Who's happy?

[pfvspnf]

What's your company doing right ? Very hard to find good examples these days.
What are your ideal conditions ? How are we going to be compensated fairly just like the bankers lawyers and other professionals out there?

Sorry if this has been discussed before

Beneficial if you can reply with the region and conditions that you work in, this discourse needs to be explored.

[Can737]

Working 7-12 days a month in winter. Money is good, can't complain.

[OxfordGold]

easyJet LGW- Happy & no plans to move. In my own bed except 1 or 2 nights of the month :cool:

[dirk85]

Based at home. Solid, stable company making profits and expanding but at a reasonable pace.
In a few months fixed roster, set in stone. Home every night, good salary, going up in a few years to become very good. Multiple good bases to choose from should I decide to move one day.
Things to improve? Quite a lot, but definitely cannot complain.

[pfvspnf]

Great to hear something positive for a change

[Snapper5]

Was in Monarch which was fantastic , now gobbled up by Virgin Atlantic. Just completed 330 conversion my first roster is JFK and Antigua ( that's it ) ! Probably the best T&Cs in the industry! I consider myself incredibly lucky to be here !

[Uplinker]

@dirk85

Would you pm me your company name please?


@Snapper5

Yes you are - enjoy ! Some of us didn’t even get an interview despite having A330 experience.

[dirk85]

Easyjet, continental base :)

[EcamSurprise]

Very happy. 5453 fixed pattern on old FTL limits. LHS with good European contract for EJ with very nice monthly net pay. 6% bonus this year, free shares granted next year and a bottle of champagne for Christmas. Ta very much.

As with everywhere, some things could be better but i'm home every night and flying interesting routes around Europe and beyond.

[skyloone]

@dirk85.... could you post or pm. Fixed roster with reasonable outfit sounds good!

[Trossie]

To the best of my knowledge, he was one of the seven dwarfs.

[FlyboyUK]

After nearly 20 years in the industry and several airlines along the way, now with the orange airline based in UK and very happy. A complete world of difference from the harp and red nose. T&Cs are the best of any airline I’ve worked for and apart from the odd night away I’m in my own bed every night.

[dirk85]

@dirk85.... could you post or pm. Fixed roster with reasonable outfit sounds good!

I did, read above! :)

[tfly737]

European major Carrier on the 787. (not thomsonfly)

4 trips a month, good salary, pension and zero redundancies regardless of how bad the market is.

Ride my bike on nearly every trip. Happy days.

[redsnail]

I can't complain. (I know others aren't in as good a position though).
6 on 5 off pattern. Pretty good pay. Reasonable leave. Great colleagues. New toy to play with. Lots of variety. Generally very good support too. Fantastic line manager/chief pilot. New management now so things are improving.

[LlamaFarmer]

Right hand seat for EZY out of a base in South East of the UK.

Cost me 6 figures to get there, including the type rating, then a year on a zero-hour contract not employed by them with zero guarantee of minimum income.
Once you ARE employed by them, you don't get any bonus for the first 2 years regardless of how many millions or billions of profit the company makes, and are forced onto a 75% part-time contract.
That was pretty crap, having loans/parents to pay back, no guaranteed income, rent in one of the most expensive areas of Europe and not much thanks in return.

BUT, once you ride that out, the pay gets better, the loan repayments get smaller, the bonuses get bigger (if we make a bigger-than-expected profit again next year then some of us FOs stand to get a bonus of around 12% or more), plus free shares in the company.

You can buy shares out your salary pre-tax, then the company will match those shares. Theres plenty of unpaid leave available in the quieter winter months. You get food and hot drinks when on flight duty, free flights between home and base (if you don't permanently live at home base), a good chance you'll be spending almost all your nights a month in your own bed (usually no more than 1 or 2 night stops a month, sometimes 0, and normally able to swap on or off them if you want to), fixed pattern rosters for SFOs and Captains, so you know next year when your days off are, plenty of opportunity to move around the network if you fancy working in a different base. Pay in the right hand seat after you've done your first 4 or so years is good, and time to the left hand seat is pretty fast as well.

