I regard the bond as the Semi-Necessary Evil; the cute, but slightly smelly cousin of the Great Evil.
Hear me out.
Everyone wants to go to a major "legacy" airline, and those airlines don't have bonds because they are the best places to work. Ergo, no bond required as there is little reason for the company to fear you ever leaving.
How do you get to airline nirvana? You pay your dues and build up your experience and career. This means that the majority of companies out there are stepping stones for the majority of pilots.
These companies know this.
Do not expect them to get rid of bonds. The low cost model isn't going to change.
Its like converting half of an aircraft into 1st class seating and expecting those seats to fill up. There is a limited amount of people who will purchase those seats. Just like there is a limited amount of people who will forgo a cheaper seat on a low cost airline in favour of better inflight standard at a markup on a premium carrier.
In other words, if you want a seat in first class, you'll have to earn it by having the experience and qualification to be rewarded a spot with one of those few "premium" airlines that are left.
Don't expect Orange or -insert your example here- to start charging double for a seat so you will reap the rewards. It will not happen.
So, in the end, you have two choices really. A bond, which insures the company you will put in your time, or PAY FOR YOUR TYPE RATING.
This is a disaster, as every hungry 200 hour wonder with trust fund/rich parents/ american express will buy their rating or borrow their life away in wonderlust over a big shiney new airplane they get to fly.They won't really pause at what they will be paid and what kind of standard of life they will have.....They will not take some time to read through the contract, they will not let the tiny fineprint sink in....
That rational, warning voice on their shoulder is replaced by:
SHINEY AIRPLANE! SHINEY AIRPLANE!
After a few months, the novelty wears off and they realize they have totally buried themselves because they have borrowed more than they can ever pay back at the ridiculously low wage they agreed to as they had an airliner dangled in their face.
Like a playboy centrefold that has been stared at for far too long.....
Airplane not so shiney.....anymore....
Too late for the rest of us. The flood of bought type ratings creates a situation where everyone bitching about bonds would beg to have them back.
Last edited by Airline Pirate; 28th December 2007 at 04:57.