First contact I received after finishing my application online was an email asking some basic questions a few weeks after I submitted. Are you still interested, would you be able to accept the starting wage, are you in school, etc. They also asked for times I would be available in the coming days for a phone interview. I received an email back a few days later stating when my telephone interview was scheduled.
The telephone interview was also relatively basic. I was called promptly at my scheduled time, and a very cheerful woman was on the other end. She quickly went through the same question in the email to confirm them with me, and then proceeded to the main part of the interview. I was asked why I chose to apply with Alaska, how I dealt with criticism, what I thought the job entailed, etc. The questions seemed geared toward gauging your personality to see if you'd be a good fit in the company. Immediately following the questions, I was invited to attend a hiring event taking place the next week. After accepting, I was sent an email with all the details (time, date, location, forms to fill out, what to bring, etc).
The hiring event started early at a hotel downtown, with the event starting at 8am, and recommendations to arrive at 7:30am for check-in. The room slowly filled with what ended up being about 100 people. Shortly after 8am, employees for the airline (some station managers from various airports, representatives from corporate, and a few CSAs) gave a presentation to give us an overview of what to expect from Alaska, who they are, the atmosphere of working there, and some additional details about the position (pay, benefits, unions, etc). Following the presentation, we were split into five groups, and given a short break before the group interview process.
The group interview ended up being 20 candidates and 2 company representatives. We were asked to introduce ourselves, and each asked a question. Following that, each candidate was given a situation on a piece of paper (and asked to keep it face down until they were called upon) related to customer service outside of the airline industry. Answering questions was on a volunteer basis. A group activity was next, where we were asked to develop a 'curb to curb' experience for customers where cost was not an issue. We were given 10 minutes to complete this task, and then present as a group. After the presentations, we were asked one more question each before being dismissed, and asked to be back in the room 30 minutes later. When we came back, we were told who was making it on the the 1:1 interviews. Everyone who made it on was given an interview time (some right away, some 4+ hours from that time) and told where to meet before hand. For reference, ~30 people made in to this stage.
The 1:1 interview ended up being 1:2, and was a bit more in depth. We went through work history, and asked questions pertaining to it. Following that came questions related to the position. Some of which included what you would do if you noticed a co-worker to accidentally violated safety regulations, how often it was acceptable for an employee to be sick, and what was a common misconception about me. Following the ~45 minute process, I was asked to return to the waiting room to hear my results. About 15 minutes later, I was told my interview was successful and was to be offered a position.
Yes, this was a difficult interview, but if you're both prepared and a good fit for the position, you should do well. If you think about it, those who can end the process still upbeat and enthusiastic at the end of a nerve wracking day of interview should be able to handle the daily stress of an airline.
For some added context, I was applying for a position at one of Alaska's major airports, and they were hiring for between 5 and 10 positions, so the size of the initial group may differ.