Originally Posted by
Snapper5
Enzo
I understand that it must be horrendous to be unemployed as an FO ,
I have been in Monarch for nearly 6 years and I am in the command process ,
I believe that no flight crew have been made redundant ever in Monarch .
Yes the pay has changed but what airline hasn't ? At least it's still pretty good for the work involved
Yes they screwed some guys pensions but they are getting a cheeky backhand of 10s of thousands a year apparently (all gone very quiet anyway )
I believe you left Monarch for BA SH ? Maybe you should have stayed and got a command ?
I have a young family and would choose Monarch every day over BA
You might well be right on some of what you say, I could have possibly been better off staying at Mon and taking command, especially seeing as the command time at BA has rocketed again, but it's a choice you have to make based on risk and reward. I always felt the worst that could happen if I join BA is that I get stuck as an FO for 10 years, but with yearly increments and a decent pension that was not the end of the world, on the other hand the worst case scenario at Monarch was rather more devistating, so I took the safe option. Maybe you have a very different attitude towards risk than me and all being well you will never need to lower yourself to the levels of BA.
On some of your other points Mon have most defiantly made pilots redundant, I still have my letter stating my finishing date and pay off, it's not something I will forget in a hurry seeing as I received it the same day my children were born!
I don't blame anyone for gamely hanging on in there with Mon because whilst it lasts it's a good gig, but you can't just irgnore all the press and facts because the dont suit you. It is very clear that Monarch's finacial health is poor at best and is not really improving. Trading conditions remain bad, their cost base is still high (espically with your salary level), customer confidence is low, the dollar exchange is bad, the Boeings won't save anything the fuel saving will just be off set by the increased lease costs, there seems to be another restructure in the pipe line, they can't get credit, and so it goes on and on. I am not saying they will go bust tomorrow or even at all but it seems fairy reckless to state that everything is hunky dory when it clearly has major challenges ahead.