Pstatic
15th Oct 2011, 15:25
Hello everybody
Looking at the Parc contract on the A330.
Would be very glad to get any info on the specific fleet. Been looking through the rest of the threads on here. Days off, any hints on pay etc. Also does anybody fly five weeks on/three off and how about getting upgraded on your trips home?
Cheers
fingerstyle
17th Oct 2011, 01:03
Be warned....
New pilots will be based in Hanoi(HAN), not Ho Chi Minh(SGN)!
The HAN airport is very very far away from the city, so everyday you can expect 2 hours on the road, to and away from the airport, IF no traffic jam....Unlike SGN, there's NOTHING around the HAN airport, so it's impossible to live near the HAN airport.
For 777 crews, this may not be a big deal, cause they have long haul flight, no need to report for duty everyday. For 330 crews, this may be a problem, cause you will be mainly flying domestic flight, 55 minutes to DAD, and 1:45 minutes to SGN, and you spend 2 hours "on the road" for such a short flight...
And, you will not be able to change your base to SGN. New expat pilots, in 777 or 330, are REQUIRED to be based in HAN, cause VNA needs pilots in HAN, and NONE of the expat pilots currently based in SGN wants to move to HAN....
DO NOT expect many firm day off in Vietnam, you DO have many standby, and the schedule changes everyday. You really can not do anything but waiting at home on your standby in HAN, cause its so far away for the airport, and they will CALL you anytime...
For the upgrade of your free ticket during holidays, it's very easy, just go to the business class check-in counter and show your ID. If it is not full, then you will have your upgrade for free.
Pstatic
20th Oct 2011, 13:20
Thanks for the info. So only a few longhaul flights a month if any?
boeinglover
20th Oct 2011, 16:32
Any info as to the pay package in VNA n possible left hand seat upgrade ?
Cheers
airman13
20th Oct 2011, 18:57
I saw them in hotel novotel convention near cdg airport in paris......and they all are very happy...especially the cabin attendants.....
Luke SkyToddler
22nd Oct 2011, 00:32
Very happy as a SGN based 330 driver. It's a real lazy man's roster, normally around 40 - 50 hours / month which consists of 1 or 2 international flights (Japan / Aus) and a half dozen days of domestic flights Da Nang / Hanoi. There is some roster disruption but it's normally in your favour - i.e. cancelling an A330 flight and replacing it with A320, and putting you back on stby. No night flying except the Japan / Aus flights which is great. Used to spend a lot of time in the Hanoi hotel but not so much now they've got some crews based up there.
I can understand how the HAN based guys get p***ed off with being on stby and the travelling time to the airport for sure, that is not an ideal situation. I don't know how many crews they intend to base up there but I presume once they've got enough they will allow moving between the bases and / or start hiring back to SGN. For a 330 F/O looking for a job, I'd still rather get paid to sit on my ass on stby in Hanoi as opposed to doing 1000 night hours a year in the sandpit :ouch: