Anyone voluntarily going to TT from their position in VA should have their head checked.
Just thought I’d add some context to those wondering why someone would go to VA to TT.
I can’t speak for all but there are a group of pilots that joined
VB/A from about 2009-2012ish who haven’t had the career progression they expected. They joined
VB/A and paid the 30k for the endorsement. Shortly after followed integration, purchase of Skywest, Tiger use of Alliance amongst a million other calculated manoeuvres by the Company to move flying away from VA metal to reduce costs (cheaper to hire Alliance than pay the lease costs for another B737). Obviously they did really need to reduce costs as the outgoings were/are no doubt very high.
Integration with Tiger came after GH handed Bali to TT as it was a “leisure” destination. A similar rationale was used regarding Skywest only doing mining work.
I’ll translate Bali “leisure”. After a few sherbets at the TT Bali party, a certain TT manager pointed out to a VA pilot that VA pilots aren’t flexible enough in that their EBA doesn’t allow a domestic sector after a redeye. In the end Indonesian government wasn’t worried about the second sector after the red eye and the rest is history.
Anyway I digress, the aforementioned pilots (09-12) have realised that if they want to progress their career at all, transferring to Tiger rather than jumping up and down on the spot will be their only means.
Ironically, all the scheming and planning to move flying away from
VB/A metal in nearly all cases has proved to be extremely expensive. One of the big problems has also been hiring people that see VA B737 flight crew costs and at one stage passenger meals as their main means to reduce costs (economy of scale). Some of them enjoyed subtlety poking the bear (VA B737 pilot group). This has turned a previously flexible, happy group into a jaded, cynical, angry and inflexible mob. I’ve watched it happen first hand. The saddest thing is some of these pilots are so angry that even when someone (SA or PS) is genuinely trying to do the right thing by them (return morale) they haven’t the ability to see it for what it is, thinking rather that it’s some twisted plan to shaft them and their families. They battle on day by day with hate which in the end is unhealthy for all parties.
I hope the new chief can turn it around. Plenty of top people work at VA group from head office to the cockpit. You won’t meet a better bunch of people I swear. No doubt some tough times ahead.
On a side note, despite all of the above facts most of the aforementioned VA pilots still welcomed Tiger pilots when they were recently training on VA metal. The same would happen for VARA crew. There are high levels of professionalism on display of you look beyond the bar talk.