Thousands Apply For American Airlines Job Openings

American Airlines announced in October it was hiring 1,500 new flight attendants. Twenty thousand applicants responded, so many that American stopped taking resumes after eight days.

Candidates had to pass a telephone interview before being invited this month to the airline's world headquarters in Fort Worth.

The 20,000 applicants include many college graduates who have had trouble finding work in a tight job market.

American will pay its new flight attendants, on average, $23,000 a year. They'll have to work longer hours and pay more for medical benefits than flight attendants who've recently retired from the bankrupt airline.

Delta Air Lines, headquartered in Atlanta, announced last week it was hiring 400 flight attendants. Delta has had 22,000 people apply so far.