I'm afraid I have a different view to Mactom whose opinion is not untypical of someone that has not been at easyjet for too long. After over 5 years, I like everyone else who has been there any length of time am totally knackered, my health has suffered and there have been other strains on my life. Many colleagues have gone part time with part time pay because it is the only way they can continue.
On the plus side the a/c are good and the training good but the orange rhetoric about the staff being the greatest asset etc is just so much hot air - they don't give a toss about staff especially pilots who are overpaid already (thats a quote I've heard several times over the years from the grotty orange shed). Leave which was advertised as being 36 days is in fact 4 weeks (20 working days) plus 8 days for public hols which my maths teacher always told me added up to 28. Why can't we have more leave - just ask the CEO - he doesn't think we should get anymore than the office workers because we're all to be treated the same (just don't think I'll go to work before 9 today then!) He forgets other differences though such as the office wallahs get a 25% bonus whereas we get 5% going to 10% after 5 and 15% after 10 years but that is all part of the aforementioned belief in the corrugated hall of greed that we're overpaid anyway.
There is talk about improving rostering and all that but there has been that talk about it every year and it hasn't happened yet - why - because it doesn't add money to the bottom line (in fact it does the opposite because any attention to crew lifestyle will probably require more crews) and the CEO doesn't care about anything else so as long as pilots come and join all will the same year after year. We've had a 6 on 3 off roster system but the reality has been 7 on and 2 off for much of the time.
Everyone will make there own minds up but this has been my experience and many others share my opinions - frankly the worse period of my working life.
Ryanair - don't know - haven't worked there but would consider it.
PS Before anyone comes up with the 'why haven't you left question' I'll answer it. Once you've moved house and got your teenagers in school and there exams are coming its not too easy to explain to the missus why you're on the move again so soon - at many easyjet bases the orange jets are the only serious player so there are limited options without relocating the family.
Last edited by cosmijewel; 17th Dec 2003 at 14:08.