Working for Rex - opinions/comments?

[Mr Garrison]

Currently a Q400 captain in QLD but would like to be based in Albury to be with wife and kids full time. Wife can't move due to custodial battles with the ex so Albury it is however the only airline that I'm aware of that operates a base from Albury is Rex.

So I'd like to get some opinions/advice/feedback on what its like working for Rex and the conditions, company long term prosperity and lifestyle operating out of Albury.

Thanks in advance for the responses.

;)

[fixa24]

Correct, Rex are the only airline based out of Albury. Only fly to ML and SY, although I do believe the SY flights also go to orange before returning? Not a Rex pilot, just very familiar with Albury ops.

[nitpicker330]

Leave QLink and move to Rex? Seems like a daft idea to me as an outsider...

[Jabawocky]

Renegotiate with the wifes ex?

I would be thinking outside the box a little.

[Arnold E]

Leave QLink and move to Rex? Seems like a daft idea to me as an outsider...

What's actually wrong with REX ?

[DancingDog]

Just do a search for the Rex bashing threads, you'll find out. Also have a look at the EBA, you can download it off the FWA website.

[ABusboy]

Thinking outside the box...
Can also work for Rex with Wagga base...easy drive to Albury.or that matter find a job in Mel or CBR.its not Albury but can spent a few nights at home and a few nights at your base a week,at least it's a balance between family and work..

[Stoofer]

I worked for REX for 5 years out of Syd, left 2 years ago.

Albury is an easy base by REX standards. All day trips. The duties I remember were,

ABX-SYD-OAG-SYD-ABX
ABX-SYD-ABX-SYD-ABX
ABX-MEL-ABX-MEL-ABX

As well as this there were some single returns to MEL or SYD.

Combination of early starts and afternoon starts. You will tend to work 4 or 5 days a week. 8 days off a month, the other days off are made up by stby days you are not called on.

A problem of recent times has been due to a lack of Captains they are rostering country based skippers to do multi day trips out of the SYD and MEL hubs. Which is good for some extra cash but is also a pain for family people. I'm not sure how prevalent it is currently as there was a fair amount of resistance from crews.

As a line skipper in ABX you would probably gross around 95k - 100k. More if you are willing to work on days off.

Above all this you need to get an Albury base allocation. I'm not sure if REX are doing DEC's however if you did get one I doubt you would get an ABX base immediately. I would expect it to take at least 2 years, there are some old Hazo and Kendall guys down there that are part of the furniture.

REX is VERY different to Qlink. Expect a higher workload and less support. It still carries a lot of the old Hazo bush airline doctrine, just tarted up.

Last of all, financially she is very stable, unless the king pin decides to offload her to someone else. I hate to say it, however the reason the airline is so strong financially is largely because of LKH.

PM me if you have any other q's

[nitpicker330]

QLink is one part of the Rat that consistantly makes a profit and won't be going anywhere ever.....( the Dash part I'm talking about ) including quite good staff travel benefits with big brother too.

Q400's are quite nice kit too I'm told.

Work it out with the new wife mate, I wouldn't be in a hurry to leave the frying pan to jump into the fire if I was you. :D

Besides, the extra pay you get as a Q400 skipper would pay for a lot of full fares to Albury wouldn't it? It'll only be a few years and she'll move up to Brisvegas surely?
Or the extra pay could buy the x husband full fares to fly up to BNE once a month to see his kids? Maybe that's an option the x husband may accept?

[Bladeangle]

I hear the Albury base is a bit of a lifestyle base, fishing, 4x4's etc...sounds like a pretty good move to me!

How much "extra pay" do Q400 drivers get?

[pcx]

Does REX even need pilots for the NSW country bases?
Maybe a current REX pilot could comment.

[Mr Garrison]

A few good suggestions here but with regards to the ex, he is a manipulator and a I could go on about his problems but what's the point. Best for the wife to stay in Albury to protect the young one and his well-being rather than moving him to a different location only to find problems from the ex which would happen given his past performances. Staying at Albury for her keeps him happy and thus is in the best interests of the child.

