Get me out of here!!!

[Steven82]

Hi

My name's Steven, French, 23 and currently working for an "airline" called Ryanair!!

I started working for this company on the 28th August 2005, I was new to this industry and really excited working as Cabin Crew for a well known low cost airline but didn't really know what to expect!

The agency who employed me is called St James and i had to pay £1500 before i start my 6 weeks training course.

We received a very poor training which believe it or not is really really hard!
Had 3 exams and not even had an A/C visit, I failed my first exam but before i do my reset, my trainer told me in front of all the classroom that i was useless, that i better get back to London coz i will never pass the training course but i successfully past it with 99%.

We all did our "SNY" for 2 days. Then here I was, Working for "no1 low cost airline in Europe"

We don't get any food or water, 70% of the Cabin crew and about 20% of flight crew don't even speak English, We do too many hours, don't get pay for overtime.........

As i m employed by a company called "Crewlink", i get pay about £750/Month then have to pay £25 for my uniform every month then my loan for my training course which is £138/month.

About 6 guys fom my training course has benn fired because they had about 5 sick days and about 10 who has just left, I m applying to different airline but it's very hard to attend the interviews as we can't request any days off or if we ask our base manager she just say to piss off, that it's not her problem. I really dunno what to do, I m shattered and feel vey down.

I m really fed up of my job, and i m really desgusted of this company, They treat us like we are dogs.

I just want to get out of here

[rubarb]

Do whatever you can - if you must go sick for another interview - then do it - there are many airlines in London ( and all over the UK) ...... forget about Ryanair - they seem to be a very difficult airline to work for - from what I have heard - crew are worked too hard and very little pay. YOU control your life - NOT Ryanair - just go sick if you have to - if you can do an interview on one of your days off - all the better - but go sick if you have to. It seems the only way. Your future depends on it. Good luck.

[newbagr]

no way!

i agree.Call in sick if you have to.There is nothing they can do about it.I know of various different people who work for FR and some of they say its the worst airline to work for but some others say the money is good even though they work pretty hard for.... i dont know myself as i ve never worked for them but personally i would never decide to work for an airline that charges you a bloody fortune for your training and then ask you to pay for the uniform?And i take it that upon termination of employment what happens to the uniform?You get to keep it for souvenir?Get yourself an other airline job...cant mention enough of airlines recruiting at the moment.... BA,VS, EAsyjet,Monarch, MYT and lots of others i believe and good luck with your escape:-)

[Gatwick07]

I've recently started with a new airline and there was a guy who left Ryanair on my training course. There are so many good airlines out there, and the experience you already have will win you points. It's a shame your experience of the job has been bad so far because with the right airline it's an amazing experience.

I suggest you "escape", come to London or Manchester where there are so many airlines to choose from. Everyone will have different opinions on every airline but find one which suits you. To give a few examples:

http://www.flymonarch.com/cnt/careers/cabincrew.asp - Monarch (mixture of long haul and short haul charter)

http://www.gbairways.com/careers/cab...ecruitmentID=6 - GB Airways (a BA franchise flying to Mediterrenean destinations on A320/321 aircraft)

http://www.britishairwaysjobs.com/ba...nlugruqeqphneo
- British Airways Gatwick Fleet - (look on www.britishairwaysjobs.com for Heathrow contracts.)

http://www.astraeus.co.uk/recruitment/ - Astraeus - A purely charter airline based at Gatwick flying short/medium haul routes on B737/757 aircraft.

http://www.easyjet.com/EN/Jobs/Cabin...rew_index.html - Easyjet - In my opinion the better low cost airline, I believe you still work hard but I think you're treated better.

These are just a few of many airlines who regularly recruit new crew. For more vacancies go to www.aviationjobsearch.com

Good luck and I hope you find something you enjoy

GA320.

[Dr_Vandenburg]

Ryan

God I thought I had it bad.

The old saying always someone worse off.
I guess thats you.
So sorry to have read your post.

Hope you get parolled... xx

[flyblue]

Very good idea to post those links Gatwick07. I added them to the FAQ sticky on top of the Forum page. If someone knows of more recruitment websites (especially non-UK based airlines), please let us know, we'll add them too

[sean1982]

sorry for asking but "poor training" and "very hard" does not seem together very well no? "very hard" seems to me as well prepared ?

[banewboi]

i can't remember where i got this from but in one of the emplyment acts i'm fairly sure it says that if you tell an employer you have an interview with another company then so long as you give X days notice they have to provide a day off.

something to do with competition and not effectively trapping you to one company. i'll see if i can find the details out

[newbagr]

lets be realistic though.Would you really say to your employer(especially when it seems to be the employer from hell) that you want the day off cause you want to attend an interview for an other job?How many people would do this?:-)

[concorde001]

Originally Posted by flyblue

Very good idea to post those links Gatwick07. I added them to the FAQ sticky on top of the Forum page. If someone knows of more recruitment websites (especially non-UK based airlines), please let us know, we'll add them too

I hope this helps - it is a list of major British and Europen airlines and also foreign airlines looking for British/International crew.

