American Airlines vs JetBlue Airways
A side-by-side comparison of pilot careers at American Airlines (AA) and JetBlue Airways (B6) — covering salary, fleet, requirements, and more.
Airline selection starts with an aptitude battery
It screens you before a human reads your application. Sit a timed practice paper free — scored on pace, which is what actually culls candidates.
Which one fits you
Read from the numbers above rather than from opinion. Where the published data does not settle a question, it is left open instead of guessed.
JetBlue Airways opens earlier
JetBlue Airways states 1,000 hours where American Airlines states 1,500. That gap is roughly 1 year of flying at a typical instructor's pace, so for most candidates these are not two applications you send the same week — one is now and the other is later.
American Airlines pays higher at both ends
Top of band: $200,000 as an FO and $400,000 as a captain. Bands are wide because seniority, fleet and country tax all move them — treat this as direction, not a payslip.
Whichever you pick, the gate is the same shape
Both run an aptitude battery before a human reads your CV, then a competency interview scored against the ICAO pilot competencies. We do not have a pack for either yet — the aptitude practice below applies to both.
Knowing what American Airlines pays is the easy part. Getting through their selection is the part that decides whether you ever earn it.
Before a human reads your application there is an aptitude battery, and candidates consistently report it as the heaviest cull — pace, not difficulty. You can practise it here for free: timed papers generated fresh each run, plus a divided-attention drill that measures how much your performance degrades under load.
No American Airlines pack yet — want it built?
We will not pretend to have one. We build the next pack for the airline that gets asked for most, so leaving your address here is a vote. No sequence, one email when it ships.
Head-to-Head Comparison
Requirements Comparison
American Airlines
- ATP certificate
- 1,500+ hours total time
- FAA Class 1 medical
- FCC Restricted Radiotelephone permit
- US work authorization
- 4-year degree preferred
JetBlue Airways
- ATP certificate
- 2,500+ hours total time
- 1,000+ hours turbine PIC
- FAA Class 1 medical
Pros & Cons
American Airlines
Pros
- +Industry-leading captain pay
- +Modern fleet with 787 Dreamliner
- +Large domestic route network
JetBlue Airways
Pros
- +Large domestic route network
About Each Airline
American Airlines
The world's largest airline by fleet size, American Airlines is based in Fort Worth, Texas and operates an extensive domestic and international network.
Full American Airlines career guide →JetBlue Airways
JetBlue is known for premium service on a low-cost model. Based in New York with a focus on East Coast and Caribbean routes.
Full JetBlue Airways career guide →Calculate Your Salary
Model your earning potential at American Airlines or JetBlue Airways based on your experience, ratings, and career stage.
Salary Calculator