Easyjet - Command Prospects

[Redline]

easyJet must be getting themselves in a lather. Having previously claimed to be offering excellent command prospects, this claim has amounted to nought. Repeated recruitment of Direct Entry Captains (both type and non type rated) constantly erodes flagging goodwill amongst its pilot workforce.

Now through clever propoganda everybody talks about 40 imaginary Boeing Command course slots this winter at a time when the job market for experienced jet crews is particularly bouyant.....and they could go elsewhere...

But where are the courses? Nov rosters are out, still nothing. Stoney silence. They're bull***ting you guys, run while you can....

[easy]

Funny, my November roster shows two final command conversion sim's. Guess a half baked rumour is better than the truth anyday;)

[Redline]

But chaps that have been nominated in Feb still haven't got course dates. One swallow doesn't make a summer...

[X11]

"one swallow doesn't make a summer"....no but it makes for a bl00dy good evening!

[Airbrake]

In total only 4 command courses this year. Vast majority of these spaces being overseas (including Belfast). If you are lucky and a 737 driver Newcastle may be an option.
Currently a large number of FO's waiting for command courses but Easy will still recruit DEC's which is giving a clear message to those waiting on the Command list!

[Wizofoz]

Easy have undertaken not to take DECs except for a very small number of highly experienced people to quickly become trainers TRIs/TREs.

They are forcasting 120 promotions next year. The low number of courses this year has largely been because they couldn't spare the FOs.

[Airbrake]

Wiz,
Easyjet is 10 years old with over 1200 pilots from a wide variety of companies. They do not have to recruit any TRE/TRIs from anywhere other than their current employees.
No matter how few DEC's are recruited the company are making very unpopular decisions, and doing little to sell the company as a career airline.

[Redline]

Airbrake is right. The point I'm trying to make is that we have people that have been through the assessment system already and have absolutely no sign of a course yet. We are quickly approaching the new year and then before we know it, we're into summer again. So what hope have the FO's that have sat there demonstrating unwavering loyalty (for years) and are being drip fed scraps of hope for the future?

Intentional or not the management need to wake up to the evaporating goodwill of their loyal workforce.

[Norman Stanley Fletcher]

This is a classic example of a lack of communication by management. I am given to understand that every one of the 80 people waiting for command courses will be promoted next year and in addition to that lot there will be a requirement for a number of DECs. That is a very different picture to that being presented here.

The shame is that the company are really letting themselves down badly by not letting the left hand know what the right hand is doing. All that is required is for our managers to let us know that although they cannot guarantee what is going to happen they intend to do x, y and z. It is not rocket science and just boils down to common sense. The almost total lack of information from the company to its pilots about recruitment requirement has led to enormous ill-feeling and suspiscion which just did not need to be there.

Time will tell what the truth is but at this moment, I personally remain convinced that the command prospects at easyJet are still excellent.

[Localizer Live]

EZY have had the benefit of a surplus of pilots during the last 10 years. However, like most cycles of pilot demand, just by assessing the weekly ads in Flight, my belief (not just wishful thinking) is now turning to the pilots' favour at last. So whilst eJ can be bullish about keeping FO's in the dark and recruiting DEC's, a lot of them are going to be off as soon as one airline starts to offer half a reasonable deal.

[FlapsOne]

Does anyone have a list of Airlines currently offering a half reasonable deal? (or even a quarter??)

[hec7or]

Tfly seem to offer a fully reasonable deal with options for longhaul too!

[unablereqnavperf]

easyjet like many other carriers have done in the past is coming of age, and commands will and have slowed down. there are many guys that are only just above the minimum requirements that believe they deserve a command, which increases expectations. There are many guys waiting in the pool at the moment and they will get their courses soon enough and in fact much sooner than by changing operators.

The route to command has varried much over time from 20 years to 2 years and will continue to do so. What has changeed mainly due to the loco's is pilot expectations and these rarely have a base in reality, we are all impatient by nature and that makes it even more frustrating.

I understand there are about 80 guys waiting at the moment and am pretty sure they will all be captains by this time next year which in the grand scheme of things is not a long time to wait.

The worse thing any of them could do is to run off to the irish airline to get a quick command and find themselves on a dark night trying to fly an approach into some remote destination in the middle of nowhere with an inexperienced f/o that has a very poor command of the english language.

However that is only my personal opinion!

[4on4off]

I hope that our new CEO reads pprune. This is just one of several issues where easy flight ops management has completely alienated the people who can have a very dramatic influence on company profitability.

[Redline]

I suppose the frustration stems from watching DEC's arrive, get a choice of base while we sit being patient and loyal. Then being told all summer that they cant release FO's for courses as we're undercrewed. Now we are descending rapidly into winter and there is still little or no sign of the mythical command floodgates opening before we get back into summer and the undercrewed chestnut reappears.

Please just communicate with us.....

[FlapsOne]

There are supposed to have been very few DECs recently, and apparently NOT getting bases of choice ahead of guys on waiting lists.

If anyone has FACT to the contrary I urge you to contact your base Balpa rep with full details.

[Localizer Live]

There are supposed to have been very few DECs recently
As recently as June the company were employing DEC's. FO's have been in the command holding pool since February???
Please correct me if I am wrong; but is there something in employment law that says that a company cannot stop their employees career path i.e. hold them back from career progression? I would suggest that this would clearly breach this rule? What is BALPA/legal view on this?

[springbok449]

Flaps, you should be going for base captain rather than Balpa NEC because they want someone thats company minded...
Honestly you never accept any comments made by any of your colleagues.

[Flyingphil]

So there is the next Issue:{

Just a few months ago one of my friends was supposed to fly from foreign bases across UK and ORY for several times because of a lack of 4-Striped-Staff for the Airbus :-)

Now they have to much of CPT's for the Airbus (The Ready-Entry-Hiring from Airlines like Volare, Aero Lloyd, Dutchbird might play a role) and he has already flown in the role of a F/O because of a lack of F/O's on the A319.

With other words the 4-Stripe-Problem is solved, now EZY has a 3-Stripe-Issue at least for the Bus :(
EZY seems to have a lack of clear strategy so what I would suggest is:
1. All Candidates presently waiting for the Upgrade-Courses have to be put in such asap.
They will be the CPT for the remaining Airbusses to be delivered.

2. There are plenty of young pilots out there just waiting for a chance to be hired by Airlines like Easyjet.
Give these boys&girls a chance to start as F/O directly on the Airbus or on the 737 with the clear "vision" that some of them will be retrained for the Airbus within the next 2 Years (Volunteers appreciated!)

EZY should manage to keep the actual staff well motivated and give them a fair chance.
Otherwise I see the first shadows of dark clouds approaching Orange County




:cool:

[FlapsOne]

springbok

Unfair!

Of course I accept colleagues comments and I never suggested for one minute that I did not!

What is crystal clear however is that we cannot challenge anything effectively without the fact to back it up.

All I'm saying is that the company are saying one thing and we then hear something else (what's new?).

Just give us the fact (names, places, bases etc) and we can ask direct questions.

[wheresthecoffee]

In my very limited direct dealings with mangers, if you make accusations without some evidence to back it up they just deny its happening and carry on!