Antipodean Air Charter...are they serious?

[AVeight]

Have just looked at their web site and they are charging an admin fee of AUS $ 50 for processing cabin crew applications. They can not be serious can they?!!

[OZcabincrew]

The whole thing sounds dodgy to me anyway! it is a bit rich to be charging $50 to process your application. I wouldn't trust them.

Oz

[flapsforty]

AVeight, I suggest you use the search button at the top of the page. Get yourself a few beers, do a search on AAC and have a good read.

[Ranjha83]

Hey, nah i dont think its dodgy no more, why call it dodgy.. its all happening out there, website looks good. I think this airline is gona do well, when it starts up soon. my opinion!! :)

[despatch]

Hi ranja83
My opinion is stay clear from it.The aircraft they use should have been in sky heaven its welll old.Although a website could look good it doesnot mean they can get off the ground like example south african airline civair www.civair.co.za Think thoroughly before you apply i would apply for a more stable company this one is long overdue to start.Anyway my opinion:ok:

[Ranjha83]

despatch check your pm .. :)

[I Just Want To Fly]

I am sick of all the interviews and knock backs, so I am setting up my own airline.

www.suckerairlines.com :E Website still under construction.

I will only charge you $20 to read your resume. I reckon with the enormous numbers of wannabe cabin crew around the world, I will make enough money to actually start the airline.

Do people realise where these planes have been? They were doing shuttles between Moscow and St Petersburgh for the first 20 years, and then they were leased around to a number of different airlines in the middle east, africa and south east asia, where they got a real good flogging for another 10 years, and then finally they ended up here...

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/796492/M

Just when these poor little planes thought they could enjoy there retirement under the warm desert sun, they are dragged back into the work force and forced to carry drunk Pommy and Aussie tourist accross a frighteningly wide ocean.

Appologies to all russians, middle eastern, african, asian, british and australian readers. No offence was intended by this post.

Sorry just had to post this.

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/749158/M

Would you get on that? I know it\'s a dream for so many of us to become cabin crew, but seriously have some pride....

They currently have two aircraft, and this is one of them, before the paint job.

[misscroft]

I just had a look at the site and they must be kidding themselves. By the sound of it employees need to purchase their own uniform (not entirely sure but this is not the norm is it not?) as well and live (if in Aust) within 3 hours of Perth airport, so no one from any other state can apply. And all this on top of the $50 application fee to crew some old rustbucket plane that is way past it's expiree date. Now i'm desperate to get a job with an airline but even this is something i would never do (as well as the fact that i live in the wronge state and are therefor unable).
Sorry to sound negative coz i'm normally such a positive person but really there are other great airlines to apply to why put yourself through this.

[Ranjha83]

Quote
within 3 hours of Perth airport, so no one from any other state can apply.

NO, that means that you have to llive within 3 hrs radius of perth airport, when you have the job!! so they can call you up if ya on stand duty.. ;):cool:

[sinala1]

NO, that means that you have to llive within 3 hrs radius of perth airport, when you have the job!! so they can call you up if ya on stand duty..
Umm not according to the website www.antipodeanaircharter.com (http://www.antipodeanaircharter.com)

Candidates who wish to be considered for cabin crew interviews must fulfil the following criteria and will be subject to the following terms and conditions:

* Must reside within three hours driving distance to Perth Airport at the time of application

[Engineer]

Taking bets that people wll still apply and pay the money :cool:

[c.r.m what is it]

Having just read the website, I for one won't be applying, and what is that about it being a dry arline, are people really going to want to fly from London to Perth and not be served any alcoholic drinks!!!

[easternboy]

Wasnt this airline going to fly old 747-200's? Why do they have a cabin crew base in Perth for already when this airline doesnt even operate and they have no AOC and they are not listed with ASIC as a company?

This is such a scam and should be reported to the department of fair trading or even ASIC.

[Engineer]

Quoting this web site administrator (http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?threadid=140368&highlight=Antipodean+Air+Charter) Whilst it is understandable that many of you want to discuss this company and some are interested in applying, we have reason to believe that you would be much better off holding fire for the moment. Once we are satisfied that everything is above board we will then let you carry on discussing here on PPRuNe
Has his investigation revealed that the company is above board and Antipodean Air Charter given a clean bill of health? :E

As for the Jordanian aircraft operator Sky Gate International (http://www.skygate-int.com/) people need to draw their own conclusions why only one of the aircraft is on the Jordanian register whilst the second is registered in Armenia :uhoh:

Also the fact that this company is primarily a Hajj operator! :ok:

[Wheelie_Bag]

Ok we always look at things from a crews' point of view, lets look at how successful this mob might be from the punters' perspective.

