I have watched this thread with great interest, and, at times, commented with either frustration or downright anger at what appears to be blatant abuse or exploitation of fellow pilots.
I have read the comments from Starbear and Captainkingkong and really enjoyed the arguments presented. As an applicant, and someone who has done some research, I have spoken to the pilot recruiters on the phone. They do indeed keep bringing up the 25K 70% question. As I previously posted I said no to both questions but qualified both answers with "I'd be willing to discuss alternatives" and subsequently received an assessment date. (Not yet attended)
I am an experienced TP training captain, not a cadet. It occurs to me that they are asking these questions as a filtering process, but not as many on here believe: to find pilots willing to sell there soul for a job, but to find adaptable people, willing to think outside the box or enter discussion / debate on a way forward that makes both business sense and is achievable for the candidate. I qualify this, as I said I have researched this, from information received from those with job offers that the "deal" is infact nowhere near the 25K quoted by JET2 themselves. NOWHERE near......
I think it is important to remember that this is a business, and Jet2 is certainly not to blaim for the current pay to fly market, Easyjet and Ryanair have long been exploiting those with more money than us mere mortals.
Just six months ago, I believed it would be virtually impossible to progress as has been traditional - from turboprop to medium jet to heavy etc - because of the sudden availability of cheap cadets willing to buy their first 2000hrs. However, in Jet2's defense, they are the first company to target the experienced unrated workforce out there during these diffiicult economic times.
I guess my point is for those currently working at Jet2, who have recently posted their disapproval of this process, that maybe all is not as it seems here on pprune, and that infact they are looking for pilots with a little more calibre than you give them credit for.
Keeping costs down is definately a business stategy, but I do believe these questions have screened a certain type of individual out of the recruitment process.
Of course I could be completely wrong........