There is a lot that could be improved... but overall, there is a lot to be appreciative of. I'd much rather be here than some other carriers operating somewhat similar business models, and I have no interest in other airlines, short haul or long haul.

It's one of the strongest airlines in Europe too, from a job security position. This industry is always volatile, but a bigger ship rides the waves easier.

[Track]

LHS lowcost division of flag carrier. 600 hrs/yr no jetlag with occasional layover. Ecellent LOL and pension scheme, 72 hours off every 7 days, 6 weeks vacation minimum. Many things to improve but I live in my own country, talk my own language and work with motivated and well paid collegues. Happy

[highfive]

Was in Monarch which was fantastic , now gobbled up by Virgin Atlantic. Just completed 330 conversion my first roster is JFK and Antigua ( that's it ) ! Probably the best T&Cs in the industry! I consider myself incredibly lucky to be here !

Think of your colleagues who have yet to be offered a job. You post reeks of triumphalism and lack of sensitivity. Boast boast , im in VAA . Well do have fun.

Ps many A330 rated guys were in the pool long before you climbed over them
Pleading poverty.

Please Think before you post next time .

[Snapper5]

Oh please , I lost my job . No payouts , no notice , nothing !
If your sensitive then this industry is not for you . I quote myself “incredibly lucky” very humbled to be accepted , I didn’t say I have a right to be accepted . Swings and roundabouts

[Rated De]

just my opinion!

Happy is a relative thing. I believe if one has purpose there usually follows some sense of fulfillment. Where one finds it is one of life's tasks: to each it is different.

In the modern world we equate money with happiness but there isn't correlation. the USA is the world's most prosperous nation, yet also they most drugged out on anti depressives, so it isn't to me about money. Graveyards make little mention of money. I have associated with some very wealthy people, some earned it most picked their relatives well. I had no such luck (sarc) No matter what their profession there still was a fascination for flying.

Aviation made most of us happy, watching planes at the airport, going to the cockpit and indeed slipping the surly bonds. The industry doesn't work like that, focused on money (which is necessary but not all there is) and pilots for decades have lost their share of pie; deserved or not the game changed.

Dry feet, a warm bed and enough money to enjoy good fortune does me. I pity airline executives despite their obvious wealth for not enjoying the sheer pleasure of flying; something all pilots know. Perhaps it is simply envy that drives much of it, I don't know. I have pondered whether Willie Walsh ever regrets not flying the line anymore.

In 150 years everything we know is long forgotten, everyone on the planet deceased. What we think matters probably doesn't. I know airline executives don't!

[Snapper5]

Well put !
For me it’s all about lifestyle, as long as I can work the least amount for the max pay then I will be happy . That gives me more time for precious things like actually being with my kids as they grow up and creating my business outside of Aviation .

[Runcorn Bridge]

LHS in a Northern base for EZY. Loads of opportunities to be based around Europe if that is your bag. Been here 17 years and pretty happy. As has been said, there are and will always be issues. Tell me an airline where there isn’t any? Money is good (high basic plus sector pay) with fixed pattern rosters and we are expanding the route network on a seasonal basis. In my own bed virtually every night. I have night-stopped only once in the last year for SEP’s. 6% pay rise this year, 4% Xmas bonus and loyalty pay of 15%. RPI pay rise next October and preferential roster bidding from April. Oh, and a bottle of champers as a thanks. We work hard, but the job is good. I have no plans to move on in the foreseeable future.

[Capt Scribble]

Today's 'Safe Space' is second on the left for those who need it. But from where I sit, life is not perfect, but it has a great view and far better than many others in this world.

[gearlever]

I'm happy:). Retired with 57, major EU carrier. Pension scheme payed by company. Good old days....

