Working for Continental

[NJ_Dude]

Hi there,

I applied to become a FA for Continental and got a response, I have to go to the interviews, etc, but I see that you start as "reserve", I've never worked for an airline before and I'd like to know Continental's policies regarding new hires, my home base would be EWR which is 15 minutes away from where I live, in case you need to know.

Any info about this will be greatly appreciated.

 

[jimntx]

Hi there,

I applied to become a FA for Continental and got a response, I have to go to the interviews, etc, but I see that you start as "reserve", I've never worked for an airline before and I'd like to know Continental's policies regarding new hires, my home base would be EWR which is 15 minutes away from where I live, in case you need to know.

Any info about this will be greatly appreciated.

I applied at Continental about the same time I was hired at AA. I have several friends who are flight attendants at Continental, and they love working for the company. However, they are all based in Houston where the headquarters are and the cost of living is quite a bit below the New York area.

As a reserve, you will not have a regular schedule of flights. You will have set days off, and set days on which you will be "on call" to the company. And, that is on call 24 hours a day. They might call you at 5pm to tell you that you have been assigned to a trip that leaves at 4pm the next day. Or, they may call you at 2am and tell you that you have to be at the airport at 4am. You have to be flexible.

You will have a guarantee of 70-75 hours of flight pay per month whether you fly that much or not. At CO there is some maximum number of hours they can fly you on reserve. It varies from airline to airline based on the union contract at that airline. At AA, we are guaranteed 75 hours pay per reserve month, but the company can fly us up to 85 hours in a reserve month. (Reserve is different at AA than at most other airlines. We don't have straight reserve where you are on reserve every month until you have enough seniority to be off reserve.)

During your days on call, you have to be within 2 hours of the airport (the time limit may be different at CO), and that includes time to get into your uniform and get your luggage from home. As far as I know, the report time is the same at CO as at AA or most any other airline...you have to check in at the airport NO LESS than 1 hour prior to scheduled departure. The fact that you live near the airport is ideal! You can go shopping or to a movie even when you are on call as long as you have your cell phone or pager with you so the company can get in touch with you. Living near the airport will give you a little more flexibility than otherwise.

Take training VERY seriously. Some people don't, and even the smartest ones can flunk out. The safety aspects of the job are critical. The FAA does not take them lightly. The emergency commands that you have to learn have to be word for word--no exceptions. You will have tests in which you have to specify the location of all the emergency equipment on the a/c. While the others are down in the hotel bar, be up in your room memorizing the location of the friggin' fire extinguisher.

Also as far as I know, CO still does all their training in Houston. The training center is at Intercontinental Airport. If the training is in the summer, be aware that it will be hot as hell and humid beyond belief. (I own a home on the edge of the airport, and I've been attached to Houston since 1969; so, I can tell the truth about it. )

Go for it. Continental is a good company and from the flight attendants I know, they have great employees. It's a fun job. You will never get rich at it, but there are rewards.

One other thing...
When you go to the interview, and you are asked why you want to be a flight attendant, come up with a better answer than "I just want to work with people." That lame answer will guarantee that you aren't hired. Unless you are a professional hermit, you will be working with people at any job you do.

 

[NJ_Dude]

Thanks!!

Yes, the training a 5 week (so they say) period in Texas, I don't mind at all, I'm single, so, I can go anywhere anytime and living close to the airport I know it will be advantageous.

What worries me a little is the "pay" and how "long term" this career might be.

If anyone else has anything to tell me please do so, I'll appreciate that.

 

[featheroleather]

You can go shopping or to a movie even when you are on call as long as you have your cell phone or pager with you so the company can get in touch with you.

Now I know why people keep their phones on at the movie theater! :angry: . But seriously, everything the other poster said is true and you will get to fly to some pretty cool places (and some not so cool places).Pay for the first 4-5 yrs is not so hot, but after your 5th year, you will see a nice bump. Many f/a's (myself included) planned on doing this for only a couple of years, and 20 plus years later,we are still here.The longer you stay, they higher the pay and more time off to do other stuff.Go for it!

 

[NJ_Dude]

Another question, how you get paid? since you have so irregular work days? and what's the minumum rate at which one starts?

I tell you, I'd like to have the oportunity to become a FA.

 

[Borescope]

Another question, how you get paid? since you have so irregular work days? and what's the minumum rate at which one starts?

I tell you, I'd like to have the oportunity to become a FA.

You usually get an advence on the 1st of the month, say 1000 (I don't know the exact number) then on the 16th of the month you get all the hours you've flown the previous month or the gaurentee, which ever is higher, times your hourly rate, less the advance and the taxes. Good thing about Texas Vs NJ is no state taxes. If you get hired, the training will be in Texas, so make yourself a resident, you'll save some money in taxes. Good Luck!

 

[NJ_Dude]

If you get hired, the training will be in Texas, so make yourself a resident, you'll save some money in taxes.

Now that's a very good tip, Thanks.

 

[jimntx]

Another question, how you get paid? since you have so irregular work days? and what's the minumum rate at which one starts?

I tell you, I'd like to have the oportunity to become a FA.

