BMI Mainline Holdpool

[Kempus]

Hi guys!

Since there seems to be a problem with the old thread I thought I'd start a new one just to find out who is still neck deep in the like warm water and, what you's are all doing in the meantime whilst awaiting the call!

kempus

[stue]

Still hanging in there mate too, lets just keep our fingers crossed......

Anyways, its pub time!! :E

(thanks again for before mate!)

[SinBin]

Good luck guys, not sure what the future holds what with today. You may be waiting an awful long time!!

[Jet Fuel Addict]

In line with recent unfortunate events, what's the situation with BMI economically?

[Todders]

Hey guys my speedos are starting to chafe.

But i tell you what i do know of, a couple, infact four A330's a certin lease company may not be wanting anymore.

Come on BMI go get, i'm in serious need of a job now.

[stue]

^^^^^^^^
You tell em' mate!

[J4007]

Good to see this thread up and running again, even if it's no news as such. I remain hopeful but while I wait, I am gaining time and experience on a small turbo-prop. I consider myself extremely lucky to have a job in the current climate. I have been in holdpool since August/September last year!!!:ugh:

[Kempus]

Hello!

Where you get the info from Mr Todd? I read somewhere that there is a rumour of Etihad buying bmi! Would make things interesting for those in the company but would like to know how that would effect us in the pool!

Well I've also been in the pool since end of Sept and been flying 737's in the meantime although I'm now starting to worry about regarding a memo recently sent out!

kempus

[Todders]

Yeah heard a rumour about that memo kempy. Need to send you a word doc if you could forward it on to the appropriate person anyways that would be great mate.

My info well im talking about the 4 A330's we had on order.

Myself I've been here since the start of july last year but until recently lol was keeping myself going on the 737 as well.

[Kempus]

I'll see what I can do although that memo seems to be effecting me also at the mo!

Anyone spoke to BB this month?

[xwindflirt]

Yes I have spoken with BB.... The hold pool is full and he doesnt expect to do any new interviews for it until at least next spring. So if you are in it with the rate of attrition you may may get a call in the next 9 months or so depending where you are on the list. This is of course dependant on the status quo. On the up side we may actually have more work than expected this winter with charters, than was previously thought.

[GillesD]

Hi everyone!

In the pool since Aug' 2007! Meanwhile keeping myself busy on the old A300.
Hearing lots of rumours about bmi...don't know what to believe anymore.

Just hang in there I guess!!

Toddy, how R U mate?!!

Adios!

[Kempus]

Hey Gilles, good to hear from you and good to here your still flying! So is there about 12 left in the pool?

Anyone in bmi care to explain how the rostering system works ie can you bid for trips so that you can commute?

kempus

[SinBin]

No, however a swap system of sorts exists. You are better off going Max4 nightstop preference that way you are guaranteed more nights away if commuting long distances. Lots of rumours flying around now so watch this space in the spring

[Todders]

Gilles hi ya mate good to hear from you hope all is well. Any big stories across your side you the channel? Was speaking to Ferdi on msn the other day, hard life that boys got lol think he was in KUL about to head to KLX.

As for the rumours all very well but please dont sell up before i get a job with ya's please my bank needs paid...

Any of you guys working as cc for bmi on here at all???
Whats it working out like, how much you making if you dont mind me asking might see if i can can get something for a while not looking too good to get anything else this winter. Who ever said a type rating and hours where useful lol.

[tonyic7]

Hi all, Kempus, where did you hear that there was 12 in the pool? Hope something happens before mid May otherwise I have the joy of jumping back in the Seneca:eek: Lets hope 2009 brings some much needed good news!

[Kempus]

hey tony, i'll send you a text of people i know still waiting. Toddy a good friend who you know too has gone down the cc route very recently but been put in a holdpool believe it or not and expecting a course jan/feb.

[Kempus]

Hello!

