XL.com/Excel Airways
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Over the rainbow
Age: 43
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Xl Dub
I worked for Xl last summer and was lucky enough to escape to another airline. I agree that alot of crew left for Aer Lingus, however, alot left because of the way a certain senior cabin crew member and her side kick (the base manager) treated them. This particular senior would have hissy fits/tantrums and belittle junior crew in front of pax. That's a fact!!! This is not idle gossip.
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Crawley
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
XL crew to work for Astraeus
Hey XL crew, was wondering if any of you guys know anything about some XL cabin crew completing a conversion course for Astraeus in the next few weeks, if so how many and does anyone know what they will be doing? Astraeus crew dont even know if we will have jobs this summer so its a bit of a kick in the shins if you know what i mean, hope you can help?
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Gods own country (Wales)
Posts: 74
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Troy - Wasn't having a go at all the Senior's based in DUB, just the one's that i know from experience are lazy and are quite good at causing unrest!
Didn't mean to offend.
JucyLucy - Congrats on the job.
Nesboy
Didn't mean to offend.
JucyLucy - Congrats on the job.
Nesboy
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Ireland
Posts: 32
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
"its bizzare how some people think they know it all from listening too gossip,there were a few problems in dub"
What i said isnt Gossip, but fact. Ask Crewing in Gatwick.
Every carrier has its problems, and no airline is immune to bouts of sickness, but the fact is XL's base manager DUB covered more than her fair share of crew going sick.
What i said isnt Gossip, but fact. Ask Crewing in Gatwick.
Every carrier has its problems, and no airline is immune to bouts of sickness, but the fact is XL's base manager DUB covered more than her fair share of crew going sick.
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Over the rainbow
Age: 43
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hey, Unionjet, Xl didn't have enough crew to start with so it was inevitable that the BM would have to fly. They could not recruit for DUB as the A/C was a Canadian Reg and the initial training lasted 7 weeks!!!!!! . The whole base was a total shambles. Crew only saw the A/C for the 1st time 2 or 3 days before their 1st flight. Service training was done from a piece of paper. Some crew did not know what a cart looked like until their 1st flight!!! Crew also had to call the UK all the time and had to pay for it themselves etc. etc.
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: whereever
Age: 47
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
wasnt having a dig what you were saying was actually sticking up for bm,i worked very closely with her throughout season so wont let any one bad mouth any one,enough said on the matter i think,as people read these forums and it dont take long too realise who is who and feelings need too be taken into consideration.
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: 33000ft
Age: 44
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
XL DUB had problems!! 75% of crew sickness was because of the atmosphere created by some crew there! we all know who they were and when those persons weren't around for awhile the base changed over night! The base manager didnt help the situation by how crew were treated.And no one felt they could report the lazy ass crew who treated crew like s
t. XL charged into dublin without even looking at a map!! The crew who did stay worked there backsides off doing 18 - 20 hr days and doing this days in a row! often spending 4hrs stuck in a 7 seater car with 7 other people. The least XL could have done was to get back to the amazing crew they did have last yr for jobs this year. but to the best of my limited knowledge this hasnt happend!
Maybe this year they'll wake up and listen to crew comments and hire more crew!! I seen more NCL crew than i did DUB crew!!
t. XL charged into dublin without even looking at a map!! The crew who did stay worked there backsides off doing 18 - 20 hr days and doing this days in a row! often spending 4hrs stuck in a 7 seater car with 7 other people. The least XL could have done was to get back to the amazing crew they did have last yr for jobs this year. but to the best of my limited knowledge this hasnt happend!Maybe this year they'll wake up and listen to crew comments and hire more crew!! I seen more NCL crew than i did DUB crew!!
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: down south
Posts: 36
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My housemate works for xl seems the dub base is to be avoided at all costs by existing crew,the company have resorted to offering £600 to tempt people to transfer and still no one interested! The same can't be said of the larnaca base which has no money on offer yet crew falling over themselves to get this base! Not a surprise really know where i'd prefer to spend my summer!.
