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bridge builder
Something’s rotten, and I don’t think we’ll know the full story or a long while. am truly sorry for all that have been affected by this sudden situation??? It stinks to high heaven, and agree that media should go do some serious investigating!! |
Don't be so sure. Several years back I and a couple of guys were hired to ferry a 737 back from the states to Europe. The company that had leased it had failed to keep up the payments and as such the owner sub chartered the aircraft, which was subsequently impounded and the great legal battle commenced. We arrived on a public holiday and removed the aircraft whilst all the lawyers were having a day off.
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All Hail the XL staff
Any SkyNews reporters following this thread? How on earth you guys win the News Channel of the Year each year I’ll never figure out. Is it by any chance presented by the your own inhouse SkyNews Magazine?
The news in fifteen minutes every fifteen minutes which Muppet came up with that award winning one? (actually thinking about it, good finacncial move! you can loop the tape and everyone can pop off down the pub for a cider and a scampi n chips in a basket!):D The general population is probably tired of the stranded pax stories and their blaming of their predicament on the good folks at XL.com. is our industry not in meltdown because of the collapsing global economy? Do these affected pax not work for businesses that are also struggling to survive this frightening slip into the black hole of recession? Do they not understand that their employer could also suddenly fold in these days of global uncertainty? How many ordinary folks can honestly claim they saw this tsunami of economic grief on the Horizon? XL and others before have failed because of circumstances outwith their control, an unprecedented rise in the price of ‘black gold’ and failure of our worlds, quote “financial engines” and not because their business models were intrinsically deficient (previous posts about business acumen noted). Unfortunately XL will probably not be the last to go under. The pax stories are played out now. Does the world really need another account of mayhem at check-in or the sudden absence of company reps. What have the pax lost? A holiday? The trip of a lifetime? Money? A missed opportunity? All traumatic in their own way but the feelings of panic, helplessness, loss, anger, are temporary will pass and many will recover both emotionally and financially. Their loss pales into insignificance when compared to the loss suffered by the staff of XL. Last week they all had jobs today they don’t! It would appear from stories in the media that with the failure of XL the staff have all mysteriously disappeared, no mention of them! NEWSFLASH…. They are still around and they are suffering….big time. The stress they are suffering must be unfathomable. So let’s spare a thought for those contemporaries who are now facing their worst nightmare. The feelings of shock, bewilderment, helplessness, panic, anger and loss will be with them for a very long time and unfortunately the ripples of damage caused by this company failure will touch every part of their lives. What more do they stand to lose? Their home? Their marriage or relationship? The next few months will prove to be ‘the trip of a lifetime’ for many airline staff who have lost their livelihood. A trip which most will want to forget. Goodluck to you all you XL’d in what you did. Look East! |
Only cabin crew myself but:
Makes me wonder who's next.....and if it makes me wonder that it means people out there will be thinking it as well....and will try to book with an airline that will get them to their destination.....and back....surely that will speed-up the process for some airlines that are only holding on by a threat.... I don't like being the 'glass-is-half empty' person but I have a horrible feeling we've only seen the beginning....and winter is coming. |
Hmmmm
Don't remember MOL / Ryanair slagging XL off just a few years ago when they leased Excel aircraft and crews to fly routes for them out of Stansted during the winter season.
Strange, that. |
I have a question, if XL france and Germany are still operating does that mean the Finnair winter contract is still going ahead, also whats happening to the New 330's that were coming and I may be wrong but I dont think the french or germans have ant Ri/TRE employed so whos going to train them, and if Wyatt is looking for pilots will we be getting a little call, after all we do have JAA Licences and funny old thing were current so cheap to tain and employe and we know the operation, well thats saved a few quid.
:ok::ok::ok: |
What happens to the aircraft?
With all these firms going, which is truley ashame, what happens to all the aircraft? The forums here are saying they are being blocked in?? whats that for? surley you cant just bust your way in to a secure location start up the engines and go! Is it not costing the airports money keeping this aircraft on the ground? It it going to get to a point where there is no room to keep them? where will they go? So many questions here im sorry but im sure the planes could be put to use!