I think a good idea is to take a week on/off arrangement with QLink and wait to see if an Albury base option comes up with Rex or wait until V Aus are recruiting again and get into the international side of things and get a fair bit of time off and be able to commute from Albury or take the flexi arrangement with JetStar when they start actively hiring guys again.

Thanks for all your feedback.

[Howard Hughes]

What about corporate work? Haven't been there for a while but fairly sure there is a Kingair based there and maybe a Citation too.

Others on here may even be able to give you contact info! :ok:

[IsDon]

Personal opinion only, but I wouldn't take such a backward career step when other options are available.

Given the same circumstances I would try basing in MEL. Can you get a QLink basing there? It's then only an easy 3 hour drive from ABX to MEL. Almost a commutable distance.

Have a mate, who was a Rex ABX based skipper and couldn't wait to get away from Rex. He's now with Tiger in MEL. And ABX is my home town and his. I spent time with KD before the Ansett debacle. While it was a great company to work for then, anecdotal evidence suggests thus is not the case any more.

As I said. Personal opinion, for what it's worth.

[Di_Vosh]

For info (for other posters; I'm certain that Mr Garrison is aware)

Given the same circumstances I would try basing in MEL. Can you get a QLink basing there?

For this to happen, he'd have to change companies from Sunstate to Eastern and go to the bottom of the Eastern Seniority list. The most junior Captain on the Q400 in MEL joined the company in late 2007. The most junior FO on the Q400 in MEL joined the company in October 2012. There is a long waiting list.

DIVOSH!

[Mr Garrison]

DiVosh is right - I looked down that path IsDon but because MEL/SYD/PER and MIA pilots are under a different EBA - if I were to transfer to Sydney then I would loose my command, go back to being the most junior FO on a 300 or 400 and get last bids on requests for 2-3 RDO's in a row so to me its just not worth it.

Maybe I'll go week on/off and in the meantime wait for something else to come through.

QantasLink is a great company but a right pain in the as5 when it comes to transferring between QLD and NSW/VIC.

I'd be in for a 3-4 year wait as an FO before getting a look in for a command.

[FrankAlbert]

Can i say that the answer to your question lies part in your own comments about qlink. Seniority recognition, roster bids, week on-week off, roster requests, staff respect from management are all non existent at rex. Week on-week off, I would like that.... I would be laughed at and then given some stern words from the CP. We have part time in our EBA but they won't allow it unless your pregnant and even then it will consist of random 'non work days' that suit the company's interest and not a consistent week that you can plan your life around.

On the positive side Albury is the laziest base of all while the Sydney crews do all the real work... but that lifestyle is not written in stone and could change any day. We have some real dummies in the company that keep voting in EBAs which have no lifestyle protection just because lifestyle is good at their base right now. As the SA crews found out the company can and will exploit you in every way the EBA allows.

Rex has lost quite a lot of captain's to the Virgin ATR Canberra base... they all seem 200% happier and getting paid for their rostered overtime. More money, newer equipment, better staff culture.

Also of interest is EBA negotiations where FRMS is to be introduced are expected to commence shortly, it will be an interesting space to watch.

I wish I could speak more highly of Rex, but until management changes and starts to truly value its human asset all I can say is that there are worse places you could be but also many better. Sadly most of what needs to be improved would cost little, but management ego gets in the ways of that.

My 2cents worth.... family is first so the big step down to Rex might be worth it?

[43Inches]

Rex has lost quite a lot of captain's to the Virgin ATR Canberra base...

Is this a recent thing as I don't know of many Rex captains moving to the ATR. Most that left initially were doing so for more personal reasons than just getting out (basing options etc...) and were offered quick or direct entry commands. Some have even left the ATR job due to being stuffed around, far from a rosy picture there. From what I've heard recently its Cobham doing the hiring onto the 717 draining a few captains out.

[FrankAlbert]

I understood many that jumped across were Sydney boys willing to take a Canberra base and in several cases willing to going from Saab captain to ATR FO and move or even commute. There were a couple of exceptions. Most of the movement to the ATR is not all that recent. That might change if they were recruiting for Sydney ATR vacancies.

Without wishing to hijack the thread could you elaborate on why it is not so rosy on the ATR? I have only heard good things.