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Oxon
Age: 66
Posts: 1,942
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
"I thoroughly enjoyed my (short) time working for them. I only left because i had a better offer"
Bet the phones were hanging off the hook headhunting................
Bet the phones were hanging off the hook headhunting................
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Gods own country (Wales)
Posts: 74
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
"The crew who did stay worked there backsides off doing 18 - 20 hr days and doing this days in a row!"
Surely this is against FTL's?! I understand nobody wants to let anyone down but it is the crew's responsibility as much as the Company's to keep track of their hours and stay legal.
I too was in and around XL's head office last summer when the DUB base opened and unfortunately the feed back wasn't great. You can't put that down to the C reg aircraft and the 'lack' of service training though. It's the crew (flight and cabin) that make the base what it is.
Nesboy
Surely this is against FTL's?! I understand nobody wants to let anyone down but it is the crew's responsibility as much as the Company's to keep track of their hours and stay legal.
I too was in and around XL's head office last summer when the DUB base opened and unfortunately the feed back wasn't great. You can't put that down to the C reg aircraft and the 'lack' of service training though. It's the crew (flight and cabin) that make the base what it is.
Nesboy
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Over the rainbow
Age: 43
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
18-20 hrour days
Hi Nesboy, we had 2 such "normal" days like this. We would do a flight with a very early AM check-in and then position in a tiny 7 seater minibus (7 crew) to another airport in Eire which took 3-5 hrs depending on where you were going. As we were positioning after the flight there is no limitation on one's hours! Some crew wanted to fly down to ORK and paid for it themselves, however, the Base Manager refused to let them go, even though the F/D always did it. It was a nightmare!! DUB needed a good leader but, alas, the crew (majority 19-20 year olds & inexperienced) were left to fend for themselves with no assistance from XL!!!! Ask any of the GLA or NCL crew who HAD TO WORK ex DUB...... PS we were never given any FTL's!
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Gods own country (Wales)
Posts: 74
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Without wanting to fall out with you stardoll123, from what i can gather from your posts that you were based in DUB last summer?
I too was XL up until the end of last summer. I'm surprised you weren't given an FTL talk. From what i can remember of the C reg you were trained just to CAR's (canadian regs) as apposed to JAR-Ops?
That possibly explains why you did some funny hours as, from what i can remember again, the FTL's are slightly different?
Your point about the younger crew being left to fend for themselves, unfortunately that's the real world. The end of the day XL are trying to run an airline not a creche! Granted though i agree with your comment, everyone needs a good leader!
I take it you won't be going back to DUB with XL this summer
Nesboy
I too was XL up until the end of last summer. I'm surprised you weren't given an FTL talk. From what i can remember of the C reg you were trained just to CAR's (canadian regs) as apposed to JAR-Ops?
That possibly explains why you did some funny hours as, from what i can remember again, the FTL's are slightly different?
Your point about the younger crew being left to fend for themselves, unfortunately that's the real world. The end of the day XL are trying to run an airline not a creche! Granted though i agree with your comment, everyone needs a good leader!
I take it you won't be going back to DUB with XL this summer
Nesboy
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Over the rainbow
Age: 43
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi Nesboy, I left XL during the summer to work for another airline. I won't mention which one!! My point about the long hours was that XL didn't seem to give 2 hoots about their crew. They could have positioned crew to ORK or they could have put us on a larger bus or, they could have rostered 2 crews - one for the AM flight and one to position to ORK. Did you actually work for XL in DUB last summer or are you commenting on what you are reading without having actually experienced it first hand.....
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Gods own country (Wales)
Posts: 74
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
You'll have to send me a PM Stardoll123 about your new airline!!
Never actually operated out of DUB. Was due to assist with the door training (slide drag) with the crew in Southend but that was cancelled. knew quite a few people who were based in DUB though ranging from the BM, Pilots and C/C.
Nesboy
Never actually operated out of DUB. Was due to assist with the door training (slide drag) with the crew in Southend but that was cancelled. knew quite a few people who were based in DUB though ranging from the BM, Pilots and C/C.