Just to bring this thread back up to the top any info on the salary for a new start with and without experience and all the other perks that go with the job ie pension, staff travel and stuff. Its been over a year since my interview and I've noticed that some of the figures have changed on ppjn!

Cheers!

kempus

[Jet Fuel Addict]

It's been a year since your interview but also a year pretty much since anyone has joined, so I guess there will be very little newjoiners out there who could tell you the details I'm afraid.

If anyone can prove me wrong, please do so 'cause I'm quite interrested to hear about it aswell :ok:

[Kempus]

just to clarify it was for cabin crew course expected to start early 2009!

Kempus

[stue]

Soooooooo...........??

How are we all feeling today then, given the news?:hmm::hmm:

[Todders]

cough umm help!!!!

Come on Lufty be nice and let us have a job :O

[Knee Trembler]

Just hope they don't make you do the Lufty selection procedure - makes BA look like a friendly chat!

KT

[tonyic7]

Hopefully Lufthansa will invest in some long haul a/c, promote current flight deck and create new positions for us guys & girls! If this were to happen, we would be employed by the 2nd largest airline in the world! No doubt we will have an e-mail from BB soon to explain all.....

Ps.... did we ever find out how many are left in the pool??

[Kempus]

ohh bugger!

[bluenose boy]

Just my tuppenceworth, Lufti will want to make bmi a profitable proposition. This will not involve farting about with places like LBA, MME, JER, BRU. I believe quite a number of slots will be sold with us concentrating on our more "solid" routes, probably cutting frequency on even these, alongside starting up any LH destinations they may want. The Embraers will leave LHR and IMHO we may see reduction in numbers not additions in the short term. Hopefully this can be achieved by natural wasteage but who knows. This Lufti deal may be something of a Curate's egg. Big company owns us now so better job security for those left once the cull is over.

BNB

[Kempus]

So guys and girls, whats the feeling? Business as usual according to BB's email. I think bmi will stay as it is with changes been seen mostly in the desk duties.

The company has a good name and reputation so no need for a rebranding, allow lufty to take some of the regional slots from LHR and there we go. Fingers crossed.

kempus

[AngryBaby]

Allow Lufty to take some of the regional slots and there you go? Do you know what you are talking about mate?

[Kempus]

BMIr are doing some of the bmi flights out of LHR as they dont have the capacity to do it. Have a look at the BMIr thread and its all talk about a flybe takeover. Now do you think luffty will allow those precious slots at LHR be used by a subsidiary that they may not even be interested in? It was just a question which I'm looking for an answer for so do you know what your talking about mate??

[Deep and fast]

Kempus

bmir are doing mainline flights to save money, not because mainline do not have the capacity. It is grounding airframes and making them availible for charter. It is also proving more profitable than flying a third full airbus on certain flights.

As for recruitment, I would think it on hold still for a while. And there is also the bmir transfer list which hopefully will see pilots migrate to mainline.

As for the sale of bmir, that is not going to happen. If it was being prepared for sale they would not be adding airframes and pilots. The most punctual airline three years running is also a good selling point too.

D and F :8

[Kempus]

thanks for that! least you gave me an answer!

[woofly31]

How many are on the Transfer list to go to Mainline from bmir?

[AngryBaby]

Not alot Kempus, I have merely been flying for the company for more than a few years now! I know enough to realise that your analysis of the current situation is a tad innacurate.

Anyway, as said above, I would hope that those of us on the transfer list would get a look in first.

:ok:

[stue]

I know enough to realise that your analysis of the current situation is a tad innacurate.

Would you care to give us your analysis?

Cheers

[tonyic7]

It's interesting seeing various posts stating that bmi mainline, regional and baby have difference AOC's so are technically different companies but do come under one group umbrella. I wonder if the people on the regional transfer list all had to undertake interviews and sim assessments like all the guys and girls in the current holdpool? I think all the people in the hold pool have been in it for well over a year and for some their first airline job. Why haven't current holdpool swimmers been told of this transfer list before? Personally I hope the regional transfer list doesn't get priority! However, I do have sympathy for all those affected by today's announcement and hope they can find a way to continue working for a what's hopefully going to become a world class airline.

[Deep and fast]

Sorry to tell you, but 2 started about 4 months ago and 2 more waiting for a course date. They had to go through the same process as yourself. Why do you think you should get priority when we already work for bmi?

As always I wish everyone all the best. And all the best for the Man people.

On a different note this is the start of a long journey for bmi, I hope there is not too much more pain to come.

D and F :8

[CarltonBrowne the FO]

Under the contract between bmir and bmi regarding the transfer list, the transferees have priority for recruitment to mainline over ALL candidates except cadets from Oxford who were sponsored by bmi. This agreement predates all current recruitment by at least 4 years.
However, this need not present a problem for the current mainline pool. The limiting factor as regards transfer numbers is the number bmir can release; given the fact that bmir has more aircraft arriving and can least afford to release the experienced pilots who have reached the top of the transfer list this number will not be large.
In answer to tonyic7's somewhat snide question, the transferees have all completed interviews and sim assessments; this means that, given their experience level, they are rather more of a known quantity and therefore less of a training risk than external candidates.

[tonyic7]

I did hear about the course and as I understand, it was with 2 people from the holdpool. Is it only another 2 or are there loads of people waiting to move? I didn't say I should get priority? What I hope is that it's done on a fair basis and I would see that as being from when the individual was informed he/she had been accepted into/onto the hooldpool/transfer list. Time will tell.....

[Deep and fast]

Personally I hope the regional transfer list doesn't get priority!

tonyic7 that is a quote from your post, so it is a reasonable assumption that you were to benefit!

I also hope that there is a fair basis for new intake into mainline. Date of joining bmi would do it for me.

The transfer list has well over 20 people on it, but the last interviews were from a management ring around based on seniority.

The release numbers from bmir were agreed by management this year with the bmir cc.

D and F :8

[SinBin]

Guys, we're overcrewed in a big way, there is no way there is going to be anymore recuitment in the foreseeable future. I fear it could be going in the opposite direction at the moment.

[Looker]

To add to the mix-

There have been a number of Baby FO's who have migrated across to Mainline in the recent past. This is a trend that is likely to continue when vacancies arise as our CP appears to be more flexible than bmiR in allowing pilots to transfer when a demand exists.
Each of those transferees will have their reasons for transferring whether it be location, T & C's or the ambition to fly longhaul. Whatever the reason, if they can be released they should have priority over the hold pool. Until you're an employee you have limited status. I was fortunate to join bmi at a time of 'relative' growth and I can sympathise with those of you in the hold pool but your frustrations are unlikely to influence how business is done.

[avrodamo]

Looker,
Absolutely spot on, and with the closure of MAN LH, im sure that any crew who can be transferred to LHR operation will be.

[Kempus]

When I had my interview/sim there was 2 guys there, 1 from baby and 1 from bmir therefore I thought the holdpool had everyone in it. Didn't realise there was another pool although I heard these guys got a start whilst the "freeze" was on at the start of the year.

That said I did also hear tho that when it comes round to the they like to do it with 2 guys with no experience and 2 guys with experience. Any truth in that or did I make that up?

I know bmi are overcrewed at the mo but most of us in the pool are looking for a start date for summer '09.

kempus

[BIGBAD]

I'd be suprised if there's any recruitment till lufthansa decide what to do with bmi. If they decide to sell slots off then bmi will be very overcrewed any pilots could go ( but IMHO I think this is unlikely).

In term of the MAN LH being moved down to LHR it should have minimal impact on pilot nummbers as the pilots operating MAN were LHR based. Depending on the rotations of the AMM and CAI and the difference in crew required bmi maybe slightly over crewed on these. It would be a fair assumption that the AMM will still be a layover and that the CAI would change to a layover as it is currently on flight duty limits and the length of turn around time required for the A330 is significantly more than the A320/1.

