Originally Posted by
richpea
Of course if you want to leave before the four years you can pay the remaining bond and go, but then you are essentially doing the same as what you would be doing with Ryanair, paying a large lump sum to be free of bond conditions. My overall point was that essentially with Ryanair, you are paying the lump sum to be free of the bond yourself and up front, rather than paying it back over several years and having to pay off the remainder later if you want to move on early. The overall cost of the training with Ryanair is within the ball park of what other airlines bond you to... the only real complaint that could be leveled against the way they do it is its "unfair" to those without access to financial resources.
What happens to the bond when you get fired for reasons other than direct cause?
Do you still need to pay the remaining bond? If you do need to pay it back then it's more or less the same as Ryanair.
If you don't I think you can view the bond partly as an investment into the cadet - airline risking financial damage if they have to let you go for whatever reason.