It is understandable that those of you at BACON are wary of working for Flybe. As an ex Q400 driver at Flybe I can testify that it is not the place to be if you are looking for a reasonable level of stability and a decent career structure. However, it has the potential to be a superb airline if they just make a few tweaks to the way they manage their workforce. This could be achieved with some assertive negotiation.
Negatives:-
1) Seniority list is not honoured and base / fleet movement was dependent on how much you were prepared to kiss a**s.
2) The basing policy always seemed to be give them what they don't want e.g. BHX locals forced to go to Scotland / BHD locals to Southampton etc...
3) No policy of T'prop - Jet. Some Captains told that they would be staying on Q400 regardless of seniority, line and sim performance.
4) Numerous roster changes and some unscheduled nightstops.
5) SBY 1hr from airport.
All the above could be addressed at little cost.
Positives:-
1) Great crews and a good working atmosphere.
2) Exeter is manned by people you can actually talk to.
3) Well maintained aircraft.
4) Decent training (unless you got sent to Toronto).
5) Rapid time to command.
6) Good turboprop salary.
7) Reasonable pension.
8) The company is serious about regional flying and invests accordingly.
9) The work patterns are not as demanding as BACON.
At one point nearly 10% of the workforce had handed their notice to move to Jet operators but this was mostly to do with unpredictable career progression.
I know many BACON guys are already being very critical of Flybe but the ones I have met and now work with at BA were so scathing about BA that surely another company is a bonus? The only way BACON could have been viable was to instigate sweeping reforms in terms of outsourcing and wage cutting to reflect the loco industry. I suspect BA did not have the stomach for that and selling was the easy option.
Flybe has the potential to be a great company to work for and if they had operated a Manchester base with a proper career structure I would never have left. As many have already said this is a merger not a takeover. Flybe needs pilots with experience to handle its expansion plans. Do your best to negotiate some sensible contract changes and it will be a damn sight more enjoyable than it was working for the Empire. If you all walk in thumping the table demanding BACON T&C's along with the same salary structure then JF will make life so difficult that the J31 at Eastern will suddenly seem very appealing.
I wish you the best of luck.