Questions and comments have recently been raised inviting input from pilots within Jet2 so as a Jet2 Captain I perilously reply.
As for Jet2s financial well being, it's a part of Dart Group and a public company so the financial records are public record. I am no accountant but my personal opinion is that Dart Group and Jet2 are financially healthy and as sound as any airline/business can be these days. As for why they succeed where others have failed, there are certainly many reasons but the one that perhaps mostly concerns us is keeping labour costs down - hence paying for one's own TR/training and the more recent trend toward recruitment of cadets and part time (70%) contracts.
As for safety concerns, any suggestion that Jet2s methods are unsafe are unfounded. Safety is the first priority I would think in any airline and Jet2 is no exception. Jet2 I think is a very safety and CRM focused operation. Jet2 has historically recruited pilots and cabin crew from a variety of backgrounds and levels of experience - a practice that has proved effective and has provided employment opportunities where other airlines have not.
As for whether Jet2 is a good place to work and are we all leaving, I relpy that no airline is perfect and all have their good and bad qualities. In addition, no airline will ever please everyone. Yes some Jet2 pilots are leaving and others have applications in with other airlines but I don't know how many and I don't think anyone else does. I am personally happy and I am not looking for greener pastures. That said, should lucrative opportunities present themselves I would give them due consideration. We are all at different stages in our career and prioritize differently and in the end take the best job that suits us. I think whoever does decide to accept Jet2s offer for better or worse will find Jet2 a welcoming place to work. Those who joined more recently would perhaps be better to comment on this.
As for how Jet2 has conducted itself during this recruitment, well there are certainly those with some very strong opinions on this topic. I will start by saying that I know that some of us "normal" line flyers have done some phone calling and taken part in the selection process in other ways, but I have not been involved in the process at all other than watching with interest. I think the process as I understand it has been unprecedented and therefore difficult for some to stomach and I sympathize. It is clear that Jet2s recruitment methods are not to everyones' tastes and whether they are efficient or not remains to be seen. All I know is that the HR/recruitment and Training Depts have their hands full this winter.
I think anyone considering Jet2 should unfortunately at the moment expect the offerings to be more akin to those of some other low cost airlines and less like those of BA and VS not to mention overseas airlines. If anyone is wondering, I am not management, I am permanent full time and I did pay for my TR several years ago.
All the best.
