

Use both hands to manipulate and move large and small objects within minimal
time limits

Ability to see, hear and talk

Operate motorized equipment

WORKING CONDITIONS:
Primarily outside work in a variety of weather conditions, either alone or with
others around.

Cramped or restricted workspaces which limit body motions.

Exposure to toxic chemical hazards, dusts, vapors, fumes and mists and minimally
to corrosive chemicals.

Exposure to heat, cold, noise, vibration and ultraviolet radiation from the sun.

Exposure to mechanical hazards of lifting, pulling, pushing and occasional use
of awkward postures.

Exposure to biological hazards associated with blood and body fluids as well as
other human pathogens, molds and fungi.

gglave

The one thing to keep in mind with 'benefits' is you typically fly standby. Airlines employees have access to load factor reports, so they can 'generally' determine if they can get on a given flight, but not always, particularly with load factors being as high as they are these days. Also, it's great if you can fly to Hawaii for free, but if you're earning $8 per hour you may not have a lot of money to spend on hotels and SCUBA rentals

That being said, I know of 20+ year baggage handlers and mechanics with AC who have seen the world. I know of one guy who flies to Havana for cigars about four times per year.

Cheers,
Geoff Glave
Vancouver, canada

Mrotenfan

To travel standby successfully you need to do your home work.
You will learn once you start working, your colleagues are best to ask for tips.
You will have access to check passenger loads, and you have to have flexible plan and back up plan.

I'd suggest to go for the major carriers, simple reason: bigger planes are easier for standby travel.
If you don't have majors serving Milwaukee, then go for the bigger feeders. Keep in mind that in most of cases, feeder airlines employees' boarding priorities are behind the majors.

Also bigger airlines have more established systems, it's easier for you to follow when there is a irregular situation at work.

pjpoker

Thanks again for all the responses.

The demands are actually sounding good to me...will be nice to get a workout that I am forced to do...that way I can't say "I'll exercise later"

And as for standby, I'm sure I'd manage. If I couldn't get on a flight to one place, I'd probably just fly to a different city that has seats available. I'm a last minute traveler anyway.

And I travel on a budget. Sure, I won't have money for a good, or even decent hotel, but I rather enjoy hostels, and can certainly afford that.

I've applied for 3 jobs so far, hopefully more in the near future.

Mrotenfan

pj, good luck! I do hope you get something.

You will see you can get all kinds of discount as an airlines employee, like cell phone bills, computers, certain internet providers, hotels, rental cars; you will have access to a lot of interline travel sites where you can go a week of cruise to Alaska for $500, greatly discounted vacation resorts or condos...
Working for airlines opens a door to the big wild world.

Cookie Jarvis

I wished I could have used my flight benefits more than twice in year! Unfortunately, my airline job was a second job just for sh*ts and giggles (and flight benefits) so I worked nights and weekends in addition to the 40 hours week I put in with my regular full-time job. Really I don't know what I was thinking!

On some level, the physical demands portion of the job is kind of nice, because you definitely are getting a work out. No need to waste time and money at a gym! I do think it is an awful lot of responsibility for a minimum wage job, especially if you were working the entire shift alone like I was!!

4thplz

Free flights are not a benefit. Free flights are a privilege that can be taken away.

It does open the world if you take advantage of the opportunities.

jetskipper

-- Response covered by another member. --

pjpoker

Well, I went in for an interview at NWA...it went pretty well, I do feel I could have answered one of the questions better, and I did get a little stain on my shirt before I went in...oh well. The rest was very good and the interviewer seemed to like me...

She said hopefully the background check comes out clean and they can give me a job offer... how long might this take??? I actually applied for both a CSR job as well as a ramp job.

somkirs

Many opportunities are available for the pilots and other airlines jobs. when comparing to the secure it does not have much in India. mostly guys in India used to prefer for the Govt jobs. their are huge opportunities are available, while coming to it Air India recruits through the employment notification. many candidates where interested in it and they are ready for change, you can get many notification from it, we have to check every time were the notification releases, Here i refer one site that helps to get the every notification of Govt jobs in Air India, this will help you for it https://allgovernmentjobs.in/air-india-recruitment

If any one need you can check eligibility over there