JetConnect??

[LongBoarder]

Anyone out there currently working for JetConnect?

I would be curious about the quality of life... pay... rosters... etc.

Competitive minimums? Hiring rumors?

Thanks.

LB

[propaganda]

LB...try the horses mouth direct- [email protected] :ok:

[LongBoarder]

BUMP...


I cant believe that there is not anyone out there willing to make a comment about JetConnect.....

[peter harding]

lots of flying,good people to work with,good route structure. The downside? pay and conditions.. Jetstar without the super and staff travel.

[What time is ECT?]

...not in an open forum...

...try the flyingclub bar...

[Cloud Cutter]

Hmmm, I wasn't aware it was classified information:rolleyes:

From the StaffCV website:

F/O Pay:

NZ$64,000 (First Officer with less than 500 Flight Hours on a B737-300 or higher) plus a NZ$9,000 Retention Supplement, or
NZ$69,960 (First Officer with 500 Flight Hours or more on a B737-300 or higher) plus a NZ9,000 Retention Supplement.
First Officers will accrue incentive flying pay for each hour of flying in excess of 65 hours during each 28 day roster period.

$4.00 DTA
Cost of Type Rating $15,000

Now as for the conditions, can't help you there, perhaps someone else can help?

[LongBoarder]

CloudCutter....

Thanks for stepping out onto the "plank" as some might see it. ;)

LB

[haughtney1]

Cost of Type Rating $15,000


Come on stop the rot:yuk:

[Flying Kiwi]

What did your Bandit rating at City Jet cost h1? :hmm:

[haughtney1]

sorry to disappoint but a hypocrite I am not soooo not one red cent mate.........:} not everyone came to the table with nothing on the license or to offer, so I personally didnt part with 1 cent

[Sum Yung Guy]

Well done Flying Kiwi.

Some of the boys on prune forget where they came from.

S.Y Guy

[haughtney1]

:hmm: ..nice one sum, ignorance is bliss huh?

[Cloud Cutter]

He's right though. The only reason airlines are able to erode conditions like this, is because we let them by still applying and still going to work for them. It's the same situation for all the flight attendants employed by Jet Connect, doing exactly the same job as their Qantas counterparts, for less pay, less perks and no chance of climbing the ladder.

In saying that, I'm not saying I wouldn't work for them - that would be like voting for the legalise cannabis party, unfortunately one person cannot significantly affect the market.

[Gravox]

I was also told that the 737 endorsement would cost approx $15,000 if it is done with Qf apparently it is partially sponsered by the company, or something like that.

[haughtney1]

Thats what I was told as well, apparently the real cost is $30k AUD..and done at a qantas sim...ah well its a free country:hmm:

[LongBoarder]

Good God....

I cant see why people are not going to the US to do a 737 Type.... they are nearly giving them away there... I think that a 300 series can be done for 7K USD.

So then if not jet connect... where? Where should someone look to go in todays hiring climate?

LB

[Contract Con]

Gday,

It is $15k, I know cos that is what I paid!

The rates of pay from the StaffCV site are a little out dated though, it went up 3% last year.

If they offer you a job, take it. You will have no regrets.

To the bloody Pprune "Know it all's", keep your f@ckin mouth shut unless you know what you are talking about!

JCL, great flying, great people. Only downside, it is a QF company.

Cheers,

Con:ok:

[Cloud Cutter]

Contract Con, that's good to hear. While I don't like the policy of having to pay for the rating, I haven't heard anything bad about Jet Connect (on the pilot side anyway). Do they offer you any way of financing the 15K? I wouldn't think many people had that sort of dough lying arround.

LongBoarder, that's true, but I think you'll find the QF type rating is far superior, and it is one of the few training organisations with NZCAA accreditation, so unless you've got an Aussie or FAA ATPL, the only US firm that you could do a T/R with on a NZ license is Flight Safety Boeing, and they aint so cheap.:{

[Contract Con]

Cloud Cutter,

Unfortunately not, and its $15K AUD payable to QF flight training when you start the course. The endorsement training is first rate, couldn't fault it.

