Originally Posted by
Smudge's Lot
For all those that buy a TUI package holiday that obviously has some form of premium pricing in it, you might like to be aware that the Company is holding a gun to the head of all its pilots in its latest pay deal offering.
The proposal is that without a "Yes" vote, then TUI will subcontract 28 airframes for next summer (7 this year) to be operated by third party carriers like SmartLynx and reduce the UK fleet by approx 15 airframes. It is the Aviation equivalent of the P&O ship debacle at the start of the year, sack UK crews and replace with cheaper Eastern European labour. And, yes, that is what the pay deal talks about, vote yes or fleet reduction and pilot redundancies.
So just beware that paying that price for a TUI holiday could very well soon mean flying on some poorly maintained/unknown pilot qualifications third party flying.
While I share your annoyance / irritation with the TUI management stance, and agree with your comparison with P&O Ferries (important to add the "ferries" bit) the allegations regarding maintenance and pilot qualifications of EU carriers is probably a little below the belt. Of course if TUI were to look to third party carriers registered in shall we say less well regulated jurisdictions then your concerns may have some merit.
This sort or corporate behaviour is unacceptable, but sadly they will probably get away with it, unless the CAA takes umbridge and refuses the third party carriers licences to operate on TUI's behalf.