TCA with OAT
 

I've been invited to the assessment day with OAT for the TCA scheme next month. Should I be delighted? Is everyone invited, or have I overcome a hurdle?

Anyone else invited?

:ok:

If I wasyou i would be delighted!

Read the following threads:

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthr...ht=Thomas+cook

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthr...hreadid=184244

Good luck.

Does it matter? Who cares? You have an interview with a major airline who fly big jets so get on with it and stop moaning.

TurboJ - unfortunately it is not quite so clear cut (otherwise it would be as obvious as you state). :p

Stage 2 is not an airline interview but aptitude testing with the FTO prior to short-listing for airline interview, and I suppose Eddy wants to know if he has indeed achieved something by reaching stage 2 (which he has :D) or whether everyone who applied gets that far (which they don't).

Choice
 

Hey guys, just to ask a quick question i have also been asked to the next stage of the thomas cook scheme, though i have also applied for the BA City Flyer scheme.

Only problem is the dates are the same, 16th and 17th of July.

Can i please ask which of the two if im lucky with BA would you guys chose, cheers.

Wow! TurboJ, thanks for that delightfully informative and civil post. You truly are a man of words.

I wasn't moaning - merely doing what hollingworthp observed - checking whether Stage 2 actually meant I'd passed an initial selection process. Seems I have. I am, as a result, not only stunned but delighted beyond belief.

It's a sorry time when one cannot ask a simple and innocent question without being treated to such a diatribe - particularly on a forum where, surely, we all have the same goal!?

If I ever fly with you in the confines of a flight deck, I'll be sure to consume the most noxious curry the evening before. That'll be a treat for you.

Ok - Eddy - So I was to the point - Sorry if I upset you :{

However, what do you want - a public pat on the back for getting through Stage 2 ? Well done, you have done REALLY well to get this far;

If your ambition is to get a RHS job with Thomas Cook be in no doubt you have got a long way to go yet, and likely to meet people who will upset you far worse.

But all the best and let me know when you have the curry and I'll join you to pat you on the back for all the hard work you will have done !! :D

Mr H - thanks for the info....

Mr Turner, TCA... no contest really! Much more established and the money is better!

TurboJ, you didn't upset me - just amazed me that one could offer such a sarcastic and unhelpful response to what was an honest and innocent question. I've got thick skin - not least because of my love for pies - so please don't fret. Upset me you did not.

I don't want a public pat on the back. I was just asking whether Stage Two was something that people are selected to attend or whether it was something that all applicants were invited to. I have my answer.

Mr_Turner,

As far as problems go, your situation is quite a nice problem to have!

I will be at OAT for TCA stage 2 also; maybe see you there.

Good luck whichever one you choose :)

Peter O'C

Umm, the phrase " Sour Grapes " springs to mind.. Glad you got your answer Eddy.

Thanks, Marvo! More like you wouldn't go a miss!

Eddy - Its not sour grapes - just being a devils advocate - very happy in my current RHS - I wish you all the best - you will enjoy OAT

Eddy, well done! You should be very pleased indeed...
I was too young to apply for this particular selection but hopefully next time!

Can anyone inform me with aid of a link to the BA city flyer scheme? Not signing up just interested to read,

Cheers

Ctc v TCA V FTE
 

How do the following 3 schemes compare:
CTC / TCA with OAT / FTE

i.e. which one is considered to be the best. In a nut shell, can some one please explain the pros and cons of all 3.

Much appreciated:ok:

Tommy C
Link to BA Cityflyer scheme is no longer there, as it is now closed for applications, but you may find the bottom two links of interest.

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=280314

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=256109

honkster, the best is the one u actually get accepted onto, I don't think anyone can be picky about it :}

Blinkz, I have been offered a placement with 2 out of the 3, but still considering going for the OAT TCA scheme in 2 weeks as I THINK (in my humble opinion) that is the best scheme. I am however not as knowledgeable as I really should be with all of the schemes, hence my original question.

So can someone please enlighten me of what they believe to be the pros and cons of all 3 schemes (i.e. FTE / CTC / OAT TCA).

If given the choice, which scheme would you all go for?

For someone in their 20s and single, first choice might be OAT NetJets. I know you didn't ask about this one, but others may be interested in how people will rank it. It's the best pay of the lot (I have been told gross pay is almost £50K and net pay is over £40K in year one), NetJets funds the Type Rating and a £60K loan can be repaid in six years due to the tax relief and you can still live comfortably on the rest. If you are married and/or have kids, the six on five off roster pattern may not suit you. This job seems the least likely to get boring or monotonous, but if you don't thrive on chaos or can't be flexible, maybe scheduled airlines are best for you. The idea of flying such high performance jets and the mix of IFR and VFR destinations seems like it would be both challenging and fun. I also think NetJets is the least likely to suffer in an economic downturn and the most likely to win new business if there is another massive terrorist attack, resulting in better job security.

Next for me would be Thomas Cook through OAT. The pay is not as good as NetJets, but still good and you can pay off a £60K loan in seven years due to the tax relief. TCA funds the type rating and it's on a 757. 10 Years to command indicates a stable workforce with very few voting with their feet. They also made the list of top 20 companies to work for in the UK a few years ago.

Next would be CTC. I put it lower than the OAT offerings because it locks you into the airline for quite a few years, while the OAT one's don't. You could leave NetJets or TCA after a year or two with no bond and all you would lose is the tax relief. The upside to CTC is you can get an unsecured loan. If you can't swing the OAT programmes due to not having loan security, then move CTC to the top of the list. The pay resulting from CTC is much lower than the OAT offerings, so if you can fund OAT, it's the better way to go.

I would put the FTE programme last. This is based on my understanding being that all the airline helps with is the MCC/JOC. If they fund the Type Rating too, then I'd probably have to rank it about even with CTC unless there is a bond. I don't know as much about this one, so maybe others will provide info that could move it up the list for you.

My ranking is based on having security plus some cash available. Others will see it differently based on their financial circumstances.