Good luck fellows, but don't giveup to fight against the LoCos.

[Jcmcgoo]

Go to work almost once a week which is mostly westerly and entails generally one night away in Caribbean or US city. Factor in return red eye and a day dealing with night shift tiredness then 3-4 days off.

I've worked in the low cost sector, and note the happiness from the orange segment of this segment of our industry, which goes to prove happiness comes in many forms.

My own version of happiness is based on the amount of time I spend at home and with family, the "reasonable" job security, a management team although constrained and directed by the low cost segment, and certainly not free from criticism, to ensure balance, do retain reasonable people skills and understanding. it is a different management style than the one I experienced in the low cost sector.

In addition the training team are capable, my colleagues are on the whole experienced, hence its a safe operation, and they are on the whole great company, plus the odd day on the beach at Barbados sipping the occasional rum punch isn't exactly a chore. (I do accept some would prefer to be in their own bed than taking a sundowner in Bridgetown) :)

It's a bit of a subjective question to be fair, as experience levels, involvement at various airlines, the ability to be consumed by an employers own company propaganda, and obvious life requirements differ for person to person. My kids have now left home. I'm financially in a reasonable position. I've experience on a number of aircraft types across several airlines. My view on happiness is viewed with depth and related to my current position in life. I'm hoping not to have to change too much before I hand my wings in in decade or so.

As a theme park hating colleague of mine once said after somehow being coerced into visiting universal studios on a layover in Florida, that you can generate happiness within yourself from seeing so many happy people.

[Mr Angry from Purley]

Gearlever
Good luck fellows, but don't giveup to fight against the LoCos

Most of the positive posts on here are Pilots working for lowco's......

[Snapper5]

It’s interesting to see what the bench mark is ?
Years ago it would have probably been Brittania or Logan air . But now i assume its Easy Jet , I assume in another 10 years the bench mark will be small planet

[parabellum]

Laker and Air Europe were two very happy airlines and the Ts & Cs of Air Europe were excellent for the time, sadly both gone now.

[Superpilot]

So out of the happy orange brigade pilots who honestly can see another 20-30 years flying 4 sector days? I think having a woman at the helm for a while has made easy a very human airline but the hard work will kill you. Starting with an airline with a less frantic schedule means starting at the bottom of the list again (in most cases).


In my case, was very happy until they decided to close my base down and offer peanuts for relocation. Good things don't last forever. Our management team is now very anti-pilot as a result of our recent strike action and it's turned the mood in the camp very ugly over just a period of 3 months.

[Stone Cold II]

I’m with the orange, LHS and happy. Home every day, pay is excellent, nice xmas bonus, 15% loyalty bonus, a regional base makes it a different airline to LGW and finally the crews are top people.

As for 4 sector days every day, I haven’t done a 4 sector day for a month. Tomorrow I just do a quick Paris, next day just a quick Glasgow and back. Most schedule short haul airlines will have some 4 sector days, the working day is no longer though than most charter holiday flights with the long flights to turkey etc, going to Glasgow is long enough. Schedule can be frantic at times in the summer and a few times I’ve looked at it and said that’s not going to work, but I don’t worry about it. If we are late we are late and I’m not busting a gut to achieve unrealistic block times.

I’m up to 740 hours rolling 12 months.

It’s not perfect, but it one of the best seats in the UK in my opinion. Would like to see the leave system overhauled a little, but a bidding system now comes into effect early next year for rosters.

Wouldn’t leave to join another short haul operation as there is no point, would only leave if I wish to go long haul, fancy it but not enough to risk giving up what I have.

[LlamaFarmer]

So out of the happy orange brigade pilots who honestly can see another 20-30 years flying 4 sector days?


In winter I hardly ever do 4 sector days, and when I do, they're not exactly brutal.

In December I've got a double GVA and that's it. I didn't have any 4 sector days in November, and only one in October.