Aer Arann - Irish airline operating Irish and European routes.

Air France - French airline operating from Paris to destinations accross the world. Crew based mainly in Paris Charles de Gaulle and Orly. All applicants must be able to speak French and English. The website is also in French.

Aer Lingus - Irish airline flying to destinations accross Europe, Ireland, the US and Middle East. Crew are based in Dublin.

Air New Zealand - New Zealand airline operating routes to US, Asia and London. The airline has a London Heathrow base for cabin crew who operate London-Los Angeles and recruit people with the right to work in the UK.

Astraeus - British charter airline with cabin crew presently based at London Gatwick, Leeds Bradford and Manchester flying to destinations throughout Europe,North America, Africa and northern Asia.

B|MED - British airline operating as British Airways on routes to the Middle East and CIS countries. Heathrow based crew.

bmi - British airline operating UK, European and a handful of routes to India, Middle East, US and the Caribbean routes. Recruiting for cabin crew mainly Heathrow based, and sometimes Manchester and East Midlands.

bmi baby British low-cost airline owned by bmi. Operating European routes and looking for cabin crew in Durham Tees Valley, Cardiff, Manchester, Birmingham & Nottingham East Midlands.

British Airways - British airline operating out of Heathrow, Gatwick and the UK regions to destinations accross the world. For cabin crew positions outside Heathrow and Gatwick (Birmingham, Manchester, Bristol, London City, Edinburgh visit this site, BA Connect . BA Connect is a British Airways' subsidiary operating UK and European routes outside Heathrow and Gatwick.

Cathay Pacific Airways - Hong Kong airline flying to destinations accross the world. The airline have a cabin crew base at London Heathrow and recruit for people with the right to live and work in the UK. Also you must be fluent in speaking one of the following: Cantonese, Mandarin, Japanese, Tagalog or Korean, as well as being able to speak and read English fluently. Fluency in other Chinese dialects will also be considered.

City Jet - Irish airline owned by Air France operating services for Air France from Dublin, London City to Paris. Crew are based in Dublin, Paris Charles de Gaulle and Orly.

easyJet - British low-cost airline operating UK and European destinations. Crew are based in UK, France, Germany and Italy. The airline is also recruiting Australian applicants who want to work in the UK for a year.

Emirates - Dubai based airline flying to destinations accross the world. The airline recruits crew from around the world, to be based in Dubai, where they are provided with tax-free remuneration package including accommodation and allowances

Etihad Airways - Abu Dhabi based airline flying to destinations accross the world. The airline recruits crew from the around the world, to be based in Abu Dhabi, where they are provided with tax-free remuneration package including accommodation and allowances.

Flybe - British low-cost airline flying to UK and European destinations. Multiple UK bases, including Birmingham.

First Choice Airways - British charter airline flying to holiday destinations accross the world. Crew based accross the United Kingdom.

Fly Jet - British charter airline flying to destinations in Europe, Africa and Asia. Multiple crew bases including Gatwick and Newcastle.

GB Airways - British airline operating as British Airways to European holiday destinations. Crew bases are Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester.

Gulf Air - Middle Eastern airline based in Bahrain and Muscat flying to destinations accross the world. Crew are recruited from around the world to be based in Bahrain and are provided with free accommodation and tax free salary.

Iberia - Spanish airline flying to destinations all over the world from its hub in Madrid. Crew are based in Madrid and must speak Spanish and English.

JAL Japan Airlines - Japanese airline flying to destinations accross the world. The airline has a crew based at London Heathrow and recruit people with the right to live and work in the UK and who can speak a major European language as well as English.

Jet Airways - Major Indian airline flying to destinations in India, South East Asia, London and soon to start US operations. They are looking for experienced crew with at least 1 year experience from any country to fly international routes. Crew have a choice of the following bases: Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Singapore, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur.

Jet2 - British low-cost airline flying from Manchester and Leeds to European and UK destinations.

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines -Dutch airline part of the Air France-KLM group, flying to destinations from Amsterdam to destinations accross the world. Crew are based in Amsterdam and must speak Dutch as well as English. The airline also has subsidiaries operating regional flights KLM Cityhopper .

Loganair - British airline operating as British Airways flying mainly within Scotland and Ireland. Crew are based mainly in Glasgow with some in Edinburgh and Aberdeen.

Lufthansa - German airline flying from its hubs in Frankfurt and Munich to destinations all over the world. All applicants must be able to speak German as well as English. The airline also has subsidiaries flying to European cities from other German cities.

Monarch Airlines - Britsh airline flying scheduled and charter routes all over the world. Multiple UK bases.

My Travel Airways - British holiday airline flying from multipe UK bases.

Qantas - Australian airline flying to destinations accross the world. The airline has opened a cabin crew base at London Heathrow and are recruiting those with the right to live and work in Britain.

