SilverJet

[befree]

Silver Boy - all the details of the money raised and accounts are in the investors section on the silverjet website. The think that is killing the airline is the cost of fuel which must be around twice of what was expected when they did the buisness plan. You can lookup the cost of jet fuel at www.ft.com and is around $900/tonne. That may require $25k-$35 to cross the pond just in fuel costs.

The airline is totaly dependant on a large drop in fuel cost for it to it keep going.

Being broke is normal for an airline. An established airline can operate for decades while broke as long as it does not need to expand. To expand you need more cash which is when the books become vital.

[Inflight Service]

IFM's at Silverjet

IFM's at Silverjet. You have all flown before. You are familiar with the industry. Most airlines pay an overnight allowance and grooming allowance except Silverjet. The company does pay for breakfast which is the cheapest meal of the day. An overnight allowance contributes towards the cost of 3 meals while away. If Silverjet pay for breakfast what then happened to lunch and dinner on a 30 hour layover in New York?

Grooming allowance...all airlines contribute towards the cost of looking good.

IFM's you are aware that other airlines have unions in place to ensure that days off, rest periods and pay conditions are protected. Has the idea of starting a union amongst youselves been raised? Leadership starts from the top.

Curious to know what makes you want to work for Silverjet?
...the question is not designed to be sarcastic but genuine.

[BestonBoard]

Leadership starts from the top?

And familiarity breeds contempt... Maybe Our Onboard management team are more than aware of the effects a union can have... Take a look at the VS strike thread as an example...

As for allowances, alongside receiving breakfast, we are paid flight pay. The likes of other legace carriers receive sector pay only. Thus they have allowances down route. Having discussed it with some of the crew onboard, our flight pay for a typical EWR layover is more than what Virgin Atlantic receive in both sector pay and allowances combined...

And we get a free meal, plus discounts off food and drinks at our hotels! Not a bad deal really...

As for protection of rest periods, days off etc... Rest periods are mandatory... It is up to the indivdidual how they choose to rest. If they wish to spend all day shopping in Manhattan when they have a night sector home, that is their choice. The company are providing adequate facilities to gain rest down route...
As for Days off... Your informants seem to fail to inform you that they are sometimes 'requested' to work on a day off... they don't have to, there is always such a word as No...

Grooming allowances... Silverjet crew members, a quick phone call to your local tax office will confirm your allowances by adjustment of your tax code! If you weren't in the know, tell them you work for an airline... You may be pleasantly surprised!

Not Poo Pooing your idea IFS, but hopefully proving a point that with discussion, the involvement of a 3rd party should be a very last resort!

[Inflight Service]

3rd party

A union should be the first point of call not the last. A union represents, protects and enforces your rights. A strike is only ever a LAST resort when management and crew fail to reach an agreement. The pay conditions at Virgin Atlantic have been questionable. So that is not a good comparison to Silverjet's conditions. Most hotels offer crew discounts regardless. So that is nothing new. Grooming allowance. Crew should not have to chase the tax man to recieve this. Get a union.

Thank-you for your insight.

[Silver Ryan Girl]

Dear JalStacey

I saw your comments insulting Ryanair staff and felt compelled to respond.....

I used to work for Ryanair a while ago, and am fully aware of all the things within the company that need ammending, however Ryanair was a starting block in my career that has thrust me forward to rewarding opportunities. How dare you insult people like myself, if only I was as great a person as you JalStacey, then maybe I wouldnt have been stupid enough to work for a company that actually turned my life around.

Now a word of advice.....it is a very ugly person that looks down on people and feels superior due to things such as job status, background etc, and you dear are one of them. Dont ever forget that there will always be people in the world richer, bigger, and better than yourself.

Good luck in your career, with that attitude your going to need it.

[judder-100]

hello everyone now please stop slagging the company off...people who have left the company just remember it did'nt work for you ...now if people at silverjet needs a union they will get one....we are all a were of the do's and don'ts ....lets enjoy the ride...ok we have some people at silverjet who think they are above everyone else but you get that in any job...just let them get on with it ..because at the end of the day it's you with the smile on face and not them....

[Silver Boy]

Silverjet - The Unsivilised Place to Work (going bust?)

Best on board,

Note you haven't replied to my last post, but I guess you are now busy fighting the pro-Union people instead of me.

"As for Days off... Your informants seem to fail to inform you that they are sometimes 'requested' to work on a day off... they don't have to, there is always such a word as No..."


My roster is bad enough without that added complication.

I agree however that I can say no.

