XL NG Jobs

[RMC]

Hi Guys,

I am particularly interested in an NG DEC at Manchester. Last time I asked they were short of Skippers but not in a position to recruit...any developments??

Thanks in anticipation

[stue]

Still short, speak to any Manchester Skipper, working their socks off.........

Not to sure what they are doing about recruiting though?

[RMC]

Anybody????

[I'm Off!]

Last I heard it was belt tightening all round. No recruitment. Can't imagine that this would be helped in a positive way by the cancellation of all Caribbean routes this year.

[captplaystation]

Storm Aviation were advertising a contract position with possible continuation throughout Winter that sounded like XL ( who I know have previously used them ) but that vanished around a month ago.

[MorningGlory]

Heard that the company was in re-financing talks and trying to avoid being the latest casualty after zoom.

Any truth in that vicious rumour?

[Wear the Fox Hat]

A lot of truth to that rumour unfortunately!

XL Leisure Group enters crisis funding talks - Times Online (http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/leisure/article4641144.ece)

[Sheik Yerbouti]

Article in telegraph today!

Hope for XL after lenders spend the weekend in talks - Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2008/09/01/cnxl101.xml)

[konkrete]

I think XL have been fighting for survival since being bought out from the Avion Group. I know that there is a great deal of contract crew working especially from the seasonal bases. I think they'd rather work the current crew to limits rather than recruit new crew. Take a leaf out of Ryanair's book.

[holyflurkingschmitt]

Konkrete, wear the fox hat, morning glory

Your all talking B****cks

Haven't you guys got anything better to do than spread bull on here, unless you are employed by XL and know the facts, tripe like that doesn't help anyone, leave that to the papers!!

Fact is yes XL are re-financing but so what? it doesn't mean were gonna go bust in fact a statement just released says bookings for 09 are already up on this year and the re financing is going through ok i certainly would prefer to be here than any of the loco's

Fact is yes the Caribean is getting dropped this winter but only to increase the flights to the more profitable route to Sanford.

HFS:mad::ugh:

[MorningGlory]

Keep your knickers on.... blimey! Only asking the question NOT stating a fact.

:eek:

[konkrete]

HFS,

I stand corrected, but I did work for the airline for 2 years during the buy out and after so I am only saying what I know and speculating to the reason for no skipper jobs.

No offense was meant, and I certainly don't see it as "spreading bull" as you put it. I don't think Wear the Fox Hat or MorningGlory deserve such a harsh response either.

Anyway I'm glad to hear everything is good at XL I certainly wouldn't wish them grounded.

[smudgethecat]

Your not spreading bull konkrete, my wife works for xl, as does my father in law, and the situation is very serious, i just hope the plug aint pulled on them.

[Knee Trembler]

HFS,

Suggest you pull your head from your behind and read the writing on the wall instead of shooting the messenger(s)!

I usually keep a measured tone on pprune but your attitude typifies the reason I left XL.:yuk:

Notwithstanding that, there are a lot of good people in the company and I hope that it works out OK for all concerned.

KT

[holyflurkingschmitt]

Knee Trembler

'the writing is on the wall' care to back this up with facts?

There are a lot of good people who work here especially since people like yourself have left! and the scare mongering that goes on here just fuels the papers and has a detrimental effect to XL and peoples livelihood including my own.

If someone has some hard facts and not just my mums dogs aunty works there and heard a rumour in the toilet! then I apologize but until then button it.

HFS

[Bigfoot]

HFS

Suggest you read the times or financial times. They are facts.

No one here wishes ill will to you or your company. But behaving like Gordon brown and thinking everything is perfect wont help you.:ugh:

[holyflurkingschmitt]

Newspapers and facts in the same paragragh.......oh come on that's the funniest thing I've heard in ages!

HFS :)

[carbis22]

However they inflict an awful lot of ill will on their pax!!
Does not take einstein to work out, read all xl review forums they are not exactly held in high regard?

One hit wonders, and oh am so shocked g-vkni is the first casualty??
let me think now......... mmmnnn
yes now its come back to me that's the plane that gassed its pax,
better off back in gabon were it came from. AF-ATT, always wondered why they re-registered aircraft.

[konkrete]

Ok HFS I tried to meet you half way, but with your continued protests I have decided to come to you with facts:

1) The XL Leisure group is refinancing after one of the funding banks (barclays) have pulled out. Although talks are still ongoing with barclays it would seem.

2) XL are also looking for other investors as part of the refinancing.

3) It would seem that fuel is the root cause of the financial problems, which of course is not a unique problem for XL.

4) Yes bookings for 2009 are up compared to last year, and also XL for last month at least have won most punctual airline out of Gatwick Manchester and East Midlands.

