Rocksteady
Sorry. But despite the bitter one liners from offended low cost pilots, the start up structures and pay & conditions of a new Branson airline bears extreme relevance to the pilot community.
I think a good core of EK pilots will come home for this start up. A few of Mr Raby's good guys may get the nod for permament, well paying management positions, after initial start up help from Virgin Atlantic.
ur2
Z-Blood asked the question and I did answer taking the discussion into not so relevant areas.
May I also suggest that a low cost pilot, flying 900hrs a year until 65 to fund retirement, heading for a graveyard a bit quicker than a soundly set up pilot from from a major carrier. Anecdotal evidence suggests that when you pay for an endorsement, management generally treads on you in conditions of service aswell- i doubt if low cost pilots in Oz have life extending, lifestyle positions.
Z-Blood
Going nowhere this discussion. To start questioning my use a paradigm shift an example of you purely playing Devil's Advocate.
Another waste of a paragraph due playing the man and not the issue. So here goes- the paradigm ancient Greek, Kuhn's use in science or a more colloquial, contemporary usage?
I use the expression in the context of a transformation of rules and standards of practice by airline management in requiring airline training to be funded by pilots. Previously, expensive training provided by the airlines. If Ozjet and Virgin's new Australian international arm require pilots to pay for training, I am satisfied that a paradigm shift has occured in Australia - although pure Greek theorists may demand that Qantas must require it's pilots to pay for their training for the complete shift in thought and application.
You question where I have been undercut? Well that's bleeden obvious. Since the early 90's every new airline in Australia has pilots undercutting the last group- Ansett undercut by QF B scale, QF B scale undercut by Virgin, Impulse undercutting a couple of times in different guises, NJS undercutting Impulse and now the very real possibility of two new airlines undercutting all again! Pac Blue & Jetconnect fit nicely in there somewhere too.
I gather you work for CX or KA. And you think when the next round of basings come up in Australia they are going to compare your conditions to QF conditions? No. The threat is if conditions are eroded further by a new Branson startup, the wages pressure extends downward for QF pilots, foreign airline pilots based here and all of a sudden, Virgin Blue pilots are looking expensive too!
I was referencing " giving to the profession"' and not just taking. Giving something in return for the next generation. This involves the not so easy task of maintaining or bettering conditions of service. It means not signing off on a lower payscale for future generations for a payrise for your generation. A job hopping low cost pilot is taking from the profession and exascerbating downward pressures.
I must add if the spiral continues, it may well be time for those with better conditions of service, to sell out the hoards at the gate.
And without playing the man over to you. Where do you stand on the downward spiral? Do you believe Branson's new airline not going to affect you?