If CO operates the way AA does...
1. You get paid on the 15th of the month and the last day of the month (adjusted for weekends/holidays).
2. On the 15th, you are paid for 1/2 your guarantee.
3. At the end of the month, you are paid the other half of your guarantee PLUS...
a. Any hours you flew over your guarantee last month.
b. Any incentive pay called for in your contract, also from last month's flying--for instance at AA M/C galley person on 757s and widebodies are paid an additional amount per flight hour for each trip.
c. Per diem money (again from last month). Per diem is some amount per hour that you are paid from the time you sign in for a trip until the end of the trip. It's usually quite small--$1.25 to $2.00 per hour depending on f/a contract at each airline.

You are going to have to accept the fact that the first 4-5 years are going to be very lean years. You will clear something in the neighborhood of $500-$600 in your mid-month check and $900-1100 in your end of month check for the first few years. A lot of f/as keep a part-time job on the side for the first years. This will be easier for you since you already live in the EWR area. It's very difficult for those who commute and only have a "crash pad" at EWR.

However, if the money is your main motivator/reason for looking into this, don't even bother going to the interview and wasting your time and theirs. The money seems very good when you consider that top of scale flight attendants make $40-$60/hr depending upon the airline. But, remember, you are only paid for flight hours. Flight hours are only those hours when the a/c door is closed and the brake is released. You are paid only your per diem from the time you sign in until that door closes, and the flight pay stops the instant that door opens at the other end.

Yes, that's correct. All that hassle of boarding and unloading the passengers is unpaid time. It's criminal, but as flight crew member, you are not covered by the Federal Wage-Hour law. You are covered by the Railway Labor Act (don't ask) which allows this practice.

 

[NJ_Dude]

However, if the money is your main motivator/reason for looking into this, don't even bother going to the interview and wasting your time and theirs.

Well, I was asking about the money because that's the reason why we get jobs in the first place , however, making that little in the beginning I think it won't be a problem. In short, let's say the first few years I'd be making in the neighborhood of $1800/month, is that right?, but of course, I'd be also traveling all over the place, that's nice if you ask me

 

[featheroleather]

At CAL, we get paid 2x a month. On the 1st of each month, we get paid a 40 hr advance, then on the 16th, we get cleanup pay, which is whatever you fly overyour minimum guarantee.(83 hrs for reserves and 65 hrs for line holders IIRC). Starting hourly is @18.00 for 1st year,@20.00 for the 2nd year and @ 22.50 for the 3rd year.So if you fly 90 hrs in a month(and many fly well over that each month, you will get paid 40 hrs on the 1st and then on the 16th you will get 50 hrs pay, plus perdiem (Time away from base which is @ 2.35 hr internationally but has been eliminated domestically) :down: and any other overides you may get (galley pay, lead, night, short crew etc) You will learn to love your turkey sandwich "crew meals" (Just don't eat the whole thing in one bite!!!) If you live near the airport, you may even rent out part of your house to another stew and make money on the side.

 

[IORFA]

Do you mean that domestic F/A's get NO per diem? If so, that SUCKS!!!

 

[featheroleather]

Oops!My bad.No perdiem for turns. F/A's still get it for overnites.I think its 1.65/hr TAFB

 

[IORFA]

Still, NOTHING, for a turn?

 

[CALFLYBOY]

Yup, nothing for a turn, or nothing for a "one duty period" trip.

NJ Dude, your pay as a starting FA is not good, especially if you "make your guarantee, " meaning you fly less than 83 hours a month.

There are two types of reserve: Call Out and 24 hour Ready Reserve. Ready Reserve is just what Jimntx described above. Call Out Reserve means you are on call during certain hours of the day and night. When you are not on call, you do not have to answer the phone when crew scheduling calls. There are a whole host of rules that make call out reserve sometimes confusing, and in my opinion, worthless.

On reserve, depending on your seniority and what you can hold, there are schedules which have 10 days off a month to schedules that have 12 days off a month. If you have a 10 day off line then you have a 83 hour guarantee. If you have a 11 day off line then you have 79 hour guarantee. Finally, 12 day off lines have a 75 hour guarantee.

Pay- There is no "advance" pay system here at CAL. We are paid "in a rears". Paydays are the 1st and 16th of every month unless those days fall on a weekend/holiday then you are paid on the previous business day. In order to get paid on the 1st, which is a 40 hour check, minus taxes, and deductions i.e. insurance, etc., you must have been active and flying the prior month especially the last two weeks. If you were not active in the prior month, then you will not get a pay check for 40 hours on the following 1st of the month. On the 16th, you get a check that has 25 hours of pay if you were active in the previous two weeks, then you get "clean up pay" for all hours flown/guaranteed over 65 from the previous month, per diem(expense pay) from the previous month, overrides from the previous month, etc. Between the time you start training until you are in your second month of flying you will not see a regular paycheck. That could mean 8-12 weeks of no pay. Prepare yourself in advance. In training, you get paid per diem, but it will barely cover your meal and incidental expenses, if you are lucky.

The pay system and work rules are quite unusual if you are new to the airline industry. My best advice to you is understand that you will be quite poor in the first few years as a flight attendant until that larger than normal pay raise in your 5th year. Second, have savings enough to pay your bills when you leave for training until the 3rd month of flying. Third, and most importantly, have fun. There is no other job like flying. How often does one get paid to serve a few cokes, serve some food, to go have dinner in Paris or Midland, TX? Not very often. Yes, this job is MUCH more detailed and safety orientated. Good luck to you NJDude.

Still, NOTHING, for a turn?

 

[TheWatcher]

Good luck with the interview process, and i hope you dont have to come here to Houston in the summer. If so, be ready to roast. Summer is not a real good time for IAH. Again, good luck