I agree paying for endorsements is cr@p and I won't be buying another, but you won't find a better value for money one than the one you do at QF for JCL at $15K.

For me it was worth it, financially and for career satisfaction.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time at JCL and it was a great stepping stone.

If your a Kiwi and want to stay in NZ, its a good place to be.

PM me if you are looking to go there and want further info.

Cheers,

Con:ok:

[haughtney1]

Thats what I was told as well, apparently the real cost is $30k AUD..and done at a qantas sim...ah well its a free country
To the bloody Pprune "Know it all's", keep your f@ckin mouth shut unless you know what you are talking about!

Just to clarify....my point was the "real" cost, i.e. what it would cost you if you didnt do the course through Jet:hmm:
As I was offered an interview I was told this as a sweetner to the deal, sorry if I caused any confusion:ok:

[Contract Con]

H1,

My apologies in that case.

Sorry, you got hit with the same brush as the usual tossers that rant on about T&C's which they nothing about. Check J*, Jitconnict, PB, DJ, EK and Ryan threads for examples!

Cheers,

Con:ok:

[haughtney1]

NO worries Con...just out of interest mate who is DJ? I recognised all the rest:ok:
Personally I reckon if Jconnect can afford to pay half, they should be bonding you for the other half, I suspect that they think by making you put the cash up front they will force you to stick around for a while to get something back on your "investment":hmm:
This seems to be the case that with most of the entry level jet jobs around the world, companies are capitalising on pilots ability to incur debt on themselves, rather than investing in their employees.

[Cloud Cutter]

H1 DJ is Virgin Blue.

It's interesting how things are starting to move in the direction of paying for your own rating. As Con says, some (or most) of these companies actually offer pretty good pay and conditions (H1, I'm sure you know plenty of guys working for Ryanair).

In general, I'm still opposed to buying a type rating, but I'm open minded. Con, is there a training bond at Jet Connect?

[pakeha-boy]

hmmmmmmmm!!....nice to hear you boys think that paying for your types is [email protected],you will pay for this one and not another:hmm: ...good luck on your next type rating,that you wont pay for(but probably will).....by the way next week,you start paying for the hotels you stay in.....

[haughtney1]

Cloud mate, I am utterly opposed to any pay for type rating, and yep I know a few guys at Ryanair, most of whom havent had to fork out a bean (Ryanair are VERY VERY short of guys, senior F/O's and skippers with any type of useful 737 time) presently if you've got 500hrs jet time and 2500hrs total you can expect an early upgrade and a bond.
Yeah P Boy I hear you, Ive just started with a new outfit.....been put up in a lovely hotel, allowances that are making me drool, oh yeah and a 4% payrise in my first week:ok: , and just to put the cherry on top, 6 sim sessions to get up to speed with SOP's and license check-ride. (they are even forking out for base training....circuits in the 767!..what joy:} )

[pakeha-boy]

h1......Many pilots "buy" type ratings then go look for a job,dont have a problem with that....but when you are hired by a company to fly their aircraft,then they should foot the bill,...its a cost of doing buiness,the onus is on them ....for those that say theyll pay for the first one and not another.....yeah right!!!...youve already shown your cards....but then...the best of luck to you,hope it works out for you....:yuk:

[haughtney1]

h1......Many pilots "buy" type ratings then go look for a job,dont have a problem with that....but when you are hired by a company to fly their aircraft,then they should foot the bill,...its a cost of doing buiness,the onus is on them ....for those that say theyll pay for the first one and not another.....yeah right!!!...youve already shown your cards....but then...the best of luck to you,hope it works out for you....
Shown my cards?...just so you know P Boy I havent parted with a cent or payed upfront for a job..I dunno what I said for you to think that.
IMHO a bond is a fair stand-point, yes the airline has a cost to cover, and rightly should expect a return. Im not advocating a salary reduction, but a contract based on length of service..which by the way protects both parties. Personally I think those that go and buy a type-rating are the ruination of the industry:yuk:
And it has been a success...Im currently working for a UK legacy carrier

