Virgin America      View Vacancies

Interview Profile

• Updated 012/07/11

• Phone interview
  • Check airman
  • Review qualifications
  • Discuss pay, benefits
  • Given number to call to schedule interview
• Company presentation
  • Three interviewers
  • Group of interviewees
  • Company vision described
  • Future plans
  • Go around room introducing yourself
  • Answer questions in front of the group
    • Why Virgin?
    • One "TMAAT" question
• One-on-one HR interview
  • Four or five general HR questions
  • 15-20 minutes
  • Personal interactions
  • Questions about past
• Two-on-one pilot interview
  • Five or six Tell me about a time questions
  • Log book review
  • 20-30 minutes
• Tour of facility
  • Introduced to different management personnel

Interview Question Bank

Human Resource Questions

• Why Virgin
• Why leave your current company
• What do you like/dislike about former companies
• Past problems...
  • DUI
  • Failed checkride
  • Accident
  • Incident
  • Letters of warning
• Tell me about a time...
  • You had to deal with stress in the cockpit
  • You had to divert, what would you have done differently
  • You exceeded customers expectations
  • You had to improve crew morale
  • You developed a personal or professional relationship at work
  • Your subordinates gave you positive feedback at work
  • You reprimanded a peer or subordinate.
  • You fostered a relationship with another crew member while at work
  • You had a conflict with a coworker who resisted your instructions
  • Someone did not follow your recommendation
  • You used humor to diffuse a situation
  • You disagreed with the decision of a superior
  • You had to deal with an unusual or unrealistic request
  • You refused a request
  • You had to deal with a difficult crewmember.
  • You saw someone do something unsafe and how you handled it.
  • You made a decision under pressure
  • You made a decision under a time constraint
  • You had a situation where a checklist did not apply.
  • Your worst aircraft emergency.
  • You used numerous resources to complete a task.
  • You schedule was disrupted and how you dealt with it.
  • You forgot to do something.
  • You used your technical knowledge to overcome a problem
  • You used your technical knowledge to teach a co-worker
  • You changed something safety related at your company
  • You went outside of a company policy
  • You helped change a company policy
  • You had to follow up on a decision to make sure it was accomplished.
  • You had to make a quick decision.
  • You stopped a small problem from becoming a larger problem
  • You went above and beyond for a crew member
  • You were able to retain customer loyalty
  • A customer was excited when you dealt with them.
  • You dealt with a customer complaint
  • A customer was not happy with a technical decision you made.
  • You made a good decision (recently)
  • You made a decision you later regretted
  • Tell me about a time:
  • CRM broke down.
  • You changed the mind of a group of people (positive or negative)
• What aviation associations are you involved with?
• Tell me about your last aircraft's most difficult system
• What did you do for X number of months while on furlough?

Comments

• Dress code is business casual
• Virgin America will provide lunch at some point during the day
• If you are a legacy guy or girl they do not want to hear about you being a sky nazi. VX is a great company to fly for and they do things that other airlines are not even touching regarding FLT OPS. Good luck!
• Well I have to say that the interview process was very straight forward and they made you feel very relaxed. They really made you feel as if the job is yours and made you think that only a screwup wouldn't be hired. However from the ten of us that interviewed, nobody was hired. They don't have a hiring pool because what they do is only interview for the next class. So if the next class is full they won't take anybody. Someone may interview a week after you do and get the job because then they are looking to fill the next class. It all depends on the timing of your interview and whether or not they need to fill spots. The day I interviewed was a bad time because the next two classes were already filled. They knew this with us going in and wasted everyone's time. Our entire group wouldn't get the job regardless of qualification. Very unprofessional and a sad excuse for an airline to behave toward individuals. I hope they fail miserably. (02/28/10)
• The comment above is completely incorrect. VA hires successful candidates from an interview session to be put inline for the next available class. They are very selective and if no one in a particular group excels then no body from that group will get the thumbs up. These are very busy people and they wouldn't just waist there day interviewing Pilots they don't need. Again they are very selective and my advice to anyone who get's an interview is to be as prepared as you can possibly be. Dress well, be ready to answer their questions, be upbeat and have all your paperwork in order. If you really want the job you will do that. (3/24/10)
• The last sentence from the comment posted on 2/28 shows why this person would never get a job at Virgin America. They can see through anybody who is there for the wrong reasons and they can spot a 'trouble maker' like this a mile off. Be positive, interested & enthusiastic and you'll be hired. (08/04/2010)
• All that had been previously mentioned. If you can travel on them, that is a plus.
  
  round table, introduce yourself, then what did you see on a virgin flight. Then random TMAAT, no prep, on the spot response.
  
  Then tour of corporate, followed by a 2-1 interview with the CP. go over resume, a few TMAAT, what can you bring to us, why us?
  