Qatar Airways - Qatari airline based in Doha, flying to destinations accross the world. The airline recruits crew from around the world, to be based in Doha where they will be provided with medical insurance and accommodation.

Ryanair - Irish low-cost airline flying accross Europe. Bases in Dublin, London Stansted, Frankfurt Hahn and many other European cities.

Scot Airways = British airline flying from Edinburgh to UK and European cities. Crew are based in Edinburgh.

Thomas Cook Airlines - British charter airline flying to worldwide holiday destinations. Multiple UK bases, including Manchester and London Gatwick. Airline is part of the Thomas Cook Group.

Thomsonfly - British holiday airline flying to destinations accross the world. Multiple UK bases. Airline is part of the TUI group.

Virgin Atlantic - British airline flying to destinations accross the world. Crew mainly based at Heathrow and Gatwick.

[ABird747]

Why would you?!

sorry if I'm speaking out of turn but why on earth would anyone ever work for Ryanair?

No nightstops, they treat you like $hit, the pay's awful and the travel concessions are non-existant...

Come fly with a major carrier and yo'll think you've died and gone to heaven

[newbagr]

come on ....lets not make make such statements.Its not necessary that Ryanair is the worst airline to work for just because some people dont like it.I ve heard other people who claim to make loads of money from Ryanair.Personally i wouldnt go for it as i would never pay for my training and uniform but some others find it a good way to get work experience and then move on to other airlines....

[6chimes]

If its not the worst airline in the UK to work for then please, please give us some examples that are worse than the posters!

6

[burn the mullal]

Steve82........................
Before you signed your contract with RYANAIR did you read about paying for your own training, paying for your uniform, the hours you are expected to work, the PAY you will receive etc,etc,etc. and then continued to sign the form, then i dont think its RYANAIR who are to blame for you not liking your job.!!!!!!
I agree that as an ex employee of RYANAIR ( 5 years service ) that as in any job its not always a great place to work, but as people have posted there are many other airlines who you could have applied for, or did you think that RYANAIR was an easy bet for employment.???????
Take it from me i didnt enjoy every day at work and yes you do work long hours, but that is the nature of the bussines.
As for not getting paid overtime, how many jobs can you think that will pay over £11 per 3/4 hour stn-dub, stn-ldy, stn-nqy and so on.
Remember not every day is going to be fantastic, but you have one of the most amazing office windows in the world and like i did, you will see and experiance things that most people will never ever have the chance to.

[G-IBBO]

http://www.flyglobespan.com/vacancies.asp

Flyglobespan.com also looking for cabin crew...

[banewboi]

Originally Posted by newbagr

lets be realistic though.Would you really say to your employer(especially when it seems to be the employer from hell) that you want the day off cause you want to attend an interview for an other job?How many people would do this?:-)

if you've been silly enough to get yourself into a company like ryanair without realising what you were letting yourself in for and then want out i hardly think saying i'm off is that hard. the point i was making is that they have to give you the day off.

to some extent itagree with burn about o/t etc and ryanair aren't the worst company in the world. now unless you were duped into signing the contract etc etc you have no one to blame but your self.

[Gatwick07]

Before we all put Steven82 down for "not reading his contract" or "not knowing what he's letting himself in for" let's cast our minds back to when we were new crew, having never flown before..... call me naive but I was of the impression most European airlines were reputable, and working for any airline was a wonderful opportunity. Experience has taught me otherwise and the phrase "you learn from mistakes" is certainly applicable here.

The damage has been done, Steven's clearly made a mistake and wants to go elsewhere, and rather than putting him down for what's in the past, as fellow ppruners would it not be more appropriate to support him and help him?

[phiman]

Steven

I to started my flying career with FR. That was 6 years ago now. Things have changed at FR since then though. I didnt pay for my training or uniform, and was employed directly by ryanair. The 4 or 6 sector days haven't changed though, and I believe that working for them was good for me, as I gained experiance in the industry and was able to move on to a much better airline. I was lucky enough to get out before things took a turn for the worse. My adive is to hang in there untill you find a another airline. Try swapping flts for days off to get to interviews, if you don't want to go sick. And definately don't let Ms Mullally, , scare you, stand your ground with her when you are in the right and she leaves you alone. I take it she is still there?
Good luck with your career, I am sure you will move to bigger and better things than Fr.

[flyblue]

Thank you for the list and the links concorde001
Only had to copy/paste your post here

Thank you to the others who provided links too!

[filipehm]

also, i've just remembered you might consider Excel Airways: www.xl.com. not sure if they're recruiting now, but they operate charter flights in europe and elsewhere.

if you have 3-5 years experience, pref. in first class, you might considet netjets, leading jet airplane private ownership company. www.netjetseurope.com. just out of interest, i once spoke to the head of human resources for their offices here in portugal, and on average, they recieve about 60 CC CVs and about 20 flight deck crew CVs daily. i do know they're now wanting to hire quite a few pilots.