Ground Staff?

[k-lo]

Apologies if this has been visited before, not even sure this is the right forum, but can anyone tell me *where* airlines advertise for their ground staff?? I'm specifically interested in Sydney Airports. Qantas has nothing on their employment site, nor do any other airlines I've checked out.

Thanks Guys :D

[SkySista]

Try AeroCare (http://www.aerocare.com.au). They do work for Virgin Blue...among others...

Good luck!

Sky

[Gone U/S]

Hey there :O


Dont really get on to post much but just letting you know i got my ground staff job at Qantas in December (SYD - International) and found the advertisement through seek.com.au

Also, I know Menzies Aviation (the other major ground handler) at Sydney Airport was looking for staff and they as well had posted an advertisement on seek.com.au

Hope that helps you out. :D

Good luck with it all :ok:

[Nihao]

Gone U/S

Was the position advertised on Seek through a recruitment agency or was it actually placed by Qantas?

I have seen a few of the ground crew jobs advertised i.e. the Menzies Aviation.

Thanks......just wanting to know so I know what to keep a look out for.

Ta
;)

[Gone U/S]

Hey thanks for replying to my post

I think that's the first reply i've had on here - god luv ya!

:ok:

The seek.com advert was through a recruitment agency - it was not until the group interview and information session that we were told it was for Qantas. I'm not sure when the next recruitment drive will be as the company has a permanent recruitment freeze on at the moment.

The only other airlines i know that do handling at Sydney Airport are Cathay Pacific, Malaysian and United Airlines ... maybe try calling their city offices or their airport offices and see if they can give you any info. I remember vaguely seeing a Passenger Services Officer advert in the Travel Daily bulletin for Cathay Pacific but dont ask me how you get those bulletins. A friend of mine sends them to me.

[Nihao]

Thanks Gone U/S, I think I saw those ads - through Julie Ross Agency I think - can't quite remember. I've heard about the Qantas recruitment freeze also but from time to time I still see ads for other departments within QF - nothing that I can apply for though i.e. security and logistics managers etc.

Cheers;)

[Sailorgal]

QF advertises through Julia Ross so you'd have to contact them to see if there are any opportunities available for ground staff. I don't think they're going to be recruiting for a while though.

Check out Menzies, they will be recruiting at the moment. http://www5.menziesaviation.com/.

Between you & me, I would steer well clear of Aerocare.

Cheers

[chrisstreet]

Hey Gang

Just thought I would let you know - Many airlines especially in Australia dont advertise their companies name when advertising for jobs
The reason for this is that as soon as someone see's a companies name ie QANTAS - Qantas and the group agency would receive lots and lots of queries

People who really want a job at the airport/call centre or cabin crew wont matter who employs them, as long as they get work where they want

Cheers

[k-lo]

Hi All,

Thanks so much for all the advice!
Now for the tricky part...

k-lo

Sailorgal: Whats wrong with Aerocare?

[OzDJCabinCrew]

Hi!

Am wondering if recruitment for these companies is easier than it is if you were applying through Virgin Blue themselves???



Ta!

[cardomumT]

k-lo
I would suggest you approch one of the handling agents to get a foot in the door then look at getting in to an airline. There are a lot of people out there with ground handling experience so getting directly in to an airline can be tough. Hanlding agents are a good school and give good experience, Menzies are continually looking but I would agree with Sailorgal about Aerocare, haven't heard good things out of there. You could try Virgin Blue directly which gets you in to an airline but the experience is limited, CX, MH, QF and UA also do their own pax handling. Good luck

[Sailorgal]

At Aerocare you have compulsory split shifts with no penalty rates. The working conditions aren't the best either - the only positive I would say is that it would give you good experience by having to do all the check-in, arrival, and departure one after the other. (ie there's lots of running). I know people who've worked there and left within weeks.

Menzies are definitely recruiting, if you're looking for a ground crew job I would give them a go. They're also going to be expanding soon so will need lots more staff down the track.

Cathay & United are also options, don't know much about their operations but I know people who work for them and they are happy with the company.

Hope that helps,
Cheers

[High-Flying-Adored]

Hiya,

I'm currently ground crew at Syd, working for aerocare.

Working for Aerocare has it's positives and negatives like any job. The split shifts is about the biggest drawback - although it is not compulsary that you work both. With the new schedule changes at Pacific Blue coming up in the next few months as well as the possibility of other contracts (or at least that is the word around the water cooler), i doubt this will be a big problem much longer. As sailorgal mentioned, the biggest plus is the variety. You will do all ground handling roles in a week, rather than over a few months as i beleive the case is at QF and others.

In terms of other companies, the best thing to do is come down to the airport with your cv and door knock. I see it all the time.

CX and MH have taken on new staff over the last few months, so i am not sure whether they are hiring anytime soon.

