SilverJet

[Silver Boy]

Bestonboard & IanJ,

An interesting post of which some of your comments raised I agree with and some not. I address them...

"I think anybody who is bringing up debates that are now approximately 11 months old should use the 'search' function, and look at the ground that has been covered before..."

To be clear this thread is open for people asking questions about Silverjet right now. You destroy your own augment later in your post by stating that things change in aviation, or are you suggesting that Silverjet has not changed for 11 months and never will?

"An effective Service Coordinator will NOT give crew left over food. The allocation for crew meals is kept completely seperate and only cooked fresh when the crew are ready to eat. With the selections of cheese, dessert, fresh bread, and second service supplies, there is a variety for crew to eat... If you are not happy, then bring your own! I know a great number of crew that do... Silverjet are providing crew with a 5 course" meal if they wish... it's up to them if they choose it or not."

The way you talk about the ability of your colleagues is incredulous! Are you suggesting that crew are served before passengers now? The directive is passengers first, crew second. There are two main course choices and invariably the majority of passengers tend to opt for one, thereby leaving a good deal of passengers and of course crew with no choice. Yes food is provided but it is not specifically designated crew food.

"Salary, Flight pay, work... these are made blatantly clear to you when you are offered a position... As is the requirement of standby duties and location to the airport for them... Read the not so small print before you sign! Even operating 5 flights a month... 10 sectors.... 10 days work at a 10 hour duty overall... In a previous life I used to work 70 hour weeks, and got paid a lot less than I do now... The grass is not always greener!!"

The financial remuneration is correct, and stands up against other carriers agreed, however there is an incredible amount of disinformation during interview stage with the operation being sold to crew as something different. I can only assume that either you have a 'special' roster or I, and many of my colleagues have done something bad in a previous life, as 5 flights a month is NOT the norm, with 7 being more typical for anyone considering joining. Standbys are plentiful are normally placed on days before and after flights, in order to allow bringing forward of duty days. As for duration, both you and IanJ are still far from the mark. I am pleased that you are in a position to state what everyone else can expect in the future and perhaps you could make money in predicting the future as you clearly have access to information that we do not? For the record and the interest of anyone joining, standbys have always been 8 hours 30 minutes, and as you have stated they have changed, but not to 7 hours but 8. Instead of trying to encompass the entire day they now appear (on my roster) at least to cover a morning or an afternoon finishing at 20:00 hours, a positive move I guess.

“Grass always greener” - I totally agree - remember this is for the information of people joining.

"More than minimum rest is provided between back to backs, Silverjet do have arrangements with some hotels to offer a discounted rate for an overnight stop. If you enquire you will find out!"

More than minimum rest – true but misleading, because at the moment it is physically impossible due to the schedule. i.e. arrive Luton at 07:30 AM and back out the next day at 08:30AM. Sure every operator is having to compete these days, but the point has to be made that this is extremely tiring, and the comparisons you hold with charter operators do not hold up, as you have the same hours of work i.e. through the night, but without jet-lag. I am concerned that with DXB, my body clock will become a yo-yo, going west-east on 3 back to backs!

“on our flat beds... Yes they are FLAT!!! they are inclined at an angle of 8 degrees, a 6'3" pitch with 8 actuators to mold to the comfort of the person lying on them with a built in seat back massager... Sorry to quote facts, although they are at a slight angle there are no lumps or bumps, or any disjointedness... they are a Flat Bed.”

Every one is entitled to see the world in their own way and I cannot take that away from you or our passengers, however I can tell you that a great deal of the passengers I have dealt with do not share the same view as you. Many of them think that the seats have broken down as they only recline, as you correctly state to 172 degrees; a constant source of irritation for cabin crew as having to explain that they are in fact fully reclined annoys the passengers. Perhaps other airlines should sell their seats as 8 degrees negatively inclined as they draw comparisons all the time which we as crew have to defend? So flat 8 degrees up now? I hope our pilots don't think the same.

“If you are having such issues why are you not speaking to management? Even the onboard management team? Any senior worth their salt should be reporting your concerns... I know I do!!!My only recommendation to anyone who is inquisitive about flying with us... apply, come for the assessment centres, and make your own decision... Hearsay and Galley FM are defamatory and uninspiring at the best of time... unless it's finding out who's doing what and with who...
If you want to be treated like an adult, act like one... Use your voice and speak up. Spreading malicious content on a public forum hiding behind a username will not get the answers or results you want.”

It is absolutely clear to me and anyone reading this post, that with your ability to see everyone’s rosters, quote with authority of future issues but inaccurately on day to day crew issues at the coal face, but most importantly react in the way you have, that you are indeed a member of management.

Your very response to the several people that have stated Silverjet is as they have seen it or indeed do now, only serves to add accreditation to the posts about the management attitude to crew, and your post merely lends further credence to them.

I was once very proud to work for Silverjet and apart from paying bills, I thought that it was a breath of fresh air in the industry with values I believed in. To draw comparisons with charter and scheduled operators only serves to show that the choice is much of a muchness and there is very little standing out to join Silverjet for.

Instead of shooting people merely telling how they see it to other interested individuals, the very purpose of Pprune, perhaps I could suggest that you direct your energies at addressing the comments raised? Maybe people are using this forum because they know they will not be heard or tolerated within the company?

If you are management, as I very much suspect, wake up and smell the coffee, and grasp the comments raised on this forum. Address them and change the culture within the company particularly in respect of management attitudes, and you will have an airline that perhaps will become once again something to aspire to work for. I sincerely hope you can turn it around, as at the moment, mine and a good deal of my colleagues enthusiasm is waning, and you have the power to change everything. No doubt you will say that I can leave e.t.c., but remember I am part of your team and have no special desire to join other carriers that you draw comparissons with. However as time goes by, and more people leave, I am beginning to ask myself the qeustion more often.You will probably also state there is not problem – a typical statement from management out of touch with the coal face.

We have a fantastic opportunity, but so many companies within aviation or outside have been lost because of poor management practices. Perhaps you could also do an historical search, try the threads of many companies that have failed in the past on these forums and you will find a similar theme of discussions in the prelude to their demise.

Feedback is good no matter what mode and there is 'no smoke without fire'.

Off for some rest now, happy flying to all.

Silver Boy. X