Nesboy
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: 33000ft
Age: 44
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
hi nesboy.
Hope not to offend but as you didnt experience DUB base 1st hand you'll probably think the ex-crew are going over the top with their comments but they're not!! FTL's???? huh????
i dont think XL crewing know of such a thing. I myself kept track of my hours and often called crewing to dispute my hours( while paying intl phone rates for the pleasure). 18-20 hour days were the norm!!! one of my days lasted 21hrs!! We were trained in CARS but JAR-ops as well. kinda a mix. But with the C-reg a/c crewing didnt know the rules. We as crew and Flight deck were working on the JAR-ops FTL's which are the most restrictive. Thats way a lot of F/D went out of hours very quickly. The crew who did stay worked harder than any XL base as the airline didnt plan DUB very well.
And you also say feedback for LGW wasnt good!!! is that pax comments??? or preformance of a/c?? could you clear this up. Its a pity you didnt come to southend, you would have met so many great people
I know there's alot of negitive comments about the base but this is for good reasons and as crew we like to get our way. But i've never been in a base like DUB 99% of crew amazing! alot of fun , some great nightstops and good nights out in DUB. It was like a little family and we were very proud to be flying for XL but there was a few bad apples in the orchard and hopefully they wont go back this year!!
Well done to all crew from DUB for a great summer
Hope not to offend but as you didnt experience DUB base 1st hand you'll probably think the ex-crew are going over the top with their comments but they're not!! FTL's???? huh????
i dont think XL crewing know of such a thing. I myself kept track of my hours and often called crewing to dispute my hours( while paying intl phone rates for the pleasure). 18-20 hour days were the norm!!! one of my days lasted 21hrs!! We were trained in CARS but JAR-ops as well. kinda a mix. But with the C-reg a/c crewing didnt know the rules. We as crew and Flight deck were working on the JAR-ops FTL's which are the most restrictive. Thats way a lot of F/D went out of hours very quickly. The crew who did stay worked harder than any XL base as the airline didnt plan DUB very well.And you also say feedback for LGW wasnt good!!! is that pax comments??? or preformance of a/c?? could you clear this up. Its a pity you didnt come to southend, you would have met so many great people
I know there's alot of negitive comments about the base but this is for good reasons and as crew we like to get our way. But i've never been in a base like DUB 99% of crew amazing! alot of fun , some great nightstops and good nights out in DUB. It was like a little family and we were very proud to be flying for XL but there was a few bad apples in the orchard and hopefully they wont go back this year!!
Well done to all crew from DUB for a great summer
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Gods own country (Wales)
Posts: 74
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Recall Centre, no offence taken. Everyone is entitled to their own point of view. You have yours and i have mine, and this is not worth falling out over.
It does sound like XL didn't have a game plan with regards to DUB and hopefully this summer things will work out for them.
I'm no longer with XL, but i do still ahve some good friends there so here's to everyone having a good summer.
Nesboy
It does sound like XL didn't have a game plan with regards to DUB and hopefully this summer things will work out for them.
I'm no longer with XL, but i do still ahve some good friends there so here's to everyone having a good summer.
Nesboy
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: london
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I do know a little bit about DUB so can say that most of the crew were fab and worked realy hard, as crew we know that we have to work long days!! its the same for EVERY airline,
The training was long but at least they got paid for it not like some other airlines, Its a small base and its normal not to get on the aircaft untill you have nearly completed your training and if fact they had a long time on the aircaft before they done there indoc flight- alot more than most.
The ones that are moaning are the one that had some thing to hide!!! and its just as well they have gone, bring on the new season with some of the great exsisting crew, Looking forward to working with you
The training was long but at least they got paid for it not like some other airlines, Its a small base and its normal not to get on the aircaft untill you have nearly completed your training and if fact they had a long time on the aircaft before they done there indoc flight- alot more than most.
The ones that are moaning are the one that had some thing to hide!!! and its just as well they have gone, bring on the new season with some of the great exsisting crew, Looking forward to working with you