Now I m not scare-mongering and I am not out on a hate campaign against XL, I enjoyed working for the company, but it is a very real fact that within the next week or so we could see the end if funding can't be secured. I know you said that the refinancing is going well, but that was also the case for Zoom.

It is a sad time in the airline industry at the moment where good companies just can't secure the funding to continue operating and pay the ever rising fuel costs. It is certainly not just XL that is suffering.

I certainly wish you the best and I hope XL stays in the skies flying, but you need to open your eyes a little to the facts that are being reported. Your own company have confirmed a lot of what is being reported and as much as I admire your lack of trust for the newspapers, I think you need to understand that there must be some element of truth for them to start their story with!

I'm sure we shall find out in a few weeks what is going on and I look forward to being proved wrong.

[Arthur Dent1]

Now I m not scare-mongering and I am not out on a hate campaign against XL, I enjoyed working for the company

You remind me of certain individuals in my own company who were ardently in favour of industrial action a while ago, turns out that they were sitting on job offers with legacy operators all the time that they were propagating their passive-aggressive agenda , hypocrisy is not an adequate enough term. Let the market decide old chum and maintain a disciplined and neutral stance to events taking place in many companies this year.

Now is the time to wrap up rumour mongering on this site about the commercial viability of individual companies.

[hogarth1]

Hi Koncrete,

Times are tough at xl, as eveywhere else!! Been here many years myself, so I have seen u come and go Koncrete! Life is tough where ever u are. Lets just hope everything works out for all of us!!

[4engines4longhaul]

The biggest problem that XL have is the fact that re-financing is out in the public domain in the 1st place. Bookings for 2009 might be up now, but the travelling public are a fickle lot.
Those in the industry had known for a while that Zoom were in trouble, and i even told some friends of my parents to cancel their booking with them 4 weeks ago, and re-book with another carrier which they did. Mr and Mrs Joe public will be sitting indoors staring at the rain right now, planning next years family holiday, and thinking to themselves "Don't book XL cos they might not be here" Their hard earned and saved up holiday pennies will be spent on a tour company/airline that they percieve will be around next year to deliver, and quite frankly, who could blame them.
The sooner that XL get themselves out of this hole, and publish some good news in the media the better it will be for all concerned.

[holyflurkingschmitt]

My point exactly !

I hope it doesn't happen but if it does, it does! but for now lets just stop the scare mongering and watch this space.

Here's hoping

HFS :)

[Knee Trembler]

"F-ck Me!", as Gordon might say, I actually find myself agreeing with HFS! Whatever next :) .

KT

[holyflurkingschmitt]

Kt

:)

Hfs

[RMC]

In terms of my original question....fair to say recruitment is not going to be on the agenda for a while.I hope things work out for you guys.

[holyflurkingschmitt]

RMC

On the contrary, even though re-financing is taking place we are still recruiting, as far as I was aware we are short of experienced crew on the 73.

HFS:)

[captplaystation]

A week is a long time in Politics ( and indeed aviation )
If it all goes (as seems likely at time of writing) tits-up, I wish all my former colleagues that I spent a very happy summer season with the very best of luck.
Been there done that, but there is always a silver lining hidden there even if it won't seem very evident today.

[Sagey]

Thousands may be stranded as XL Leisure prepares to declare bankruptcy - Times Online (http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/leisure/article4735790.ece)

Not sure if those reading this thread have seen the article or not. It certainly isn't something that helps with bookings if the journalist has got the facts or timings wrong.

[Desk-pilot]

Well, I would be shocked and greatly saddened if these stories about XL are true. Needless to say I sincerely hope it's all a load of sensationalist press nonsence. From what I gather XL always seemed one of the better companies in the industry to work for and fly with so I can only wish them and their staff well - and I work for Flybe!

Wishing clear skies to all my fellow aviators.

Desk-pilot

[sevenforeseven]

XL, who?:{. Another sad loss.

[Smiler737]

I hate to be the barer of bad news, but seems that XL have become another casualty of the record fuel prices....
best wishes to all those who were at XL and hope you find employment in such a tough climate

Smiler

[Megaton]

And best wishes and thoughts with those that have lost hard-earned holidays.

[Johnny F@rt Pants]

Ham Phisted :mad::mad:- sorry but they're going to get their money back. Ok maybe they don't get their hols (and the majority will anyway), but that's a far cry from suddenly being dropped in the pooh from a great height and being told you no longer have an income:{. The only people we should be ultimately concerned with are those formerly employed by XL, the holiday-makers have ABTA and ATOL protection.