In summer, the days that are 4-sector can be a killer, but again theres usually only 2 of those a block I find. And when we get Preferential Bidding early next year we can choose, to some extent, what we would prefer to do or not.

Summer is busy yeah, but if you need to, you call in fatigued. Not once have I ever had that questioned by management, I have total confidence in doing so. If it's a silly block of duties then I just won't do it, and I'm not worried that I'll have to justify it. I think they realise having to take one or two days off from time to time is better for the company than dragging yourself through and going long-term sick for 4 months with chronic fatigue.

[Trossie]

Most of the positive posts on here are Pilots working for lowco's......Mr Angry, Would you say that there is a clear divide here between the "lowco's" [sic] that have proper union recognition and those that do not?

I have heard some talk of the airline industry's 'best kept secret'. Tried to book a ticket as a pax with them and couldn't find a way of doing so...

[Denti]

Currently not very happy at all. But then, i do sit at home (still paid) while my employer winds down its flight operation after it went into administration.

Would be extremely happy once i get positive news from the orange headquarter, by far the best offer out there for us in the formerly white/red middle east financed loss leader.

[rotorwills]

Well have to say happiness is a state of mind and I have been in various states over many years. Health is the most important element in my opinion, once you have a roster that provides a reasonable timetable to not adversely effect your health then happiness can be considered. Aviation is a great industry to be involved in however all depends which company, which country which ...well one can go on and on. Money provides 90% of the real life desires but having little to none does not necessarily mean life is unhappy. Life is what you make of it. So yes I am fortunate that I am happy. Of course one can do with better flying and more cash, more holidays, better crew conditions but I can say I am Larry.

[semmern]

In winter I hardly ever do 4 sector days, and when I do, they're not exactly brutal.

In December I've got a double GVA and that's it. I didn't have any 4 sector days in November, and only one in October.


In summer, the days that are 4-sector can be a killer, but again theres usually only 2 of those a block I find. And when we get Preferential Bidding early next year we can choose, to some extent, what we would prefer to do or not.

Summer is busy yeah, but if you need to, you call in fatigued. Not once have I ever had that questioned by management, I have total confidence in doing so. If it's a silly block of duties then I just won't do it, and I'm not worried that I'll have to justify it. I think they realise having to take one or two days off from time to time is better for the company than dragging yourself through and going long-term sick for 4 months with chronic fatigue.

In December I have nine days with four or more sectors. Two of six, and two five-sector days. A month or two ago I was at 915 hours over the rolling year. Scandi flag carrier. Six sectors in winter, with 25-minute turnarounds and de-icing, plus snow and poor braking action. Not doing 30 more years of that!

[Rated De]

A month or two ago I was at 915 hours over the rolling year.What once were limits are TARGETS for HR/bean counters and other practictioners of black magic..Ironically these said individuals always manage to get Christmas, NYE and anything else that falls either side of a weekend 'free of duty'. You don't think their 'period free of duty' is 10 hours do you? Once upon a time remuneration closed the gap, but personal KPI opened it right up!

[parabellum]

Scandi flag carrier. Six sectors in winter, with 25-minute turnarounds and de-icing, plus snow and poor braking action. Not doing 30 more years of that!


'Scandi flag carrier' - Doesn't your airline have a long haul fleet as well?

[EcamSurprise]

Would be extremely happy once i get positive news from the orange headquarter, by far the best offer out there for us in the formerly white/red middle east financed loss leader.

Good luck Denti. I'm where you probably want to be based (or nearby anyway) and things are good!

[semmern]

'Scandi flag carrier' - Doesn't your airline have a long haul fleet as well?

Yes, but I don't have the seniority yet.

[Mr Angry from Purley]

Rated de
What once were limits are TARGETS for HR/bean counters and other practictioners of black magic..Ironically these said individuals always manage to get Christmas, NYE and anything else that falls either side of a weekend 'free of duty'. You don't think their 'period free of duty' is 10 hours do you? Once upon a time remuneration closed the gap, but personal KPI opened it right up!

