Virgin's HKG-SYD-HKG Flights To Be Crewed By Aussies.

[airsupport]

I hear that Virgin Atlantic's new Hong Kong/Sydney/Hong Kong flights will be crewed by Australian Nationals. ;)

Who will it be, will they use Virgin Blue Crews, or hire new Crews, or do they have enough Australians already working for them? :confused:

Anyone have any accurate information.

[Jet Jockey]

Sounds like a very fair rumour since Australian pilots now considered the cheapest in the world. Branson would be right on too that fact too.

[rescue 1]

I believe that BA were basing crews on a temp basis in SYD a few years back.

[airsupport]

This is not just that Virgin Atlantic will base some Crews in Sydney, in fact I am not sure they will be based in Sydney, although that IS the obvious thing. ;)

It is that the Virgin Atlantic Crews operating the Hong Kong to Sydney (and return) flights will be Australian Nationals. :ok:

[Dehavillanddriver]

Jet Jockey

The glory days have certainly gone, however I suggest that you have a look at the eastern bloc countries and see what they are paying guys to fly 737's, 767's and 777's etc.

Australians are by no means the cheapest around - you only need to look a little to the east to find a major country with lower pilot salaries - and then have a look into the Pacific - Air Pacific, Polynesian to name a few.

They make us look like we are well paid!

Out of interest - using the McDonalds index how do pilots for Ezy, Ryanair etc fair compared to Australian crews?

[Denzil]

The only crew that will initially be Australian are Cabin Crew, the Flight Deck, Cabin Supervisor, 2 Pursers & In-Flight Beuty Therapist will all be existing VS crews. I would imagine that in the long term the Cabin Crew could be promoted to Purser (as is the case for the HKG based Cabin Crew).

[airsupport]

That may be true then. :confused:

It was a Cabin Crew person I heard it from, and I took it to mean ALL Crew, maybe they meant just Cabin Crew. ;)

Sorry for the confusion.

Still, will be employment for Australian Cabin Crew at least. :ok:

[Gnadenburg]

Jet Jockey

"Australian pilots the world's cheapest".

Speak for yourself! Or perhaps on behalf of Virgin Blue and Jetstar crews?

Dehavil

Get some self pride. Comparing yourself to the Eastern Bloc ( never met a Russian who paid for his endorsement though) and South Pacific Islanders ( surely AirNZ drivers better conditions of service than Virgin Blue).

I have never understood why Virgin Blue pilots never rewarded with a semblance of the glory days.

[VH-Cheer Up]

DeHavilland

Out of interest - using the McDonalds index how do pilots for Ezy, Ryanair etc fair compared to Australian crews?

For those not in the know, the Big Mac Index is an indicator of the relative purchasing parity of a currency and is based the notion that a dollar should buy the same amount in all countries. Thus in the long run, the exchange rate between two countries should move towards the rate that equalises the prices of an identical basket of goods and services in each country. The "basket" in this case is a McDonald's Big Mac, which is produced in about 120 countries. The Big Mac PPP is the exchange rate that would mean hamburgers cost the same in America as abroad. Comparing actual exchange rates with PPPs indicates whether a currency is under- or overvalued. Details here http://www.economist.com/markets/bigmac/displayStory.cfm?story_id=2708584

Using the May 2004 index shows a Big Mac (BM) in USA costs US$2.90 which becomes the benchmark price. In Australia in May a BM cost US$2.27 at the then prevailing exchange rate. Which means the US$ is worth 22% more in Aus than back home (in terms of how many Big Macs it buys, anyway).

Meanwhile in Britain the BM costs US$3.37, making the US$ worth 16% less there than at home, BM-wise.

Where does this get you? I dunno. Suppose an Aussie 737 Captain gets paid US$50k, then he can buy 22,026 Big Macs with his pre-tax pay. God knows how few he'd get after tax. I'm not an accountant, although I have been accused of flying like one.

Then suppose an EasyJet 737 driver wants to buy 21,097 Big Macs using his pre-tax salary, he'd have to earn US$74,229 just to be as fat and sick as the Aussie.

Not a very good comparison, really? I should think it would be better to compare how the relative pilots live across the whole gamut of household and discretionary expenditure types, using an after-tax salary cost comparison.

An additional market measure as to pay relativity might be how many 737 Captains are being sought in either country (price too low, less players in free market economy) or how many 737 Captains are leaving the country (or the business) to pursue more lucrative opportunities.

Hope you're still glad you asked.

Cheers...

Now where's the windsock?

[slamer]

Dehavillanddriver

As you are clearly O'fay with the pay & conditions of all Pacific and Oz Carriers, Any chance of "picking you Brains" and request you make a specific comparison between say, Air NZ, Qantas & VB? (other-than we get paid more than you)

My experience with these matters is, people tend to talk their position up based purely on $$, and is difficult to truly gauge the "total package"

Please take into account things like Roster practises/bidding systems, promotion, security of employment/scope, leave (annual, long service retirement), satifaction & confidence with/from job, employer, colleagues and maint, retirement/pension funds, lifestyle/domicile bases eg travel time to work etc, destinations (time zones) & accom, rest at home/away, Protection/employment Law of the/your land, representation from your association, insurances proffessional/personal, terms of employment, duty travel, staff travel, seniority, pilot redundancy policies, adverse reports resolution & practises policies, further education, duty/hours of service, training, medical, transfers/postings to new bases, pay/bonuses/allowances/over-time, and are you happy?

Im sure there are more... please let us know. Im pleased you have done the work to be able to make this comparision with such certainty and accuracy, look fwd to hearing how you did it? you definitely seem to be "in the know"

rgds and thanks

[amos2]

I thought all the windsocks were removed to save money? :p

[airsupport]

Sorry for the confusion. :(

It is just the Cabin Crew. :ok:

(Quote from a source close to the action)........ ;)

Hey some news about SYD route ! Good news is were going there bad news for those of us based in London we aint getting to go there ! Virgins going to make us operate just the LHR-HKG-LHR sectors of the service that is if your cabin crew or senior ! Those lucky enough to be IFBT or CSS or FSM will get the joy of actually operating the full trip down to SYD ! The rest of the crew will be those who they are recruiting now !!!! If your looking for a job with Virgin based in SYD and are Australian Nationals or are a resident apply now !!!! But you will only operate SYD-HKG-SYD ! See you at the hotel in HKG as of December the 8th !