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Hi Guys
Not quiet the end of the world, although it may seem so at the moment for some of you. Your greatest asset is your health, not some blastard job. When you are down, you certainly know who your friends are and some of you will be finding this out already. This is where sports at school are so very important. Sports teach you to take hard knocks, which life is full of, pick yourself up and carry on. No one's job is safe and I don't care if you are a VS or a BA. The whole financial thing is like a house of cards, so it could go down hill very fast and at anytime. Been made redundant more than once and it has taught me to save for a "rainy day", not too put all my eggs on one basket. When you can, try and branch out into other things and maybe try and start a business or similar. Just my 2 pense worth. |
Bladepilot.
Good post. Best of luck from another ex XL'er |
Only cabin crew myself but: Makes me wonder who's next Next Airline To Go Bust?. Betting from Paddy Power :uhoh: |
personally i think blocking aircraft in is absolutley idiotic, some one at MAN plc is on a power trip. They didnt seem to hesitate with SkyEurope 737-700, inpunded straight away...
i think its very childish.... G-STAW |
Given the BAA's performance in the hands of Ferrovial perhaps RYR should use it's STN fleet to "block in" the airport ,as there is reasonable cause to question their financial viability to provide their contracted services. This game could be played both ways.
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"BladePilot"; Very well said!
I was disgusted to see people on the BBC News who were "absolutely gutted" to be "stuck" at MAN (home) and not be able to go on their hols, when there are 1700 XL staff with REAL problems who got hardly a mention! Unfortunately I have been there; Sitting your 3 kids round the table and explaining why everything is about to change, big-time, is a humbling experience. Best of luck to you all, it DOES work out in the end! lsh |
Leaving LGW
One XL 738 left late last night/early morning another 738 not in XL colours could be going soon,still two 767s and Three 738 still blocked in by snow clearing equipment.
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I would like to thank Bladepilot for his thread regarding news coverage of the 'poor PAX' who have been left stranded following the demise of XLLG UK, and actually thinking of the staff.
Being a former employee of what I regarded to be a truly dynamic company, I am truly sorry for these poor people, however no-one in the media has spared a thought for the 1700 loyal Employees who are now unemployed following a bolt out of the blue, that their company has gone bust after being given false hope by 'Top Management', and I use the word 'top' very loosely, that all was well and refinancing negotiations were going 'positively' with no set timescale to meet!!!!:mad: We are all now left picking up the pieces of our lives and frantically wondering how or where money is going to come from so that mortgages will be paid etc:eek: As for Mr Wyatt being devastated about the loss of his company perhaps if, as rumour has it, he hadn't pushed his luck with the financiers and accepted their terms. Maybe XL would still have been operating and their fabulous on time stats achieved for the Summer 2008 been ongoing!! Once a barrow boy always a barrow boy.........with illusions of grandeur!:= I wish all former colleagues within XL, especially within the airline every luck in the world in finding employment quickly and pat yourselves on the back for being part of what was, until Friday 12th Sept'08, a very successful and dynamic airline:D:D:D My thoughts also go to staff of other airlines who have also had to go through this, Zoom, Silverjet etc |
Can I ask why they block aircraft in, that seems like madness, hardly going to make a mad dash for it and floor it down the runway. I'm just curious thats all. Truly gutted to see the way the industry is going and really feel for the crews and staff.
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Excellent post BladePilot. You've said it all.
Very best wishes for the future to all ex-XL staff and crew. |
Wilky,
All to do with legal 'stake' claiming. You''l find that in addition to 'blocking in' an aircraft an officer of the airport concerned will also place a legal notice on or in the aircraft and in some cases they 'seal' the doors with a 'breakable' seal normally just a plasticised strip with a legal statement of intent on it. And yes it has actually happened in the past where 'SAS' type missions have been pulled off by flightdeck crews and engineers to 'free' an aircraft from such circumstances. Not so easy these days though. |
As bad as it is now, what will be the knock-on over the next few weeks. 1700 hundred job losses as a direct result fom XL, what about the in-direct and induced staffing levels.