I do not agree with your use of 'Requested' - unless you count the same meaning as someone saying 'if you don't the flight will be cancelled'.

"Not Poo Pooing your idea IFS, but hopefully proving a point that with discussion, the involvement of a 3rd party should be a very last resort!"

Perhaps we have got to that stage already with the management, as other people are now suggesting?



Judder-100,

Thanks for the post.

hello everyone now please stop slagging the company off...

o.k. I'll put my rose-tinted glasses on, only be positive and ignore all the mistakes and problems in the company.

Come to think of it I might also stand to be elected to government in the Labour party!


Yes let's get on with the job. But no - debate and truth is fundamental to change for the good.

Silverjet has the potential to be so much more, however it is held back by the very people at the top who are meant to be leading it.


But the way the financial side is looking, this may all not matter shortly!



Befree,

Thank you for your post and information.

"An established airline can operate for decades while broke as long as it does not need to expand. To expand you need more cash which is when the books become vital."

Two problems here, we are not established and we are expanding.

After reading this, I thought I would read the information that you directed me to, and I drew the following conclusions from it:

Revenue last six months £30.6 million
Cost of provision of everything except ticket sales, marketing and all employees £30 million.

So the loss of £12 million is employees, marketing, ticket sales e.t.c.

So if we ran the airline without any employees or sales it would work - great!

O.K. so far so good / bad?

The first thing that really worries me:

The revenue was broken down -

Scheduled £12.2 million - Charter £18.4 million. Does this mean that the revenue from Flyjet has actually been the big revenue contributor to date?

Sure with the Flyjet operation out of action the loss will be less but so will be the revenue, and pro-rata it appears that the loss could be greater.

Now here is what really worries me.

Everything hinges around carrying 80%+ loads.

Not difficult to work out on a 100 seat aircraft.

I for one am not seeing this!

Even in the report it states that the number of passengers, not load factor, has increased by 38%. This is due to the second aircraft. Surely this should be 100% with a second aircraft, or 200% now with 3, just to stand still?

I know it early days, but the potential for even greater losses is certainly there, and I am really concerned that without Flyjet the situation might be worse.

You highlight the price of fuel, and with that unlikely to decrease, and combined the airlines inability to gain sufficient credit to buy in advance, I can see why this is not going to go away.

I see the directors are putting in £1/2 million of their own cash, but at the rate the operation is burning money that cash alone would only last 2 weeks.

So my conclusion is that the next few months will be make or break for the company, and without the further cash injection that we are seeking the operation would collaspe.

Real pleased I haven't any shares in the company, that's if I could afford them!

I ran all of my thoughts past an accountant friend of mine, and after seeing the report he drew that same conclusions. 'Befree' any comments?


I off to check whether my salary has been paid this month........


Happy Flying, job hunting, salary payment checking e.t.c.


Silver Boy. x

Silverjet - The Unsivilised Place to Work (going bust?)

[bagsybtmbunk]

VS2BA

Hi All
After reading the posts from Silverboy I would think very carefully about the move to Silverjet.
As we know at VS we get between $180 and $220 allowances for a nightstop NY depending on trip and with my £45 sector pay and take home of £1450 - £1500, their salary seems very attractive but do the maths.
I am also in the BA holding pool for EF LHR. Hold out for that.
x

[Inflight Service]

Amicus the Union

"Are you concerned over some of the practices going on in SilverJet? Do you wonder if some of your rights are being walked over? If so, you’re not alone. A number of your colleagues have already been in touch with us. Some are worried about the fact that many of you haven’t received a pay slip for months, some over rostering which they consider to appear arbitrary and unfair; others have been union members at previous airlines and just know what a difference for the better having the union can be. Cabin Crew at SilverJet have told us they want to join Unite and make a difference." Quote from:
http://www.amicustheunion.org/Default.aspx?page=6870

[bagsybtmbunk]

amicus the "union"

Oh my god
Siverjet buddies - so sound like you need a union.
Go straight to T&G - don't bother with Amicus. Look at the mess the VS lot are in right now. I'm no expert but have heard that Amicus is eventually merging with T&G anyway, a far stronger union which incidentally a good few VS crew are already in (out of personal choice). I have no faith in Brian Boyd and Amicus just now so it will be an intersting few months ahead. Dreaded by all involved. Anyway this is sounding like a VS union rant which it is sooo not but just get some sort of representation there and quick sticks!! All I want to say is you are a unique and small collection of I'm sure great guys and gals - just choose representation carefully. After all it is 3 weatherspoons prices double vodka and cokes out of your salary afterall every month!
Hope you have nothing but good times ahead peeps. xx

[VS-LHRCSA]

Absolutely, go for T&G.