[pakeha-boy]

h1..... wasnt talking about you mate.....it was directed at a previous post...nothing personal......My point deals with the way we degrade ourselves in buying types,letting these companys off the hook and expecting big bucks,and working conditions at the end of the day.....yet we continue to erode the system we are trying to improve.....I fully realize conditions of employment are changing.....buying your types and being bonded ,seems to gaining a lot of ground,....its not doing us a lot of good....we all have choices

[Contract Con]

P-Boy,

What was the last Type Rating/Training that you shelled out for?

And did it advance your aviation career?

I paid for my B733 type rating to move from a very stagnant Turboprop career into a Jet. It was worth every cent. I have since moved onward and upward.

And no, I wont be paying for another rating.

Cheers,

Con:ok:

[pakeha-boy]

CC..well done on your part,...check your pms as I dont want sound arrogant....I have never paid for a type rating,but have taken jobs that have given me a type,and done my time for the company so as not to take and run......as I said, all the best to you and Jetconnect...if thats the way you do buisness,thats your choice....in the long run,and I have seen it many times,....when you allow these outfits do make you pay for the type....they will see it as a way to gain even greater deductions in the future...they hold you accountable,you must hold them accountable also.....you are ether walking around with blinders on or not taking any notice of what is currently happening in the industry ......by your own admission you state you will not buy another,...you obviously see the error in your thinking.....to say you dont care would be incorrect on my part......as I said before all the best in your endevour....but in 15 yrs down the road,and you are still working for peanuts,.........................................:{ PB

[MOR]

Quite right PB.

People who say "I won't buy another type rating" really mean "I won't buy another type rating at the moment, but as soon as I can see it advancing my career, I will". If you have done it once, you will do it again.

Such practices are slowly but surely undermining T&Cs for all pilots. Companies that used to value professional pilots, now look for new ways to screw them for every last cent, hence the companies like Ryanair where you might get paid a relatively high salary, but you have to pay for everything - car parking, uniforms, medicals, crew meals, you name it. The end result is only average pay.

The result is that pilots that used to be valued (in salary terms) as highly qualified professionals, are now treated as bus drivers (no offence to bus drivers). It can only get worse.

The ONLY redeeming feature of the Jetconnect arrangement is that they are not making you pay the full cost of the rating. However, they aren't helping you out with things that they could make cheaper - they told me, for example, that they couldn't offer discount air travel to get to the simulator (which I don't believe for a minute), no help with accomodation costs, no discounts on hire cars etc. All this stuff is available to them as it is in any airline.

Those of us who have flown in Europe have seen the other side of the coin (as have Air NZ pilots, I guess).

What the pilots who enter into these deals are doing, is wrecking it for those coming afterwards. Airlines now expect you to buy the rating, other compromises will follow. Jetconnect is a semi-exception, as noted above. There is a huge downside to this for the airlines as well as the pilots, but for now the beancounters are running the show, and - as I said - it can only get worse.

Sadly pilots, ambitious creatures that they tend to be, generally have no problem climbing over others to get the job they want. In the UK, back in the mid '90s when paying for type ratings really took off, it became standard that the only ones who got what few jobs there were, were those wealthy enough to pay for the rating. Some pretty unscrupulous airline practices followed - one airline in particular was selling type-ratings on the vague promise of a job, but they sold ten times as many ratings as they had vacancies for. That particular carrier only made a profit that year on the back of the type ratings it had sold - it can be a pretty lucrative business. Sad for all the pilots who had paid twenty grand for a rating and then had no job...

Bottom line - if that is the world you want, by all means pay for your ratings. Sometimes it is the only way forward - but it isn't good for the industry.