I once asked my DFO why aircrew got £500 pounds off for working one minute into a day off and i as a Manager working a 12hr shift at the weekend got jack :mad:
He replied "Go be a Pilot"
Therefore if you want XMAS and NY off - go work in the Office

[Flocks]

Well I'm jealous of you lot! Long 4 sectors days the daily norm here at my regional employer. This week my roster included an 0430 local check in 2 days ago and finished with a 2320 check out last night before my days off. I keep hearing about the land of Red/Orange milk and honey, and I'm really pleased this life can work for some. 10 years with this lot and my passion for aviation is just a memory now and I'm looking for something new outside this industry.

I believe even in the same airline, depending of the base you operate, you can have some big difference (and it can change with time, a good base can become a hard working base later).

All of this change a lot of how you fell happy or not.

I think Six sixty and I are working for the same airline, my November and December roster were really good. 16days off and 15 days off, Christmas 3days off, new year, holiday starting from the 27th Dec ... So far in 1 year I did only 681hr, I m having average of 57hr a month ... Much better than my previous airline where I was regularly flying 80/90hr !

[birdstrike]

Nicely put Mr Angry, and I say that as a pilot who hopefully could see both sides of the argument.

[vrb03kt]

Well I'm jealous of you lot! Long 4 sectors days the daily norm here at my regional employer. This week my roster included an 0430 local check in 2 days ago and finished with a 2320 check out last night before my days off. I keep hearing about the land of Red/Orange milk and honey, and I'm really pleased this life can work for some. 10 years with this lot and my passion for aviation is just a memory now and I'm looking for something new outside this industry.

six-sixty, been there done that. I was feeling the same way, get yourself into a new airline - the grass is much greener, even LHS to RHS!

Flocks, it also seemed to depend which seat you were in as well.

[LSP.fr]

Working for a european LCC, stable roster, nice network, and possibility to be home based soon again thanks to multiple bases. No overnight.
Enough money to arrange holidays in family, gift for childrens, ... good work life balance,
standing-by to be home based.
What else ?
Happy !

[LlamaFarmer]

I think that's a fair point. As a pilot in most airlines you accept that you will be working weekends and holidays and earlies and lates.

If I wanted Xmas or NY off that badly I would have chosen a different career. If every weekend off was that important I would not have been a pilot.

I think working into your day off should attract a payment for a full days work. The reason being there are many hours of disruption and delays which don't go into your day off, which don't exceed duty limits, and cause all manner of inconvenience to any evening plans.

Working earlies particularly last summer I would regularly (at least half the time) be getting home 3-4 hours later than I was rostered to be off duty. No kind of disruption compensation for crew. The number of cancelled plans or even just being able to have dinner with the missus or see the kids before they go to bed, all of those plans scuppered with no disruption money in return...

So £500 for going 1 minute into a day off may sound very good on paper, but in reality it's not just 1 minute, but all the hundreds of other minutes that didn't attract any kind of payment. And those kind of minutes you can't refuse to work (assuming you are fit to operate)

[Hussar 54]

Finally full-time retired from flying but still involved on the Ops / Commercial side when I can be bothered.

Very, very happy.

[SSDK]

Joined a European fast-expanding Low-cost company almost half a decade ago and I´m happy. Skippers do about 830 a year and FO´s about 100 less I would say. Summers are busy, but winters are for the most quiet on 3/4 of the many bases. Ratio between 8 and 10+ hour days are about 65/35. Salary is ok, and we are organised. Plenty of BDO´s for those who feel for it. Massive difference from what I experienced at "the harp". I think the sweet spot for me in the future is a 80% contract. I doubt most of us in Low cost will survive being on 100% for the rest of our careers. Not looking for a new job at the moment.


As mentioned before I think happiness in the industry is a bit up and down, depending on expansion, leadership and so on.

