I think it’s bloody good!

I’m no longer in the Link group but as an outsider looking in I find it hard to understand what the benefits are for the Pilots to combine the seniority lists. Can someone please explain what they are? Does big brother think it will help retain the Link Pilots with the promise of a jet job in the future (new course plan came out a few weeks back and everything is slowing down big time). With the issues the training department are having with the guys coming across to fly the jets there will soon be a sim ride and interview to assess suitability again.
If I was a new joiner today, I’d get my time up on the ATR/Dash and jump to Virgin/Jetstar/JetConnect for a bit of experience then back to AirNZ. I understand there is a stand down period if you go that avenue but I’m pretty sure you’d get an interview well before your number comes up on the jets. Average retirements per year is currently 20-30 a year. How many years is it for a new joiner til they get to pole around a 320 or become a S/O on a wide body. Do the maths. Good luck.

Seems like classic divide and rule to me. Air NSN clearly frothing at all the gains and the Cook guys feeling gypped at their own meagre increases(losses in some cases) after months of showy promises. Bedlam if it doesn’t go through. I saw the contract today and it most certainly is a b scale obfuscated with some ‘blended’ bull**** that might take years to get in the ballpark. You’d be ripping off future hires no matter how you sell it to yourself. Lipstick on a swine.

The benefit is becoming employed by Air NZ. It’s that simple. Both the Nelson and Cook AOC’s are going to Air NZ in Nov and early next year. Without merging into one regional group within Air NZ both airlines will operate under service agreements with Air NZ aka contractors aka Jetconnect.

The career pathways initiative is definitely just a showpiece from the company to stop regional pilots leaving the group and only benefiting a certain few as it currently is. Some of which are treating it as a holiday and subsequently failing the training.

You clearly can’t be a fan if you’re not with either airline but have started a pprune account to post about the contract.

I don’t know which ‘Cook’ guys you’re talking to but is definitely not the only view held within the ranks. The guys who have been around a while clearly stated we want more time at home and roster/contract improvements. Has that occurred? Well you have the contract. I’m sure you can make your mind up.

Have you noticed who the new hires are going to be? Did you read the bit about ‘graduate pilots’? Once that’s approved by CAA, thats where the vast majority will be coming from. Do you have an issue with the remuneration that they’ll receive for the first year or so?

I haven’t seen the contract, only the new payscales, and I do think it’s a bit strange to have a blended rate. At Air New Zealand, we have a blended rate on the 777 to allow for -200/300 variants, the same will most likely occur for the 787 when we operate both -9&10 variants. This is because Pilots on type actually operate all variants. We don’t, for example, blend the A320 rates with Widebody rates just because they’re on the same AOC, so why do it for the links?

I appreciate there’s a bit of a first day lottery between fleets when joining the regionals but the same is true at Air New Zealand. If there’s a combined regional seniority list, then surely pilots can move between fleets as vacancies and seniority allows?

They wouldn’t have a wide body command yet. Current crop of 787 skips have been 24 years! Your point is noted though

Not to mention FRF, that it’s a merging of the regional lists only...

Very much like Jetconnect until Jetconnect transferred their ‘feet’ of 737’s to Qantas and switched to VH rego’s. They’re no longer a subsidiary airline but solely employ pilots and flight attendants to operate Qantas services. Not in either Cook or Nelson’s interest to replicate that.

A few can’t even get through the IPT let alone pass a Jet command check, I don’t think we need to worry ;)

You’re right. No need to worry. You’ll know as well as anyone that the seniority between Jet and Regional isn’t merging, nor was that ever proposed. Added to the bottom was the initial aim.

I believe Air NZ ALPA members are shortly voting on an amendment to the CEA which tightens the wording to prevent the thought of any such PG. But we won’t let that get in the way of a good yarn....