Air Japan (AJX) B767

[serenitynow]

Divine Wind,

Since you are in the "know". How come JPX/JPV are still interviewing? Just got my interview packet yesterday.

Serenitynow

[Fratemate]

Since we're "keeping it real" (whatever that stupid expression means), here's some balance to the doom and gloom brigade.

All Nippon Airways says it is forecasting a possible JPY3 billion profit for the current financial year, despite the airline recently reporting a JPY29.2 billion loss for the first quarter ending June.

Remaining positive, Shinichiro Ito ANA President said to Bloomberg News that he is seeing a rebound in sales, and predicts that full financial year ending March 2010 will report a profit. If this happens, it will be a big turnaround for the airline which saw a JPY4.3 billion loss this financial year passed.

“Economy-class demand is back to year-ago levels but demand for business trips is still lower,” said Mr Ito to Bloomberg News.

“We still have time and aim to make our profit target through sales alone.”

Recently ANA along with Japan Airlines, brought back fuel surcharges on international flights from the 1st of October this year. ANA has said that its fuel surcharges will sit at JPY7,000 for long-haul destinations including Europe, mainland North America and the Middle East.

Contrary to ANA JAL is predicting that this financial year will see it lose JPY63 billion come March end 2010

[crj705]

You have one or two guys who are sitting around waiting for AJX and AJV to fail to prove a point. Whatever their reason, they do nothing but post doom and gloom, post the bad news while ignoring anything that could have the slightest hint of positive news for any Japanese company that has gaijin pilots.

AJX is still interviewing and hiring. Will it continue? Who knows. Rumors are that it will slow but it has more to do with the 787 delay than with us being the gaijin pilots that are about to be shown the door. Pretty much everyone that actually works here and has an idea about the operation and plan for the company feels that things are ok for the moment. As for the future, it's an airline so who really knows.

It really gets old hearing over and over again from some posters on here that we are the gaijin and will be shown the door before any of the Japanese pilots. No s@*t sherlock. We all know that and are not idiots and don't need to keep hearing it over and over.

It is really pretty sad.

[thepounder]

You dont want to fly for ANA because they fly 767's? That is BS. You would fly a 152 for 10K a month. It's not what you fly, but how much you get paid to do it and how much time off you get.

[crj705]

Denial? Show me once where I have said that we are perfectly safe? In fact, if you actually go read my post again, you will find that I say over and over that no one knows what the future holds. You will also find that I have said over and over that everyone here understands that we are contract pilots. You will also find that I have said over and over that we also understand that our jobs are the first to go.

What gets old is the fact that you and storpikk seem to feel the need to come on here and keep reminding us and implying that we are all idiots. What do you want us to do? This is a really good job that is here today and will probably be here tomorrow. Should we quit and go somewhere else because it might not be here next month? The fact is, your guess is not better than my guess. But you both keep coming on here trying to scare guys from coming here. Why is that? And don't keep giving us this BS about trying to warn us.

The fact is that neither one of you work here. No matter how good you think your information is, you are outside looking in with an exceptionally strong bias. Dare I say that everyone that works here, seems to think that things are ok for now. Will it change? Probably... Show me and airline job anywhere that is safe and secure... (Is that still being in denial????)

Don't want to come here because of the 767.........just keeps adding to your credibility.

[meguro]

Will anyone take a $1,000.00 bet that I will still be here I five years. I would love to take a grand off one the bed wetting sooks that are all doom and gloom.

[crj705]

No. The definition of "doom and gloom" are people who don't work here and have absolutely no interest in AJX posting old articles and their own uninformed commentary trying to scare people away from coming to work here while continuing to ignore any good news and dismissing anyone who offers any opinion that could be construed as positive as being in denial.

Denial???? Please I ask you again to find a post where I have stated "it can't or won't happen to us."

Really, why are you so hard core about AJX failing?

[The Yank]

Crj... I think it might be a case of sour grapes!!

Seems to me D wind might have been in the AJX/AJV NO pile. Could be wrong... but a month ago you were looking for info about the interview/company

I have been interviewed by a few companies over the years, some jobs that I have gotten, and others that I have not. Difference is I don't go around bad mouthing the ones that said no to me.


Just because it happened in JAL...

[meguro]

So are you up for the grand or not?