[bushy]

I recently spoke to a man who "purchased a block of 737 time" in an airline, and now is looking for a job in outback GA.
Too many airlines and charter operators are operating as flying schools and fleecing wannabe pilots. So what, you say?
So operators are operating with a continuous string of beginners, and not with experienced capable pilots as they should.
In GA a busy city flying school can be quite lucrative, but many have lost their credability, due to the now obvious oversupply of pilots, and so some of them are running an outback charter operation so they can say there are jobs to be had "out there"
So, we have charter operators with a continuous,ever changing group of beginners at the sharp end. (Most quit after a few years.) The accident figures show this. Also, the unsustainable economics of the charter world is partly caused by some of theses operators that use cheap labour to cut prices. (just like the "wetbacks" in the US)

Much of this poorly paid scramble was started by todays airline pilots when they were in GA.

It is now spreading into the major airlines.

[pakeha-boy]

bushy mate...be careful who you call a wetback.....when I was "found out"...turned into the immigration boys.....I was flying a twin otter for market rates...I never undercut anybody...it was the going rate for anybody that flew this stuff....hate to admit it,but my mate was an aussie who was also illegal....we never screwed anybody over,especially the other american piots.....who would have turned us in sooner if we had undercut them..

Things are certainly different,but making backdoor deals was not an option....you say the pilots of yesterday are partly responsible for todays woes...maybe so....but the new breed of mgt has been the catalyst for most of our demise and problems........

I still have the t-shirt the boys gave me as I was escorted to the Anchorage Airport being deported back to kiwi.....it says ...NOT ALL WETBACKS ARE MEXICAN.....PB

[haughtney1]

God we could start a whole new thread on the INS (I think they learnt the book from Himler circa 1942)
Back on subject for a moment....how stable is Jetcon at the mo? first you hear they've layed guys off, next thing they're recruiting..so whats happening?
Being brutally honest, I considered the JetC deal (not for reasons of career advancement..which is why I think this deal exists, and where they will source most of their crews...but because it seemingly offered a way to get back to NZ and still fly jets) on balance though Im far better off earning ££'s, getting spoilt in a stable profitable Legacy carrier..and looking at ways to bugger the UK tax system!:}
I stand by my comments regarding paying for a T/Rating, and I echo the sentiments of PB & MOR, Con you did what you felt was necessary and its paid dividends.
Personally I think airlines are making a rod for their own backs, the evidence suggests (particularly in Europe) that most crews view the Lo Co job as a transitional phase..something to get some time on and then bugger off to the bigger boys, obviously with the caveat of Southwest Airlines in the US. If the current trends continue, Lo Co's here are going to struggle to crew aircraft (which is already happening), with a corresponding improvement in T & C's....which is exactly what I predict will happen in NZ and Oz at some point! (i.e in about 7-10yrs time:} )
So all, dont hold your breath anytime soon!..then again if a 737 operator needs pilots and is prepared to pay a good whack..expect the guys who have paid for a T/Rating to show no company spirit:E and bugger off for the better money.
Just my thoughts and observations:ok:

[pakeha-boy]

H1....reasonable indeed....Southwest is a different animal...yes they do make you pay for the type...the big differences are employee pay,loyalty,conditions,attitude,time to upgrade,philosophy....are generally in the pilots favour.

Most blokes who work for Southwest stay,and they stay because of a vested interest,they dont up and leave,their turnover rate is very low .Their last contract vote showed ares of discontent,but they are so far ahead of anybody,money wise,they are in a class of their own....you would be hard pressed to compare them with other carriers trying to do the same thing.

Generally,carriers that make you pay for your training,stick it to you when contract time comes around....horse and carrot stuff....old school,old fools...new school,new fools(but I reckon more foolish)......tuti...PB

[mjbow2]

For some reason I am unable to PM at the moment.... seems to be random problem that re occurs!!

any other way I can contact you???

MJB

[max autobrakes]

Qantas it isn't, yet the aircraft look like Qantas, the pilot's uniform's look like Qantas,are the standards like Qantas?,how long does the average pilot stay?