You need a union, no doubt about it and they are, from my experience, better at getting things agreed by management. It sounds like rostering is one of your biggest problems. Tackle this and they may stop people leaving. A rigid set of terms and conditions will also stop you from being rostered back to back to backs and ensure you have adequate rest at home.

You also need to consider things that are personal to each individual, such as disciplinaries. You could be falsely accused of something by a passenger who doesn't get their way or another crew member who thinks promotion requires grassing up colleagues and you need someone to fight for you.

I have been down this road personally and was well supported, managing to keep my job and seniority. Other people in my situation were represented by other unions and didn't fare so well.

They will also protect your promotion opportunities, ensuring wherever possible that senior crews are recruited from within and not directly from outside. With the CAA's "one year rule" this may not always be possible but they will have to at least try to recruit from within.

[Mr Angry from Purley]

VS LHRCSA
The Rostering of back to backs is a interesting point. In the eyes of the CAA / CAP371 it's a complete no no. 18-30 hour rest periods, non acclimatised, day night day night ops possibly even now a mix of East - West ops with DXB now being flown. I'm sure you know the score more than I do.

The problem for the Company is it may have no choice, all it's trips seem to be 24 hr bullets. If you do a 3 day bullet do you really want 1 -2 days off before you go out again?. Why not roster back to backs then have 3-4 days off. There may be a social element to the practice of Rostering back to backs.
What about sby coverage, all these things need to be considered before a Union comes in. If its a no-no why has BA built a Hotel opposite the Compass Centre full of crew on back to backs, surely the CC Union would veto it?.

It's only been going for 6 months, I suspect a lot of crew were sitting around when the 2nd aircraft was decked, at least give it a chance

[VS-LHRCSA]

I am more than familiar with BA's back to backs having been crew for them. The difference is that:

1. They are limited to one per 28 days (unless called from standby)
2. Crew are given a hotel room (as you mentioned)
3. Crew are paid a payment
4. 3 MBTR days are awarded

I have never said they are a no-no. All I have said is that a union will help to agree acceptable terms between crew and the airline and make sure the airline sticks to them.

I can fully understand the need for back to backs. I do remember reading when Silverjet first started recruiting last year, that back to back trips would be the usual format.

I'm not trying to force BA ideals onto Silverjet but would recommend bringing in a union to do what's right for Silverjet's situation. If I was Silverjet's management, I would be encouraging it. That way everything is agreed and there won't be any confusion.

[arewehomeyet]

Flyjet/Silverjet

Well there's a surprise, when all is said and done it turns out Flyjet was the one holding up Silverjet, bit galling to all ex Flyjet staff who received less flight duty pay than SJ, and who also didn't receive trinkets like necklaces and pens along with their wings.

To all SJ employess - I do genuinely feel for you (however being ex Flyjet I can't help but draw comparisons with the situation you're in), however to the management of SJ I cannot help but smile - what goes around, comes around as you are finally starting to find out

[sunnygirl]

Flyjet/Silverjet

Well Said!!
I bet the managment are bricking themselves with the talk of having to recognise a union.
At one of the first meetings at LGW when SJ took over they went out of their way to discredit a union and told us that the union was only serving their own purpose and that they did not want a union at FJ.
The did everything they could to avoid union recognision at FJ and used the way our contracts were made out to pass the buck. It is nice to see now that they may have no choice. As said in the previous post what goes around comes around, it is only a matter of time.
As I have said in previous post I do feel sorry for the CC but managment have what is coming to them and it looks like it has already started. Crew seem very unhappy and leaving in great numbers and shares dropping like a stone. Wonder when the investors will say enough is enough and take what little money they have left after putting so much in!
Also interesting to find that SJ CC are posting here as at the meeting we were all threatened if we posted on here.

[sunnygirl]

Afterthought

Was just thinking if SJ do have to recognise a union and they end up striking they have someone who has had a lot of experience in post to deal with strikes as he was in BA when they were striking!!! Say no more!!!

[spencer-owen]

Bring back the charter side of the airline

Bring back the charter side of the airline.....you know it makes sense.

[arewehomeyet]

Bring back the charter side of the airline

Cos lets face it, it was the charter side that was making the profit to hold the schedule side up

[spencer-owen]

Thanks

Well Said you

[ba2silverjet]

Hey guys, i have recently applied to Silverjet and i have an interview with them next week.

I'm really worried about it after reading some of the comments.

Can Anyone provide any information on what the Interviews have been like recently.