Maintenance, Parts, Fuel, Ramp Services now required on 20 odd fewer aircraft. 9 further UK airlines are on the "red list" right now, 29 through out Europe.:uhoh: |
things are so bad that
Some XL staff are sell there uniform on e-bay.AIR HOSTESS UNIFORM - XL AIRWAYS on eBay, also, Women's Shoes, Clothes, Shoes Accessories (end time 19-Sep-08 22:55:47 BST)
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The impounded 737-800 at Ema is off to Istanbul to new owners :{ reality has kicked in for me i am jobless was too numb yesterday to think straight but now it's real. Im devestated :(
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easyjet £75 rescue flights
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hostiegirl,
Snap out of it ;) I know it's probably of little comfort to you but there are a bunch of us out here who are rooting for you XL,ent folks. Sit down and work out a plan as soon as you can (finances, job hunting etc), get the CV updated and send, send, send. Things will be tough but you need to 'get back on the horse' and try and keep ahead of the tide! Chin up:) you can do it. Wishing you the very best. |
Look South East
Ex XL people:
I have no idea what aircraft they use but I do know that the Western Australia region is utterly booming due to the mining taking place there. Folk fly in and out all the time from all over Aus constantly. Worth having a look in my humble. G'day :) |
Talking of Australia, Qantas are recruiting like crazy at the moment for their Heathrow base and would likely snap up the XL crews. I think they are recruiting for their new A380 arrival so lots of jobs going in the next few weeks.
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The Ripple Effect
Mary Hinge,
Good point. First thoughts must go to the XL staff who were hit with the shocking and unexpected news but you're right the ripple effects will be far reaching and those folks employed in the numerous support industries are going to feel the effect soon enough, cleaning, catering, fueling, general ground handling, airport staff, 'spanish coach drivers', security and more, too many to mention. The only difference being they may have some warning of impending grief.. and still the media focus on the woeful pax stories!:ugh: |
Just heard the bad news,very sad. First the buisness airliners (Maxjet,Eos,Silverjet) now XL the future for charter airlines isnt looking good. I hear that XL where still selling tickets only a few hours before they were declared bankrupt. Is this true?.A 737-800 is stranded here at LCA (Larnaca International) anyone know whats going to happen to it? Im guessing it'll be off in a few days,but to where? Does it belong to XL or was it being leased?
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hostiegirl,
Snap out of it I know it's probably of little comfort to you but there are a bunch of us out here who are rooting for you XL,ent folks. Sit down and work out a plan as soon as you can (finances, job hunting etc), get the CV updated and send, send, send. Things will be tough but you need to 'get back on the horse' and try and keep ahead of the tide! Chin up you can do it. Wishing you the very best. THANK-YOU! Yes i know you are right, cv has been updated this morning! x |
BBC News 6pm
Well done BBC for bothering to interview a crew member makes a change to see our side of things!. Well done Christian for doing us proud! x
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Having only recently (this June) been sh*t on by an insolvent employer, I thought I'd share my experiences as to the state assistance available. Not sure how much of this will apply but it may be of use to some of the folks?
In short, when an employer becomes insolvent and can no longer pay its staff the employees are entitled to: i) Statutory Redundancy Pay - Amount depends on length of service and your age - this site calculates your entitlement: Redundancy Payments: Ready Reckoner - BERR ii) Statutory Notice Pay - One week's pay (maximum of £330 per week) for each year of service, up to a maximum of 12 week's pay. This bit is a common-law claim so they take off Job Seekers Allowance and 22% for tax. ii) Pay for holiday you were entitled to, but did not take (didn't apply to me) More info here: Notice and notice pay : Directgov - Employment Redundancy and Insolvency - Guide for employees You lodge your claim by completing the RP1 form available from the Insolvency Service. If the company is still trading but just won't pay up, you can call a tribunal to claim the above money. If in doubt, book an appointment with your local CAB. In my case, I was able to receive just under £7k :ok: |
Thankyou EGHH!
