Eastern Australia Airlines
 

I was interviewed back in May 2004 with Eastern Australia for SYD base. Heard nothing after completing medical and ASIC forms and today received a letter stating that I am on "active hold" (whatever that means) until June 2005 and if new flight attendant ground schools are planned my application will be considered.

Does anyone in the know (Current Eastern crew, QF Staff etc etc) think or know of any new recruit schools in either SYD or MEL planned during this time?

or is this just another QF way to say you were excess at the time we might have needed and have not forgotton about you but there is really no way we were going hire you and we should of sent you an unsuccessful letter months back.

Any thoughts?

I was on the active hold list for 12 months before getting my position........you just have to wait!

Chris, if you haven't checked already, I sent you a PM. Not sure if you got it yet :)

Chris you may be in luck as QLink moves towards a fleet based around 2 cc Dash8s. Many of the 36seat 100/200 series have already been turned over to 50seat Q300series. The even larger 70seat Q400seres are due for delivery in the first half of 06. So fingers crossed for some movement for you. However always so hard to guess in this messy, messy industry. :suspect: :suspect: :suspect:

Good Luck :ok: :ok:

Sky - Love your work. I have sent you one back.

browneyedgirl - I know that you have to wait - I have been waiting for around 6 years for another flying job so not a strange concept to me just wondering if your crystal ball was working and perhaps you had some insider info.

and while everyone is checking their crystal ball - once the Q400's are flying for QLink will they be operated by 2 or 3 Cabin Crew?

The Q400 will be operated by 2 flights attendants only and with 72 pax's.

You may hear sooner rather than later, a ground school is proposed for July and we are currently recruiting. You should call or send a letter/e-mail saying you would appreciate the first available ground school. As in the past people on active hold have been overlooked for people only recruited a month before the ground school, for some unkown reason.

Anyway good luck and hope to see you at Eastern soon.

:O Hey guys, would anyone know if Eastern Australia Airlines will be recruiting for the Melbourne base or only the Sydney base any help would be great.

cheers, Australian Boy :D

Hey Australian Boy,

Lately i have been flying with some colleagues that are on the MEL recruitment team and i have been told recruitment for MEL base is expected for May/Jun as we are short at MEL base at the moment.

Goodluck!

:O Hey Melbro check ur priv msgs

cheers Australian boy

A bit of information for people interested in joining Eastern Australia Airlines.

Even though we are owned by Qantas, our recruitment team is much more people friendly. If you're on the waiting list, they won't hold it against you if you contact them to tell them you are still interested in the job (unlike QF who have a strict "don't call us,we'll call you" policy). In fact, EAA mangement will like your enthusiasm.

Unfortunately, we do have the same problem as QF when it comes to recruiting extra staff. Rumours are hardly ever correct and even though we are short staffed in both Sydney and Melbourne, it's anyone's guess when another training school will go through.

Just one thing, if you only want to work for Eastern as a way into Qantas, please bear in mind that it can take between 4 and 6 years to progress to mainline. It won't be easy for you if you don't enjoy regional flying (and it won't be easy on your colleagues to work with someone whose only focus is progression, not the job at hand).

Well that is good to know - I have sent a letter to your Cabin Crew Team Manager and Cabin Crew Manager and will follow up with a phone call to ensure the received it.

Hopefully they will appreciate my enthusiasm.. time will tell.. hope to see you all online shortly..

To Chris21,

Just so you get the titles right, they are Manager Cabin Crew, and below her is the Cabin Crew Line Supervisor.

Good luck!:ok:

Thanks - That is what I thought though copied the title off my letter and it would appear the Cabin Crew Line Supervisor has been re branded and transformed herself into the Cabin Crew Team Manager.. unless I am missing someone between the top and middle.. make sense..

Chris21

You are correct the Cabin Crew Line Supervisor is an old title you have the correct title.

Hey Guys,

I was also interviewed last year for Eastern, but still on the hold list. I've heard it can take a while to hear back, so I guess patience is the key.

Can anyone tell me what the current fleet is at Eastern, aircraft type and number of each type.

Cheers

SocialFlyer

To Easternboy,

Since when is Cabin Crew Line Supervisor an old title? The manual and phone numbers card (May 2005) still list the Cabin Crew Line Supervisor.:confused:

To Socialflyer,

Eastern has only Dash 8-s (100, 200 and 300 series. The 400 series will be added next year). You can find out about the aircraft on the qantas.com and Bombardier (the manufacturer) websites. :)

HEY EASTERN CREW!!
 

In the last week I have applied to Eastern to join the MEL base.

