pu From Sweden, joined Dec 2011, 642 posts, RR: 12 Posted (8 months 1 week 4 days 9 hours ago) and read 1499 times:
My nephew in Alabama has had a couple conversations with Delta Global people in BHM and expects a final meeting and job offer next week. He's attending university and the position is for part time ramp agent. I think the pay is $7.50 an hour and no health benefits. The flight benefits are (I think) unlimited domestic Delta flights and 18 transoceanic flight days a year without service charge on Delta, at one priority lower than mainline employees. No ID-90 or travel priveleges on other airlines. (a little fuzzy on flight benefits). He has health insurance elsewhere.
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I told him I think its a great first step into the airline business, which is his interest, and while the flight benefits are less than mainline, they are geat for a single guy with a flexible schedule.
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What do you guys think of this job, keeping in mind the money is not as important to him as getting experience in the industry? Any career path suggestions if he eventually wants to work for an airline on the business/HQ side? Maybe an MBA after college?
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Do you think a year or more at DGS is a solid first step towards a later position with mainline Delta or other mainline carrier?
...or is DGS and other ground handlers kind of looked down upon by DL mainline?
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Any thoughts or advice on the job, work conditions, benefits, or anything really are very appreciated.
RyanairGuru From Australia, joined Oct 2006, 2525 posts, RR: 2 Reply 1, posted (8 months 1 week 4 days 9 hours ago) and read 1465 times:
Quoting pu (Thread starter): I think the pay is $7.50 an hour and no health benefits.
That's in line with other service industries. If he was in the retail sector he would get the same, and obviously significantly less in the hospitality industry (but with tips). Realistically he shouldn't expect anything more.
However:
Quoting pu (Thread starter): The flight benefits are (I think) unlimited domestic Delta flights and 18 transoceanic flight days a year without service charge on Delta, at one priority lower than mainline employees. No ID-90 or travel priveleges on other airlines
This is pretty good - looking at it purely from the perspective of a college student working a part time job. If he was at WalMart he would get the same pay, but without the benefits. Obviously it isn't as good as mainline employees but (again looking at it from the perspective of a college student) it's pretty damn awesome!
slcdeltarumd11 From United States of America, joined Jan 2004, 2455 posts, RR: 0 Reply 2, posted (8 months 1 week 4 days 9 hours ago) and read 1455 times:
In this economy its tough to guess. What use to be easy is much harder now
crj900lr From United States of America, joined Mar 2011, 197 posts, RR: 0 Reply 3, posted (8 months 1 week 4 days 9 hours ago) and read 1403 times:
Expierence is what will get other companies to look at you. Once he gets his foot in the door there are endless opportunities depending on how far he would like to go in the industry. Another thing he may want to do is try to get to know as many people as he can at DGS, other airlines, and other handlers, that can also help in advancing later on.
dlramp4life From United States of America, joined Jun 2011, 703 posts, RR: 1 Reply 4, posted (8 months 1 week 3 days 16 hours ago) and read 1207 times:
Quoting pu (Thread starter): What do you guys think of this job, keeping in mind the money is not as important to him as getting experience in the industry? Any career path suggestions if he eventually wants to work for an airline on the business/HQ side? Maybe an MBA after college?
Great job to have while in college. A ground handler is a great step to into the industry, that is where I got my start. What is he interested in or what is his major? I for one am interested in operations, ramp management, and station management. But there are numerous routes you can go within in an airline or even a ground handler.
Quoting pu (Thread starter): Do you think a year or more at DGS is a solid first step towards a later position with mainline Delta or other mainline carrier?
...or is DGS and other ground handlers kind of looked down upon by DL mainline?
DGS is a great company to get on with if you want a start in the industry, DGS is one of the better ground handlers I think. But to work with an airline like DL, he would have to do his time at DGS and get the experience and go to a city that has DL mainline and start at the bottom if he wants to be at the airport level or just simply apply for an HQ job in ATL.
Airline employees look down at ground handlers but if you have experience at a ground handler like operations, pushback, weight and balance, and leadership. airlines do like that when it comes to hiring
Worked/Planned Loads on: CRJ-2,CRJ-7,CRJ-9,737-4,737-7,737-8,757-2,757-3,767-3,A319,A320,A330,MD83,MD90
ouboy79 From United States of America, joined Nov 2001, 4001 posts, RR: 23 Reply 5, posted (8 months 1 week 3 days 12 hours ago) and read 1151 times:
Quoting RyanairGuru (Reply 1): That's in line with other service industries. If he was in the retail sector he would get the same, and obviously significantly less in the hospitality industry (but with tips). Realistically he shouldn't expect anything more.
About the only thing that would get him more would be a call center gig which would probably start him $2-3 more than what he is at DGS. However, if you are involved in something you really enjoy that makes up for a lot of it in my opinion.
Any opinion/comment posted is that of my own and not that of Southwest Airlines Co.
ALTF4 From United States of America, joined Jul 2010, 1143 posts, RR: 4 Reply 6, posted (8 months 1 week 3 days 8 hours ago) and read 1109 times:
The experience is worth it. I'm in a different industry, but in most, experience is worth a lot - many places require at least some experience, so the problem often times is just getting the first relevant line on the resume.
I think he should go for it
[Edited 2012-09-15 19:57:12]
The above post is my opinion. Don't like it? Don't read it.
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