Does this apply to us as we were not made redundant? |
hostiegirl: You were made redundant, your job effectively ceased to exist. I went through it once, at the end of the day if you're no longer employed because your employer has ceased trading then you're entitled to the statutory minimum. If there's money in the pot then the employer foots the bill, otherwise the government pays it.
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As I understand it, as soon as you're told not to turn up to work any more you are redundant. I think the administrators or the liquidator are supposed to hand out the relevant information - it didn't work like that in my case though. If in doubt I'd recommend checking with the CAB.
Hope this helps - good luck! Redundancy and Insolvency - Guide for employees says: 6. What is redundancy? You can get a redundancy payment only if the reason for your dismissal is redundancy. This means that your dismissal must be caused by your employer's need to reduce or no longer employ his or her workforce. Redundancy may happen because a workplace is closing down or because fewer employees are needed for particular kinds of work or because the employer is insolvent. Normally your job must have disappeared. It is not redundancy if your employer immediately takes on a direct replacement for you. It usually will not matter if your employer is recruiting more workers to do different jobs or to work in another place. You are entitled to a redundancy payment from your employer if:
If your employer is insolvent, he or she will not be able to pay you. So you can claim the money from one of the Insolvency Service’s Redundancy Payments Offices using the yellow RP1 claim form at the back of this guide. We may also be able to pay you all or some of any unpaid wages and outstanding holiday pay. If you did not receive the correct notice of dismissal, we may be able to compensate you for that. If your employer is not formally insolvent and has made you redundant without paying you a redundancy payment, then you may still be able to claim a payment from us. By law in these circumstances we can only pay you redundancy money. We cannot make other payments such as unpaid wages, holiday pay or compensation for not receiving proper notice. This guide tells you what you can claim, how to claim it and the conditions that apply. It also explains what to do if you disagree with us about how much you should receive. |
Thanks for the information. Yes the administrators were handing out packs at the airport i couldn't go in so have one on the way. I didnt think we got a penny so thats a bit brighter than i thought!
Thanks once again!x |
hostiegirl,
Read what they say carefully. Don't be afraid to seek independent advice, particularly if they want your signature for something. I have been through the same myself and the administrators were trying to get me to sign over state benefit to them. I stood my ground and won. I don't think this will be the case for you guys, but you can never be too careful. I thought I recognised the voice as being someone else. I felt he was composed, factual, and calm. Good luck |
Good luck Hostiegirl and all the other XL staff, our thoughts are with you.
There but for the grace of whatever go us all! |
To all those crew and staff affected by the loss of XL, my heart goes out to you!
looks like good old Richard's got his tuppens worth in for publicity. And clearly doesn't have a clue what he's on about!! From BBC News: Virgin head Sir Richard Branson has called for a review of the rules governing airlines. He said planes grounded by the failure of their parent companies should be allowed to fly under the watch of the aviation regulator. He claimed this would reduce disruption across the industry. "It does not make sense for aircraft to be lying idle at UK airports when they should be used to bring back stranded passengers of that airline," he said. Richard Branson . . . the Michael O'Leary of the full-fare schedule carriers? |
For GOD sake!
its simple. The CAA insures the planes and pays the current crew for the flights. Yet again out come the anti branson gang to have a pop |
Wilky,
The reason concrete blocks / tractors / tugs etc are placed in front of the aircraft is to stop the risk of them being moved to another area of the airport where a new lien could be placed on it. i.e., someone's hanger or parking area where in an instant the lawyers could be waiting to put in another claim. Mechanics liens etc. can hold up the whole repossession process for some time, costing the aircraft's actual owners several hundreds of thousand dollars a month. Hope that makes some sense |
so what happens next...
so, everyone is worried about all the passengers, but im more concerned about the crew, what will happen to them stuck downroute, will xl have to get them home?? Or are they kinda left to their own devices??
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