AAC can offer a GBP 675.00 fare from the UK to Perth return. For this you get the following:

A very old plane, with pilots from areas unknown.
Mainscreen entertainment only, no individual TVs
No booze on your 18-odd hour flight
The ability to carry-on only the bag provided to you by AAC (no wheelie bags allowed) I hope they dont mean me! :}
'Simple food' with a fizzy drink
A check-in allowance of 1 piece only, max weight 20 kg
Several web-based threats regarding conduct onboard/ intoxication !!:uhoh:

This is all directly from their website

Now that sounds like fun, so lets check out the competitions' prices. From a quick glance at a few air-fare web sites the following prices were found from the UK to Perth return:

Qantas GBP 521.00
BA GBP 670.00
Emirates GBP 627.00
Malaysia GBP 554.00
Cathay GBP 489.00


Now on top of the cost savings the average punter would gain by flying any of these competitors, they would also get:

Frequent Flyer miles (various schemes)
complimentary alcohol
choices of hot meals
Individual in-seat entertainment (most with video on demand)
various relaxed carry-on baggage restrictions (all allow wheelie bags at least!)
Various checked in luggage allowances (individual airline dependent - most allow various pieces provided their total weight doesn't exceed 22-32 kgs).


Now I aren't saying that all pax are the smartest people in the world, but if you can save as much as 180 pound and get a much higher product level on top of the savings, why on earth would anyone fly this mob?


Now from a crew's perspective, I would be asking a few questions before signing up with this mob if I were you:

What is the slalary?
Do they pay local currency meal allowances?
What crew rest facilities are available onboard?(considering the sector lengths)
Do they pay overtime? (considering the sector lengths)
What are the flight duty limitations?
Is it legal in Oz to charge an 'administration' fee for prospective employment?


I would research this one very well before taking a job there.

Also I would be very wary of a company with a web-site that includes as many spelling and grammar mistakes as AAC's website does. :p :p :suspect: :suspect:

[Flying_Sarah747]

I was interested in this airline at first because it would allow me to live back home, but I'm afraid it all seems a bit too dodgy, especially since I was sent an email from them about sending in my measurments for my uniform fitting when I've not even applied to them, let alone interviewed with them!!!!!

[Engineer]

Stick with BA lady better the devil you know than the one you don't know :(

[DarkStar]

I cannot see the CAA allowing these A/c near UK airspace let alone LGW. Steer clear, it seems like a scam. This Airline will never operate. :hmm:

[airbus_galley_girl]

Flying Sarah, did you pay the $50.00 application fee, before they sent you an email regarding uniform fittings???

[cabincrewrory]

I saw the photos on their site of inside the aircraft, It looks like a very bad joke!

[AVeight]

My personal opinion (and not those of PPRUNE) is that the charlatan running this poor excuse of an airline would be better of putting on a red nose, green hair, a large pair of yellow shoes and change his name to Coco

[cart_elevator]

As has been mentioned- who on earth would fly this lot as a pax? Bad IFE, the obvious age of their fleet( judging by the pics on the internet - can almost hear the cockroaches scurrying around those filthy galleys!!) and the real deal buster - no beer between Oz and London ? Are they serious? This has to be a wind-up, no airline would wish to enter the Oz-UK market without offering either of those countrymen a beer - there would be a riot !

I just hope people arent stupid enough to pay the $50 admin fee, it seriously looks like a scam to get as many wannabe crew to pay for something that will never happen.

For Shame!

I hope someone has informed the employment authorities in both countries.

[AVeight]

To all who may be considering applying (and sending in AUS $ 50)...please please be cautious. My personal opinion is that this guy is at best a dreamer and at worst a con man.

[Nurse-benji]

Ugh! im soo glad i didnt bother going to the interview by the sound of things. Has anybody who went to the perth interviews heard anything back yet?

If i lived in Perth i might have gone to the interview just out of interest, but seeing the progress and all the grey area's of this new airline, looks like i saved myself a good $1000 in airfares and hotels:D

[flash8]

Do people realise where these planes have been? They were doing shuttles between Moscow and St Petersburgh for the first 20 years, and then they were leased around to a number of different airlines in the middle east, africa and south east asia, where they got a real good flogging for another 10 years, and then finally they ended up here...

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/796492/M


The history is of no relevence if the plane is deemed airworthy. I will say definitively that this a/c certainly did not fly Moscow - St. Petersburg once, never mind for 20 years (an absurd possibility). The plane additionally is not 30 years old. The post might be tongue-in-cheek but it is convincing enough to reflect a bad impression.

Fact is if you don't like the airline, don't apply, and if you you are pax, if you want cheap prices be prepared to potentially put up with some discomfort.

Startups have to have ruthless business models. They might in five years time be flying A380's and you could be fleet manager.. thats if you were in it from the start.

Not everyone can start on the 777... sometimes its best to be realistic.. bite the bullet... and get some real experience behind you and THEN apply elsewhere if you don't like it :)

[Engineer]

The two aircraft in question are ex Delta Airlines and were retired from the airline in 2001 after 18 years of service.