  The second set is HR with CK airman, 3-4 HR questions, review of logbook, why virgin?
  
  8 per class by 2x's a month until???
  
  6 a/c by Dec, 1 per month until 2017
  106 a/c at the end.
  Interviewing 2x's a week on Tues and Wed until further notice. Placing those accepted about 10-12 weeks out. Everyone is SFO based, there are some satellite bases on both coasts, but don't count on anything for a few years.
• Pay has increased twice, up to $10/hr in some cases, in just over a year. Also per diem increase as well. The BOD is well aware the natives are getting restless when it comes to pay, and they very much do not want to see a union on property. So the pay is coming, just like it came at JetBlue without a union. (4/12/11)
  
  RSV is 11 d/o, possible short upg under 4 years, regardless shorter than ANY other carrier at this time.
  
  results can be as quick as next morning to 2 weeks. The average is between 5-8 days. If you get the drug test email, you are golden then only a clean PRIA, otherwise a thanks but no thanks email about the same time
  
  This is just my opinion.. they seem to prefer hip, young, techie, extroverted types. If you are not comfortable being goofy in front of a crowd or being outspoken in front of a crowd, the odds are not favorable.
  
  I was unsuccessful, regardless I was impressed by what they are trying to accomplish. Key words, a PAX is a "guest", they are big on the virgin experience, so take the time to make sure you ride on them at least once.
  
  
  As another said, they are in the position to be very selective. Come with your best face forward, avoid being over the top enthusiastic, but show them you can be a "fun" person and I think you will be fine. They seem to like the show over the technical side. So, you don't have to be a perfect pilot, just a likeable one. (08/24/10)
• Sounds like more trouble than it's worth (average for all airlines).  I hate TMAAT questions!  I'll just stay a capt. at my present airline, I can't take the pay cut as a FO anyway. (10/11/10)
• Then why did you even look at VA.  This is an extremely easy interview.  If you can't handle four or five tmaat questions and lunch, you better stay where you are.  LOL (10/12/10)
• Thanks for this great information.  I've told myself I\'d never go to the airlines but VA has changed my mind and I am ready to start the application process.  I have a few acquaintances that work there too and I've heard nothing but excellent things about VA.  To those negative nancys out there- I say- you are right where you need to be- I've shared the cockpit with you and it gets old real fast. Cheers. (02/14/11)
• ahhh, they pay like crap. It is unfortanate that people get all giddy for this pay scale. But wait, oh yeah, the pay will come, righhht. (04/12/11)
• I've yet to travel on VA and have not met any of the pilots. What is a typical schedule? Heard rumor, 3 days on then 3 off, thus making commuting impossible. (05/05/11)
• YET TO GET AN INTERVIEW ?. I submitted my application for VA on day 1 of the web site opening. After at least 2 years Iv never heard from them. Im A320 rated 2,000 hours on type with over 8,000 tt and Iv never ever heard from these people.  It seems like there is a deep dark secret to getting an interview here. (05/16/11)
• I have submitted my resume and received an email to do the assessment.  How long is it typically taking to get called for an interview after completing the assessment? (05/24/11)
• Hey (05/16/11) there is no deep dark secret why you didn\'t get hired, anyone can move a yoke back and forth. If you want to know why you were rejected, just take your work to an English teacher!
• For the comment from 4/12/11 - I don't know why you are skeptical about the the pay going up when it has twice in the past year - including once since you posted your remark. Per Diem also just increased as well. Pay went up at JetBlue quite a bit without a union as well. Funny thing is the only companies I have ever heard of taking pay cuts were the union ones. Funny how that little nugget gets missed by the union lovers.
  
  Virgin is a great company to work for and those who are not crusty and miserable will love it here. (09/08/11)
• Apply again if you want to be there! They have changed methods and personnel and the early applications may have not made it through the transitions - if you want it, it is there to be had. Go get it. Great people, great product and I really wish they make it. Have a bunch of good friends there! (09/08/11)
• From the comments above, most are accurate.  VX seems like an awesome place to work!  Very friendly atmosphere and they go out of their way to make you feel like a guest.  Not to sound cliche, but if you get the interview, calm down, relax and just get to know them.  Have your stories ready and don\'t give "canned" answers.  There are no tricks or surprises.  They don't give the written test anymore either.  They told us that we would know in about one week if we are hired.  I still don't know, but either way, this is a top notch carrier and I have no doubt that they will prosper.  Good luck to all!! (09/26/11)
• Stupid question, what is the deal with an email about filling out a pilot questionnaire and a chief pilot will review it and we will get back to you? Kind of easy 6 questions. Is this a precurser to getting an interview?
• To the question above, if you get the pilot questionnaire, you should get the interview email as well after you send it back.   Just don't put anything stupid for "Why do you want to work for Virgin" and "Why leave your current employer."