I am looking for some background info on what flying for EA is like (particularly out of MEL) ie; frequency of overnights?, hours worked?, sectors per day?, are MEL crew rostered anywhere in the EA network or just the ones formerly operated by Southern? you know the usual boring stuff people want to know.

Have been working on jets over here in NZ for a few years now and can see myself buzzing around on props, wearing black white and red back home.

Thanx in advance, PM me if ya want

cheers
funbus

My sources tell me that the current QFLink fleet consists of:

13 x Dash 8 (100)
5 x Dash 8 (200)
16 x Dash 8 (Q300)
7 x Dash 8 (Q400) due for delivery in the first half of 2006 w options on a further 10.

Just guessing but my thinking is the majority of the 300's are based in SYD with Eastern and BNE with Sunstate and probably where the Q400's would go first sending more 300's to replace the 100 and 200's in other bases like MEL for Eastern and CNS for Sunstate which from what I can gather are the bases at the moment where the majority of flying is solo flying?

I am obviously not current crew but thinking back to my interview it was mentioned that you can expect at least one overnight a week in exotic locations? You can find info on conditions, salary and allowances at www.wagenet.gov.au by searching on Eastern Australia Airlines Flight Attendants.

Maybe someone can confirm?

Also for another topic on the forum but from it would appear that now there has to be some vacancies made available soon as current QFLink / Jetstar crew are about to get some career progression into mainline?

Solo flying is rostered for all bases on eaa/sunstate.

The fleet numbers that were quoted in a previous post are the combined fleet numbers for eaa/sunstate.

The first -400's are going to sunstate.
They will still operate with two crew only and a new in-flight service is being designed in order to ensure 72pax can be fed by 2 cabin crew in such short time.

Sunstate does not have a TSV base - BNE and CNS only.

The ex southern a/c have been disposed of and sent to Airlines of PNG. This is also including VH-TNG/TND which are ex sunstate.

VH-TQT is a shared Dash 8-100 which eastern and sunstate both utilise depending on what operator has an a/c in maintenance at that particular time.

To funbus_flighty,

Good luck with your application.

You're right in assuming that flying for Eastern out of Melbourne is the same as the Dash flying was for Southern. We are rostered to fly to Mildura, Devonport, Burnie-Wynyard and Canberra. We also fly to Mount Hotham during the skiing season.

However, we will soon have more variety with the addition of Wollongong and Newcastle flights. We also cover Sydney flying when they are short staffed, but these types of duties are few and far between.

On average we are rostered to fly between 120 and 130 hours over a 28 day period, but this includes reserve days, so depending on how often crewing need us, our monthly hours can be between 130 and 140. Most of our days are 4 sectors long and overnights (3 to 5 a month) are usually 3 sectors on the first and 3 on the second day. Trips involving more than one night away from home base are very rare.

If you have any more questions, please ask.

1. Sydney base will retain the wollongong overnight as per the new roster which starts tomorrow as we will be loosing the Ballina overnight from 11 July when QFLink pull out of that port for Jetstar.

2. There are also strong rumours that QFLink will be pulling out of Newcatle with the increased flying planned for Jetstar out of that port.

3. Sydney based crew have picked up some great Melbourne overnights in the new roster including 3 day trips Melbourne/Port Macquaire with quite long slips for a change.

4. The Cabin Crew Line Supervisor is actually the Cabin Crew Team Manager although she is still referred to within the company as the supervisor. All letters etc signed by her have her new title as I received one last week.

is that eastern or sunstate for NTL, cause I herd they might put the 400's in on certain runs.how true though. who knows.

Eastern certainly wont be using their 400's on NTL and I dont think Sunstate will be either. The 400's will be used on major routes where the 300's service more than 3-4 times a day such as CBR ex Sydney.

To QFRegional,

I obtained an explanation over the confusion over KM's title: it hasn't changed officially but will next month. I don't know why she's already using it.

Also, the Wollongong overnights will be shared in future between SYD and MEL crews (according to a very reliable source).

So no response to my letter and phone calls unanswered, before I annoy the KM again - it's now the begining of June and I have exactly 27 days before my time on active hold expires.

Eastern Boy, EEAFA, QF Regional, Brown Eyed Girl.. what are the chances?? do you have any info to share?? feel free to PM me

I am sensing an unsuccessful letter for young Chris21 just around the corner :ugh:

There is a major recruitment drive happening at the moment, with lots of interviews being held during the past week. Have heard 3 ground schools are being scheduled for very early in the new financial year. Regional progression to Qantas will also be occuring, although dates are yet to be decided therefore more crew will be required and we are currently very short staffed in Sydney.