[bluenose boy]

From one of the BALPA reps on the BALPA website, "Apparently, Amman and Cairo will be there-and-backs."

AMM there and back will be a stretch FDP wise, but if the case then less crews would be required.

[Todders]

To be honest it's very sad to hear I also was aware of people moving from regional and baby as one chap was being interviewed at the same time as me but thought they were in the same "hold pool" as the rest of us.

Not good at all been in now for nearly a year and a half had one job, with an airline getting experience and they've gone bust costing around £15000 in training costs that im clearly not gonna get paid back, thought well if i can scrape through till the new year perhaps I might get some luck and ill get in there on a course with BMI. Now that Lufty have bought i imagine not much will happen till they have sorted out what they want to do with the group and then it's gonna be priority to the boys (rightly so i guess).

What did i do getting myself into all this is all i can ask myself.:ugh:

[Deep and fast]

You could always try your luck at regional!

D and F

[K.Whyjelly]

[quote=BIGBAD;4512581]I'd be suprised if there's any recruitment till lufthansa decide what to do with bmi. If they decide to sell slots off then bmi will be very overcrewed any pilots could go ( but IMHO I think this is unlikely).

In term of the MAN LH being moved down to LHR it should have minimal impact on pilot numbers as the pilots operating MAN were LHR based. Depending on the rotations of the AMM and CAI and the difference in crew required bmi maybe slightly over crewed on these. It would be a fair assumption that the AMM will still be a layover and that the CAI would change to a layover as it is currently on flight duty limits and the length of turn around time required for the A330 is significantly more than the A320/1.[/quote


Not quite correct BIGBAD..........something in the order of 7 or 8 pilots are MAN based and exclusively A330 (at the moment). Another thing to add into this melting pot of debate is the recent memo offering unpaid leave for a couple of months early in the New Year......hardly conducive to positive hiring if current guys are being offered this (all due to less airframes due heavy maintenance I believe)

[Count von Altibar]

bmi are presently over-crewed at the moment and that's unlikely to change until next summer, maybe longer. It all depends on the world economy/Lufthansa business strategy for the airline. I would actively seek a job elsewhere if you're swimming in the holding pool.

[Kempus]

If not under the bmi umbarella the others in the hold pool are low hour guys which may make job hunting a little difficult in the present climate.

:(

[BCAL]

Hi

Could anyone who has joined mainline bmi since 2005 tell me how much their bond was and over how many years?

Many Thanks

[CarltonBrowne the FO]

I think it was 8k, certainly not more than 10k, over 3 years.

[BCAL]

Thanks CB the FO

Bcal

[bluelearjetdriver]

Almost correct. £12k for 3 years decreasing. "Repayment" starts after final line check. I am on it at the moment.

[SinBin]

Me too!! Thanks for scaring me today Bluelearjetdriver!

[BIGBAD]

If yoùre in the hold pool for bmi i wouldn t hold your breath. The most recent communication form nigel turner is doom and gloom - with cut backs and looking for productivity increases in all departments. Being overcrewed by 50 odd pilots this month and 60 by next month this can only mean pilots getting the chop !!!!!:eek:

[SinBin]

Not whilst 757s and E145s are doing our routes. + the cutbacks are with bmibaby, which is a completely different model to mainline. 6 aircraft are alleviating the Airbus, allow for 10 crew per aircraft = 60. Unless they cut slots I can't see a big cull in the short term. Many retirees next year too with others jumping ship still.

Who knows, I've started playing the lottery again!

[Mr. Blonde]

with regards to the cutbacks at Baby, any avaialble positions in Mailine or Regional (of which there are presently none) will be offered, quite rightly, to people who have been affected by these job losses first.

However, if anybody accepted a move to either then it would be deemed as permanent (if there is such a thing these days). i.e. they would not be allowed back into baby IF recruitment was to start again...

And to the hold pool guys, don't expect anything in 2009....

Mr. B