Rumor has it that QF will be looking to recruit in June/July for ground staff - i don't know if anyone can confirm this.

And i know for a fact that United are defineatly taking at staff at this very moment, and Phillipine airlines was looking for a new rep (but i think this role may have been filled as that was afew weeks ago)

Anywho, good luck to ya!

[OZcabincrew]

Hi!!!

So who do Aerocare staff do contract work for at the airports, what airlines etc?

Oz

[SkySista]

Oz,

not sure about other ports, but in PER they do Virgin Blue and Skywest.

Skystar take care of Emirates and so on, IIRC..... :)

[High-Flying-Adored]

A full list of Aerocare's partners are available on the website.

They handle Virgin at about a dozen ports around the country.

In SYD, at the moment it is just Pacific Blue (Virgin's international partner)

There was a contract with UA/AC but that has just this week expired (hence they are hiring thier own CSA's.)

I believe several other carrier's are also in discussion - or so i have been told., and at least one of these is a definate.

There is also some charter work every now and then.

Every other airline besides UA, MH and QF are either handled by Menzies or Qantas.

[Sailorgal]

High-Flying-Adored,

thanks for that info on Aerocare, glad to hear that you are happy with them. Hope the schedule changes make things easier for you guys soon as I couldn't handle constant split shifts that my friends used to complain about. Have to say though, the Pacific Blue uniform that you guys get to wear is pretty cool, they look great.

In SYD Menzies do pax handling for EK + 6 other airlines. Haven\'t heard of Skystar - Skysista, do you know much about them?

[OZcabincrew]

so the Virgin Blue groundstaff in Perth aren't actually employed by Virgin Blue?

Oz

[SkySista]

Oz,

okay, this is what I know. Most of it came from 'the horse's mouth' so to speak, so I'd say the accuracy is pretty good.

Apparently the ground staff are Aerocare. They just wear the DJ uniform. Some of the Aerocare people also apparently work for WAC (or something, don't ask me how that works). I think at first the new employees do duties for Skywest (in the XR uniform), I.e. check-in, boarding etc). Once they have been there awhile they then get to 'move up' to doing the same thing for DJ once they are trained properly. I guess this is so DJ don't have "newbies", then again I think lately a few have gone direct into doing work for DJ judging by some of the boarding calls I've heard! :E

So they can pretty much put them where they're needed, though I think once they are in with DJ that's what they do.

You will still see the more senior staff in the Aerocare uniforms though, and they switch between the two I think. Perhaps someone else may be able to shed more light???

I know also that some of the AC staff are trained as relief crew in case any of the DJ crew go sick while in Perth, and they can cover for flights back to Syd, Mel, etc. Apparently the staff that do this go through the same training as the regular DJ staff.

As for Skystar I don't know a lot about them, I was told they do the handling for Intl by a girl who works for AQIS. I do know they are connected to or are a subsidary of Monadelphous. (the mining/recruitment mob)

Hope this helps!!! :D

Sky

[High-Flying-Adored]

All DJ ground staff, apart from those in SYD domestic, ADL, MEL domestic and BNE work for contract companies - which at the majority of ports is Aerocare.

I'm not really sure how the operation in PER is run, nor do i know whom Skysatr are. Another contractor i guess.

I know there is quite a large contingent of Aerocare staff whom work as relief crew. Thy are trained using the same facilities and syllabus as every other DJ crew - probably by DJ's trainers as well i would imagine. Talking to some of the aerocare cabin crews, the very rarely have to fill in for those who have gone sick etc. They do fly at least once every month to remain current though.

Skysista - i don't know that i am 'happy' about the whole split thing - i guess you just deal with it after a while. Most of the ground crew at Pac Blue in Syd get on pretty well and always find some way to fill in the time. I can tell you the split shifts don't do much for retention rates though.

[SkySista]

Skysista - i don't know that i am 'happy' about the whole split thing

I don't recall saying you were, lol :D

I know I wouldn't like splits too much either!!!

Have also heard the retention rate is pretty low (or getting there) though I guess this is due to other opportunities?? One guy I spoke to said lots of Perth AC crew are heading over east for AC positions.... perhaps you'd know about this???

Also I'm told lots transfer into actual flying positions with DJ.....

Does anyone know if with AC you HAVE to go into DJ, or do any stay with the XR stuff? i.e., move into CCing for Skywest?? Or do they have a no transfer policy as well?

[High-Flying-Adored]

I haven't seen many from the west out here in Syd. Maybe the other Eastern ports i guess.

As for choosing which carrier you work for whilst in AC's employ? I guess that is up to the discretion of the Station Manager - but i think overall the policy is that you work for Aerocare and not <insert airlines here>.

Again i don't really no that much about the ground handling/crewing agreements are with Skywest so sorry can't answer that one.:confused: