Hi, I’m currently on the 787 but leaving soon here’s my 2 cents:
TUI is a company full of nice people and nice crews, it’s not very efficient but that can result in the opportunities to make lots of money if you’re flexible.
During the winter the trips are longer, a few week long trips, a few are shorter down route but leave/return from the Nordic countries so the overall trip length can have 1 or 2 days added due to positioning. Some like these Nordic trips, some hate them, I quite liked them, and it’s pretty easy during winter to commute.
During the summer on the 787 the flights are mainly bullets (24hrs downroute) and shorthaul. Which is harder for commuting.
There is one big issue, especially if you want to commute, and this is the reason I’m leaving: Dual Fleeting.
At TUI the 737 is extremely busy and hard worked in the summer (think 6/7 on 2 off with deep nights and transitions) but dead in the winter, and the 787 has a surplus of pilots in the summer and a shortage in the winter (lots of 3 crew ops in winter). Therefore new joiners are getting dual fleeted on the 787 in winter and 737 in summer, with the company’s final aim of being able to change between the two types all through the year (this hasn’t been approved yet and may never be, although the European wings of tui do it already). Ignoring the various issues around this, or the fact it may suit some people, This means in summer you’ll have a heavy short haul roster on the 737, which in my eyes isn’t commutable. One thing to note though, is that if they offer you a 787 position, your contract will be dual fleet, and even if they tell you it probably won’t happen, it’s likely that it will. Nearly every new joiner including myself was reassured that we wouldn’t be going on the 737, only to be booked on a 737 course a few months after joining. Cynical people might say it’s being used a ploy to get people in the door, and they may be right,I honestly just think it’s a miscommunication/misunderstanding between the recruitment team and what’s happening on the line.
If you’re happy with the dual fleeting, it’s a nice place to work, with a nice atmosphere among the crews. The contracts are good, and the seniority system is much more balanced than at other seniority based airlines.I think in Winter it’s probably one of the best long haul jobs out there, but depending on your situation a 737 summer is either a worthy sacrifice for these winters or not, it’s all subjective. Things change a lot as well at TUI and plans like Dual Fleeting come and go, so there’s a chance it might fall through, although they do look pretty set on keeping it.
EDIT: There appears to be some positive changes coming regarding reducing dual fleet and the requirements for new joiners to go on it, although I dont know if that means new joiners will most likely be 737 single fleet. I'm sure someone will be able to provide more info on this over the coming days
Last edited by HardLanding1; 8th May 2019 at 10:06.