If I was you I would call KM, she is really nice and I am sure she wouldnt mind talking to you.

As easternboy said, ground schools are planned for the new financial year. Even though we have been understaffed, management has had to wait until the new financial year to recruit.

Since you were impressive enough to be placed on a waiting list, there may be a chance that management will extend the expiry date of your application, so keep trying to reach KM (always better than leaving a message).

EAAFA

As you know we are so short staffed at the moment BUT it was confirmed today a ground school will be happening in July for a huge total of 3 people. Can you believe it, crew are being drafted, working on days off but all eastern could get approval for from Qantas was 3 whole people. Nothing ceases to amaze me with this company.

On behalf of all of the Eastern f/a-s, I'd like to say THAT SUCKS! :mad:

You said it EAAFA

Go SYD base crew think of all the IPD days you will get.

What is the feeling in the Sydney base about our Cabin Crew Manager's message "clarifying" the EBA? Everyone in Melbourne is LIVID.:mad:

Whats the pay like at Eastern out of SYdney?

EBA
 

Hey EAAFA

Are you able to tell us what exactly was clarified about the EBA, or is it confidential.... I was just interested to know....

Cheers

EAA
 

Hi Everyone,

I recently made it through the June recruitment intake in SYD and I have had my medical and submitted my background check paperwork to ID Services QCD....so now I am patiently sitting around waiting for something to happen! lol :p

Sooooo this week is the end of the current financial year; does anyone on the inside know if and when EAA are going to run a new ground school in SYD for the newbies?

What’s the latest rumors this week?



BombardierBrat :ok:

Well I was in a simmilar position to yourself bombardier brat just a little under a year ago.. waiting.. waiting.. waiting.. now nearly 12 months later still waiting.. the latest I have been told is that there is a school going through in July but they can't tell me how many or who will be in this one (new hires, or people like me who have been on that list for a lifetime) they have since extended my time on the shortlist for an unspecified period of time - so going by that I suspect that I will make the regional flying ranks by the time I am 50.

So happy waiting.. hope yours is not as painful as mine.

Chris:D

EAAFA

In a word "disgusted" but not surprised. If these are the tatics this EX FAAA President/AN Cabin Manager/Come Cabin Crew manager is going to employ well we certainly have some interesting times ahead.

The 15 point notice issued to crewing late last Friday evening was even more insightful. Drafting, requesting dispensations, single f/a operations on the 300 and the list goes on.

Sydney based flight attendants are furious thus the high sick leave rate and the we could care less attitude. If this is the type of support and leadership we are to expect well sick leave will continue to spiral out of control.

Chris21

A ground school started on Monday for a total of 3 people. According to management we are not understaffed, however crew are being drafted on a daily basis and dispensations are being requested from the FAAA, people working on days off and crew being asked to give back annual leave but oh no we are not understaffed.

easternboy

just curious.....
is there anything in the "clarification" info that's outside the boundaries of your current award contract and what is being negotiated in the next EBA?

Jupiter2,

I know your question was directed to easternboy, but I'm sure you won't mind an answer from someone else.

The "clarifications" were not entirely incorrect, but they were loopholes in our existing EBA, needless to say, loopholes which do not work in the favour of the cabin crew.

easternboy,

Thanks for the reply. I thought that might have been the case.

Thanks for the update Eastern boy – when I called KM and mentioned the 3 people in a ground school she didn’t confirm but basically told me that they will look at all people on the short list. So would be interested to know if they were recently recruited or from recruitment months and months ago. But either way how ridiculous.

So by the sounds of things Eastern is not safe from the current QF way of slashing staff moral and burning existing resources in the name of profit. I feel like all opportunities to get into the industry have been eroded and there is no point even trying to get into the anymore as there is no chance. That’s it I feel.

Chris21

Have been advised the 3 currently in ground school were recruited less than 12 months ago.

It was explained to me by a recruitment team member that each applicant that is successful and goes onto the short list is scored (same or very similar to QF). If someone who was interviewed say 6 months ago scored higher than someone did 12 months ago they will go onto the short list above that person thus the reason why recently recruited people get a start date over others and vice versa. All comes down to your score and that dictates your position on the short list.

Eastern is not a bad company to work for generally, but you cant make a career out of being a dash 8 flight attendant, but than again there are not many options available these days anyway. Its a great starting point so dont write it off as an option, just be patient but continue to follow-up with KM. She came back from holidays yesterday so she may have some new info. Just send her an e-mail.