Newbie44 I would think twice about making an airline your career if I were you.
I am sure every Fleet Service Clerk on this forum will tell you that anybody with time has had surgery on either their knees, hip, back, or shoulders. It is so common as to be expected. It is a physical job and that mileage shows in later years.
Like having a personal life? Well those days are over when you work for an airline. You are going to have crappy hours and crappy days off for YEARS to come. Maybe decades depending on location.
Holidays? Forget about it. You know how you get Christmas off in DFW? You offer a large sum of money to someone with huge time to work for you. They bid those holidays off with the intention of selling the day to less senior people.
If you work for a large station get used to people sitting on their ass doing absolutely nothing while you work plane after plane after plane in inclement weather. It is a modern UNION job and it shows. Get used to the idea of parasites living off your back and nonstop political propaganda If you are fine with that then cool but I left the airline business after 12 years because I got absolutely sick of it. .
If I were you I would take the job full time (and CS off half my hours) or part time ( part timers get benefits to) if that is all that's available and use American Airlines as an "insurance policy" in case your other job lays off. Take the airline job with the intent of using the good pay to invest in a skill or education and open up future options for yourself. Every airline worker needs an exit plan, just ask the employees of all the defunct airlines of years past.
Another problem is American Airlines may pay well but they also lay off frequently. What you do for the airline will not translate to like pay anywhere else. When you are used to working for $30+ an hour, get laid off, and can't find like pay it can cause you extreme financial hardship. This is not a problem for most jobs because typically employers are within a window, however being an unskilled worker in a heavily UNIONized industry has no windows. You get laid off you are pretty much out of the game until you get recalled. There is no going to airline B for $30+ an hour.
I know this post sounds pessimistic but consider this, I spent 12 years at American Airlines and I was topped out as a Fleet Service Clerk. Even though I had a good paying job with benefits I chose to take a chance, walk away, and pursue another career because I got tired of all the BS. Consider that before you decide to make an airline your main career.
I am trying to give you a realistic look at life working for an airline. Good pay and benefits, crap everything else.
You make a little over 30hr to load and unload bags. It’s physically challenging at times. But I doubt you’ll find anything better for the educational requirements.
I would say that is accurate.
If he can tolerate the pitfalls I say go for it.