MON
Different philosophies and different stages in the ever changing life cycle of an airline for the two operators?
No airline since Icarus has managed to effectively predict the market or the correct establishment of both aircraft and crew to effectively service that market. Both operators have offloaded staff, TOM immediately post merger which was arguably the logical time to "realise synergies" (barf) by removing duplication, TCX when the wheels so very nearly came off altogether. Both are now realising that they overdid it (but the bonuses are safely banked so no harm done) and that markets are recovering so there is a need to re recruit.
I don't know what arrangements exist between TCX BALPA and management but in TOM the original PPY 50 was designed to maintain a summer establishment number to preserve both existing jobs and promotion prospects, such as they were. This put a stop to the company's clear intention to establish to winter numbers and buy in the required additional summer capacity. TOM currently has external capacity in terms of airframes at SND and quasi external capacity at BFS and DUB. Total 3 but I standby to be corrected.
I don't know how much external capacity TCX has with EZY but I did hear some quite big numbers? That's for someone better informed to answer.
Meanwhile, we are increasing the 787 fleet by 4. This is very crew hungry running at up to 12 crews / airframe. That said, it is phenomenally efficient, the pax love it and it is tearing holes out of other operators. I've been on it for 3 months now and gave flown 1 sector that wasn't a full load (1 empty seat). Premium cabin has been full on every one. As TOM charges a fee for standard never mind Premium, it appears people are prepared to pay. We also get c17 hours per airframe out of in a day against the global fleet average of c10/day.
This exaggerates PPY thing in the short term because the additional need for 787 pilots is being wholly sourced from within which has cleared out a lot of 737 seats. These will be recruit filled and the 737 works it's little socks off over the summer and goes very quiet in winter. There is some work in Canada that is the other side of the quasi external source in Ireland mentioned above. Thus is a reciprocal arrangement with TUI group airline Sunwing who have their peak demand in winter, as do our Swedish colleagues TUIFly Nordic. Some of this us bitched by the Germans who are struggling with the concept of cooperation and send pilots to Canada but won't accept any by return.
What that all means is that a reasonable number, 30 odd, PPY guys are technically PPY but because they go to Canada, they earn full time. They are put up in fully furnished apartments, have a car and funded flights out and back for themselves and their families should they so wish. For sure, not ideal if you don't fancy the frozen north or have kids in school or a wife who works and if course you have to go to be paid.
In short, PPY reduced redundancies and avoided demotions totally. It avoids contract or seasonal pilots and promotions. It keeps work in house and can be switched off with a phone call rather than having to run recruitment should the need arise. Once switched off for an individual, it's off. Much maligned, I see it as a shaky start to a relatively great future for anyone joining TOM. Sure, Ts and Cs will slide across the board but at TOM at least you'll be starting further up. You'll also join an airline with full permanent contract rights of access to healthcare, LoL etc. But then I would say that, I'm in the left hand seat of an aircraft that's an airborne orgasm and I've got 10 years to push because I've set my life up to poke off at 60.
I've also spent a considerable amount of said life trying to negotiate a better deal and continue to support that process by being on The CC. So please, spare me the lectures.