Guys,
I don't think anyone is disputing the "career Airline-ness" of TFly/FCA combined... per se...as under comparison to the afformentioned LCCs and even other Charter/leisure carriers we are well benchmarked and have some terrific protections.
What I believe some are referring to is the change in the animal that can be seen from the inside.
Change has already created huge consequences in lifestyle and (yet to be seen) salary for a number of pilots within the company due to forced moves onto the 737 - an aircraft type that is just the wrong type for the future mid-haul centric focus of the company.
The forced type change - driven out of hang over from a crazy nee suicidal plan to aim to compete directly with the Easy/FR/J2s - is a huge issue to those it affected and before anyone asks it was done out of seniority order!
My Big concern is the lack of a robust system to bid onto the other fleet(s). In Tfly right now if you start on the 737 or are forced to 737 expect not to return to the 'other' fleet for years if at all - and ignore the mixed fleet stuff - it won't happen for most.
Tfly-Junior (the orginal version out of Cov) had loads of 73 FOs wanting to transfer across to the 757. How many (ordinary line pilots) have made it in 4 years of operation???? NONE. And yet until last year we still recruited directly onto the 757 with the 737 guys chomping at the bit - From a Career point of view down that is not good!
Not just in fleet transfer do we lack robust systems. Monthly bidding is at best confusing and at worst totally incomprehensible.
This is where the appeal of other careers blossom. Depending on your own aspirations of course but in summary to ask a question:
"If you are to suddenly to find out that your 10+ yrs to command will now be taking place on the shorthaul only fleet and not the mix of Long/short haul you thought. Would it not be prudent to assess whether one would prefer to invest those 10yrs in an airline where seniorty would have seen you choose the type you fly and pretty much your roster after 5yrs?"
That is the question alot of guys at LGW have been asking - BA round the corner et al. This explains the resignation bulge increasing toward BA at the southern bases - I must add that LGW has seen the most forced 737 transfers. See a pattern yet?? But for us here in MAN its a different story we don't have the luxury of Big Airways around the corner but so far few of us have been forced to consider a move as we are still a 75/76 heavy base.
I don't want to be misunderstood - right now, for me, this is the best job in the world - right now. I love the people I work with, my base and the roster I fly. Tfly is a great company in terms of people, training and salary no matter what the old farts on here say.
It has its faults some big, some small and we have been foolish with strategy of late. However we have new keepers who seem to be committed to building a great company.
I am concerned however that we've just bought 45 aircraft that are incapable of flying the routes we wish to milk!! - but thats way above my pay grade! I suspect the aforementioned new keepers will sort that out!!
Yours always opinionated,
WoT