News and notes from around the interweb:
- Trumps order ending DEI at the FAA. The FAA did dumb things but that’s not actually what’s compromising safety.
I don’t think diversity hiring is why the FAA’s air traffic organization has problems. Still, it’s a very bad look that a class action lawsuit brought by Collegiate Training Initiative students who got passed over has uncovered some pretty bad hiring practices at the FAA.
Facing pressure to diversify an overwhelmingly white workforce, the FAA began using a biographical test as a first screen of candidates.
Meanwhile, minority candidates were fed “buzz words” to bump their resumes up to top priority. Apparently saying your worst subject in school was science served as a golden ticket. Correct answers to the take-home biographical questionnaire were given in their entirety. These questionnaires were later banned.
Remember, after the questionnaire stage they still screened for competency. This isn’t about whether controllers are competent, it’s about who was allowed to demonstrate competence.
- ThanksAgain, which I’ve used to earn rewards on airport spending, and as part of triple and quadruple dipping on Lyft spend, has offered points transfers to Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan. However, they tell me, “Alaska is no longer supporting redemptions of points using their ‘Partner Miles’ platform. Therefore, we will soon be replacing Alaska with JetBlue.”
- Hyatt now offering suite upgrade bidding on some reservations. If they manage to sell more suites at a discount this way, fewer will be available at check-in. Fortunately Hyatt makes confirmed suites available at booking in a way that other chains don’t.
- Who managed to get this bag past the sizer?
- Usually you’ve got to be in at least business class to want to do this, right?
- Qantas will be increasing the cost of most awards 10% – 20% in August although Jetstar redemptions will generally become cheaper. Jetstar is getting a new Boeing 787 recliner business class with satellite wifi (no seatback entertainment screens, natch) and broadly finding more space in the cabin to use for seating.
Wait… so DEI is gone, but everything isn’t better yet? What!?
When @AndyS hears about this, he’s going to be quite confused.
Seriously, who did she bribe to get that onboard?
The Administration has ordered all federal DEI employees to be placed on leave. Is there a check mark on an individual’s personnel file that indicates the person was a DEI hire? Or, is it that the person is simply not white? Just curious.
@Jack
So close! You forgot a few additional requirements for the new social hierarchy. Wealthy, conservative, white, straight, Christian, Trump-supporting males only. You also need to ‘know the right person’ and your ability to actually do the job is irrelevant. You know, ‘merit’-based. Praise be!
The only thing that should matter is a person’s ability to learn and do the job. Management is completely responsible for assuring the right people pass their probation.
It is the government employees that work in DEI departments that are being reassigned–Not employees with a real job within the bureaucracy that may have gotten their job for a reason besides merit.
The last few days have convinced me that TDS is real, and that the brain rot it induces is probably permanent.
While whag the FAs did was stupid, making the primary hiring qualification the ability to finance AT school isn’t going to get you the best people either.
I’m sure plenty of people will be happy ATC hiring will return back to white men only.