I have been flying for almost 16 years now, and I do not envy friends and family in office-jobs at the moment. Just as we see longer hours and decline int T&C´s so do they. Most of them with no union to pull things in the opposite direction....

[FLCH]

I have to admit I'm very happy just finished 30 years 6 more to go, lots of ups and downs but more importantly to me, had more laughs than I could have ever imagined.
Kids, grandkids get to see the world and get paid for it, after reading some of your sobering experiences, I feel exceptionally lucky coming from a working class family in the UK to being at a large airline in the US.
Good luck to all of my fellow aviators !

[Snapper5]

As someone very interested in moving to the USA , may I ask how you achieved American citizenship?
How did you find the move ?

[Rated De]

I wasn't specifically referring to those days alone, it was the case, no longer is that work which attracted those consistent intrusions on family time and important cultural events was at least compensated. It isn't now. For the record, I have flown charter, corporate and line flying for a major carrier. I've also worked corporate, Desks have complications but they rarely run out of fuel. The sorts of targets see things like:


Time free of duty ought be just that. Former colleagues tell me the company slipped in a little clause which finishes them at 2300 before a day off with a 0500 sign option after the day off. As I said, limits are targets. 500 quid for a minute into a day off, good luck with that and not even a local night in your own bed.



Paid flight credit hours but sick leave was duty hours. Go sick on a capital city return with a three hour payment, deduct seven hours from your 80 hour annual total..Do a bigger day and lose almost 1/5 of your annual sick leave budget on one day.... Certainly no longer equated to 10 days of paid sick leave like the office staff were given.



If a flight was cancelled you don't get paid, booted and spurred completing fuel ordering, flight cancelled, thanks for coming. Duties at 0500 attracting a payment credit of 1 hour and 50 minutes, no minimum duty payment, cancel one of those sectors and the 1 hour 50 minute payment is halved.

As I said limits are targets.

At every contractual 'negotiation' progressively terms and conditions were eroded, collective bargaining was effectively a trade off for any nominal (far less than real) inflation increase. It has been thus in most industries for the last 30 years.


When minimum legal rest was 10 hours arriving at 2200 local. 'Rest period' commenced at brakes parked +15 mins. Sign on the following morning was only commenced at 60 minutes before departure, pray tell how someone gets 8 hours rest when their commute time to and from a hotel (including check in) is 'rest period'?


Maybe in 1980 500 pound payments existed. Line pilots no longer get those payments, I certainly didn't. If one prefers the noble pursuit of administration, last time I checked weekends and all holidays were still free. Any wonder the industry ate its own tail; there was no longer the recompense, at least in Asia and Oceania.

Further, go and look at the wages outcomes on any major western carrier in the last twenty years and deflate it for inflation, real wage declines and erosion of terms is consistent across jurisdictions. Flying was fun the corporation and consistent erosion of terms and conditions drivien by HR/ bean counters made it far less tolerable.

[SOPS]

IM really happy..walked away from a B777 command with EK almost 3 years ago..enough was enough. Went home..decided "never look back", and completely walked away from aviation after a 35 year career.

A year ago, I was very very fortunate to be selected by the Government Railway System to be trained as a train driver. Im having a ball, you are treated very well..tremendous T and Cs, "FTLs" that make aviation FTLs look like a joke, strong union. I could go on and on. Best thing I ever did!

[4engines4longhaul]

As someone very interested in moving to the USA , may I ask how you achieved American citizenship?
How did you find the move ?

I thought you had just joined Virgin from Monarch and were incredibly grateful ? Why do you want to now move to the states ?

[FLCH]

I got married to an American girl it lasted 20 years, never thought I'd marry again but I did, ended up marrying a girl that was my F/O for several months, we don't live together but have 3 houses in 3 different states to manage, but we do fly together most of the time.

Me... boss in the plane, at the layover hotel.....not so much LOL.