[TAY 611]

Been at JC for a year and I like it. Good people, Good standards, Good Aircraft (old but good) and the pay is way better than GA with fairly fair rostering. The Type rating was done in Australia and it was comprehensive and at a good price. Future looks bright so I am staying on board for a while.

[Kiwi red]

I'm flying OS at present would like to come back to NZ but as far as I can see I've only got 2 choices Air NZ or JC. You guys seem to be having a hard time down there. In europe it's a pilot market at the moment, loads of movement and opportunities.

[Centaurus]

Kiwi Red. Loads of opportunties? Don't you need to have "Right of Abode" to get jobs in Europe and UK in particular? And what are the costs and time and effort involved in obtaining a British or EU ATPL before someone offers you a job?

[Kiwi red]

Yeh true Centaurus, but what I'm getting at is if the pilots downunder hold out you might find you'll get a better deal. Look rumour over here is a certain low cost airline is so desparate for pilots that they're going to the USA and getting pilots to come and fly over the Summer period what's to say they won't come downunder?? But that a different thread completely.....

[pakeha-boy]

would that be Ryan Air???

[Kiwi red]

I'm not one for naming names but it's not the orange one....although they're getting short as well

[haughtney1]

Ryanair have been offering contracts to FAA pilots for the last year (the Irish CAA offer a dispensation..I cant imagine the FAA reciprocating)
Big Orange on the other hand are around 100 flight-deck short..if you believe the union Reps, the problem is that there are more 737 experienced guys on the market than there are 319/320 people. Having said that I'd only go to Ryanair..if there was nooooooooooooooooo other option:yuk: , and even then I'd be reticent.
Centarus..there are loads of people with " right of abode", the JAA conversion is possible (I did it) so its more a question of motivation/inclination.
From the comments on here Jet Connect seems like its ok at the moment..and now they are getting 400's.

Hey Kiwi Red who pays your salary?:ok:

[pakeha-boy]

H1....flew with a joker 2 weeks ago who did the Ryan thing.....seemed to like it,not a lot of bad to say....socially,he reckons it was ticketyboo.... for the singles ,like himself,the pommy girls were very accomodating...a lot of fun....he was only in it for the short haul,.....they callled him several times to "re-enlist"...PB

[haughtney1]

From what Im told, it depends very much on the contract..where your based...and half a hundred other variables. I do think though that Ryanair offer the FAA guys a pretty good deal..because otherwise they wont attract any.
P Boy there are also well documented horror stories out there as well :ok:

[pakeha-boy]

H1....mate,...it wouldnt be an airline without horror stories......got the impression this fella didnt do a lot of complaining...PB

[Waka Rider]

Mate those fellas at Ryanair are sitting on a gold mine. I will have to wait 15 yrs to even begin to come close to their salaries. If you do not mind working hard you get payed in hard cash the 5 days and 4 off cycle sounds ok and hardly any overnights is even better. But my lazy cynical arse is better suited doing what I do. Full respect to those soliders in the front line doing the 4 to 6 sector days and Ryanair does cross your palms with silver and gold bars. New aircraft new routes and good time to command

[MOR]

Yeah well the thing about Ryanair is that the salary sounds good, but once you take out uniform, car parking, food, medicals, and all the other stuff most airlines dish out for free, it isn't quite so attractive. They'll work you to the limit, as well.

I had them phone me and offer a free type rating, but the reality is that it is not free - you still have to live in Sweden for a few months, then around the UK whilst you complete your line training, before you see a bean. A lot of guys are waiting months for line training because they don't have enough trainers.

Not a bad operation (as some would have you believe), but not my cup of tea. The Orange crowd are similar, but they seem to suffer a lot more roster disruption.

Entry requirements seem to change on a daily basis.

Whatever floats your waka... :}

[Waka Rider]

GE90 or Trent 895 are about the best paddles around bro