I would guess, chiefly for some security??
BA seem to have managed the downturn in the market both positively and in some way admirably. To the extent they have not made any compulsory redundancies and are now recruiting.
TCX are currently playing the doom and gloom game with todays interim financial results pointing at increases in losses throughout the winter. In the report our chief says a review of the winter program is underway to reduce further losses in coming winters, whilst keeping summer capacity. Now this could mean anything from the company trying to find work for Pilots in the winter, to fleet reduction and subbing out work for the summer bulge... Who knows! What is for certain they are keen to tell us how bad trading conditions are but don't leap at the opportunity to lead us and come up with solutions.
All this is now making Thomas Cook are negative place and people are looking to leave for a company who offers some security. Another reason one may suspect is the indecision towards long haul. Many Pilots (particularly younger ones) aspire to longhaul. TCX are currently reducing the long haul program and have murmoured at even pulling out due to a lack of a market..........
Word on the street is that 30+ packing up for BA now and many more are trying. Management will probably not even have to lift a redundancy finger, their negativity will shake the tree sufficiently. But in the meantime they will leave us all mis-informed and despondant.