I left the UK after secondary school, ( Yes I failed the 11 plus) and went to flight school, I was going to go to AST in Perth but this was back in 1977 and nothing was looking good for being a pilot, ended up in Canada, then back to the US after some experience.

At such a young age the move and changes were easy to deal with.

[fly4more]

as a train driver. Im having a ball, you are treated very well..tremendous T and Cs, "FTLs" that make aviation FTLs look like a joke, strong union. I could go on and on. Best thing I ever did!

Respect. Wish I had the balls to do that . 40% tax , nice 😜
Bet you live in the biggest house on the block though !

[WindSheer]

SOPS, I am now a senior manager in rail having come from aviation. (Started as a driver.....)

The railway is an ok place to work, with good salary and SOME reasonable terms and conditions.
But I am surrounded by people, 98% of who I would never speak to again if I left. Why? Because of the unbelievable negativity on the railway. Driven by the unions! (I am VERY experienced in working with unions).

I keep in touch with so many of my airline colleagues, and I am so jealous of the pride and passion they show for their jobs.

Aviation is a choice that becomes a hobby. Rail is a choice that becomes a chore. (Personal opinion).

Oh and certainly not a dig at SOPS, I hope you are happy and proud of your role in keeping the country moving. This is of course the purpose of the railway, the unions however, they are just looking after their business and political interests, not their members!!

[flash8]

Well I went from Software Engineer to 737 RHS to Software Engineer.... all in the space of five years including CPL/IR!

The Grass isn't always greener on the other side as they say.

[FougaMagister]

Freight dog (turboprop) on European routes. Joined 10 years ago with 1hr on type, having been cabin crew (3,5 years) and flight dispatcher (5 years).

Captain upgrade after 4,5 years. Employee contract with all the frills (2/3 of retirement and Social Security contributions paid by the Company, as per local Employment law). Roster: 2 weeks (ie 4-5 nights) ON, 1 week Reserve (5 days) or airport SBY (4 days), then 1 guaranteed week OFF (8 days). Total between 8 and 12 nights of flying per month.

All week-ends OFF (sometimes positioning downroute on Sunday PM). 6 weeks paid holiday per year. Good standard of hotels downroute (4 stars plus). I can live wherever I want in Europe (provided I can reach my base in 10 hrs)... Reasonable block hours: under 500/year.

I haven't looked back since joining. As a package, nothing compares, either on ppjn or with agencies.

Cheers :cool:

[RHS]

Rated de


I once asked my DFO why aircrew got £500 pounds off for working one minute into a day off and i as a Manager working a 12hr shift at the weekend got jack :mad:
He replied "Go be a Pilot"
Therefore if you want XMAS and NY off - go work in the Office

As Ryanair and AA have found out, metal doesn't move without our licenses, that's why our days off cost £500 (frankly a bargain given the service cancellation costs).

[SOPS]

SOPS, I am now a senior manager in rail having come from aviation. (Started as a driver.....)

The railway is an ok place to work, with good salary and SOME reasonable terms and conditions.
But I am surrounded by people, 98% of who I would never speak to again if I left. Why? Because of the unbelievable negativity on the railway. Driven by the unions! (I am VERY experienced in working with unions).

I keep in touch with so many of my airline colleagues, and I am so jealous of the pride and passion they show for their jobs.

Aviation is a choice that becomes a hobby. Rail is a choice that becomes a chore. (Personal opinion).

Oh and certainly not a dig at SOPS, I hope you are happy and proud of your role in keeping the country moving. This is of course the purpose of the railway, the unions however, they are just looking after their business and political interests, not their members!!

Well can I say mate...at the moment..I have only met happy and positive people ( ok there a few wingers , like everywhere, but most are happy and everyone is very friendly). Im very happy...when I decided to make a clean break from aviation, I walked away. Haven't regretted it up to now..but Im not proud enough to say.."I was wrong", if time proves I was wrong..I will let you know.