All these bleating pax at the airport that are shown on the news really annoy me:oh:, they harp on that there's nobody there to help them. Well why would there be, these people have been suddenly made redundant, why on earth would they show up at the airport when they don't have an employer, they sure as hell aren't going to get paid for it, indeed they won't get paid for what they've done this month so far. These people need to get a grip, go home and phone the helplines that have been set up for them..... where's the helpline for the employees, oh there aren't any!!!!

Rant over.

[Knee Trembler]

HFS, any comment?

My best wishes go to all affected,

KT :(

[helimutt]

Yes HFS, care to make a comment and have a go at other PPRuNers now? No smoke without fire.

[Canada Goose]

JFP – I guess your now ex-XL. Nobody likes losing their job and my sympathy to all those affected. However, HP has a valid point regarding the pax. The very people who after all have presumably being paying your wages and are now stranded wherever, maybe wil small kids wondering how they are going to get home. And for the record, maybe not all will get their money back !!

“People who have booked holidays with XL for future dates should also be able to reclaim their money. However, passengers who booked flights and hotels direct with XL but not as part of a package will lose theirs. “


Thousands may be stranded as XL Leisure prepares to declare bankruptcy - Times Online (http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/leisure/article4735790.ece)

[captplaystation]

Sad for everyone, particularly employees, but yes ,pax too.
As usual the only one who comes out unscathed are the bankers ( rymes with . . .kers)
who are riding off into the sunset having made a pre-emptive strike (no doubt after having a good old recce during the "re-financing" meetings. . . ha ha)
Same sort of deal happened to me in a previous UK company, when the bank waited for the August income to hit the account and then promptly pulled the plug with money in the bank. 20th Sep 2001 was probably a slightly worse time to have to find a job than now, but that is not much compensation I know for those of you dumped on today by the financial "wizards" that closed down a company with very healthy forward bookings.

[MorningGlory]

HFS,

Konkrete, wear the fox hat, morning glory

Your all talking B****cks

Haven't you guys got anything better to do than spread bull on here, unless you are employed by XL and know the facts, tripe like that doesn't help anyone, leave that to the papers!!

Fact is yes XL are re-financing but so what? it doesn't mean were gonna go bust in fact a statement just released says bookings for 09 are already up on this year and the re financing is going through ok i certainly would prefer to be here than any of the loco's

Fact is yes the Caribean is getting dropped this winter but only to increase the flights to the more profitable route to Sanford.

HFS

Your arrogance was blinded by your head being firmly wedged up your ar$e.

I am very sorry to hear about the loss of XL though. Had a couple mates there, and wish all you guys the best in finding another job as soon as poss'.

MG.

[Johnny F@rt Pants]

No I'm not en ex XL employee:=, it just get's up my nose that nobody in the media focusses anything on those most severely affected and are desperately trawling round for passenger sob stories:yuk:. I have been through the demise of an airline, British World RIP 14/12/01, so I know what it's like. The employees are in my thought's, the passengers most certainly aren't, they've got cover through ABTA, ATOL or their Credit Card company, the guy's and girl's who's livelihood have nobody but themselves to turn to.

[Evanelpus]

I think HFS wanted to believe the best. It's like most bad things in life, the further you stick your head in the sand, the quieter it becomes and you don't hear the bad things going around.

[The Real Slim Shady]

20 Sep 2001 the rug was pulled by the bank. Crews abandoned by the "management" who had the foresight to arrange for cover for a route from NCL - CDG by the company they subsequently went to work for.

I feel for the employees but the pax should be covered; just a slight inconvenience and a story in the pub for them.

[BlueVikingFlyer]

As an ex XL employee I am very sad to see the demise of XL as I have so many very nice former colleagues working there that are now totally shafted. I met some 20 cabin crew this morning all in tears as they now have no clue how to pay for rent and food for the coming months. As they were all seasonal employees there will be no redundancy packages for them at all. As JFP said, almost all passenger will get their money back eventhough their holidays has been inconvenienced and they are out of pocket for money now. I hope they find something to fill in for their holidays.
I have spoken to several of the B737 NG pilots at XL and they have desperately called everyone in Europe for a position and there seems to be nothing on short notice "go to China" is the reply from the agencies, not very nice if you have small children and a family. I sincerely hope that crew and other staff are able to find something very fast.

JFP Nice to see you in the fire again. I'm not at XL anymore. I will PM you.

[NutLoose]

IS this really the time to have a pop or go at HFS?

I think he has a lot on his plate to sort right now and I wish him well for the future..

Remember, he who throws the first stone when one is down may be next in line, this has just started and many more firms may end up in a similar position over the coming months...

I wish you well HFS and hope things work out ok in the end, and not just for you, but all of the others in the same boat, both XL staff throughout the group, as well as all of those others who work in the background to support the infrastructure such as handlers, catering and the myriad of other industries.