[crj705]

You are free to post your opinions and I am free to offer my rebuttal. You too also need to accept the fact that people may have opinions other than your own and just leave it at that. And to top it off with a threat does not do much to strengthen your position.

People do need to make informed decisions before they come here. It is a contract job which by definition is temporary. Does the economy suck in Japan now? Yes. But, they did show a growth for the last quarter and most signs point to a gradual improvement. ANA continues to seem committed to growth opportunities at NRT and HND and continue to plan for AJX to be part of them. Will it change? I will continue to say what I have been saying.... No one really knows.

For me and a lot of other guys here, this is an outstanding job. Would I come here again if it all ended tomorrow. You bet. The reason I come on here to point out the positive news that tends to be left out is because I would hate for someone to pass up on a great opportunity because of some very negative spin posted on here without the other side of the story.

Please remove your shoes before stepping all over me.

[crj705]

Indeed I did as it seemed to apply as much to you as it did to me.

[The Yank]

D wind,

I find it hard to see what your continued motivation about this topic is?? I also find it strange that you have now removed your posts asking questions about the AJX/AJV policy about upgrading from the RHS and other questions/posts that I am sure you could have asked your friends in the company instead of asking the questions on a public forum. (But those posts are gone now... guess it did not support your argument)

I do not work for either company, but I would like to. I have been a contractor before with 2 other Airlines and am fully aware of the consequences of joining as a contractor. However, I have also been an employee as well, but at the end of the day when a downturn came it did not save our jobs just because we happened to be employees and not contractors.

If you have not applied, and turned down, or currently work for ANA or companies within the group, what is your current interest in it? From other posts that you have made I can only presume you have been turned down by AJX/AJV or burned by JAL ‘cause you seem to be carrying a big chip on your shoulder especially when it comes to contractors and expats both in Japan and other Countries.

Thanks again for telling us about how horrible the worlds economy is and how another company is doing what it can to cut costs. The rest of us never open a newspaper, or keep up with current events in our own industry. Please keep us up to date, but I am just curious as to your agenda. And it seems like I’m not the only one.

Good luck to you dude! With all that negativity you are going to need it.

[The Yank]

D. Wind
I have read your post, and found them to be very negative. I never said that you were attacking just that you must have either an ax to grind or an agenda. You have posted here and on other parts of this forum and it seems to me that when it no longer supports your current aim you delete it.

So I am questioning your motives. Posting to disseminate information is one thing. Posting for your your own gains and agenda is another (what ever they might be).

Please don't get me wrong. I really do not want to contribute to slagging match, we all have our own opinions. But your motive just seems to be a bit suspect.

[crj705]

4PW's,
I wish you success in the process.

[HandoverRichard]

bitter, sad, yelping puppies

The great thing about this thread is that it is one of only two or three company-specific threads where the employees unanimously defend their company. I think that says a lot. I follow this thread because (of course) I have my application in and it is a very pleasant thread to follow, where everyone is just trying to get on with what pprune is intended for (but rarely is) ie a source of sharing knowledge, tainted only by the unwelcomed, annoying, depraved ramblings that spit from the poisoned minds of two very embittered individuals. We all know there are many, many miserable pilots out there, and probably most pilots are less happy than those under AJV/AJX, and it seems two of them who are especially miserable and jealous are:

Storpikk and Devine Wind:

(with your clever use of and ) this is not the forum for your feeble grieveances. Don't you see you are getting nowhere with any of us here? No one here cares about you or your problems.

To crj705, poundernow, serenity etc: why stoop into these idiots' gutter? You have no need to defend yourselves to these fools. Why waste your time? It's like yelling at a goldfish. Whatever their problem is; whether they are justifying failing an ANA interview or have serious problems in their personal lives (or, probably, both), leave them be. Ignore the fools and they will go away and scream at a wall.

To the 'pitiful pair' who say they "mean no one harm" and then use terms like "hammer may hit your ass" and even threaten: "You step on me, and I will step all over you...That is a Promise": I'll keep this clean as it is a professional forum, but I think we all know the strong language I am really implying when I tell you to "go away", and it hurts you, because you know that everyone else reading this thread is nodding their heads and laughing at you now.

So you're not going to take the $1000 challenge so we can all see you put your money where your toxic little yelping mouths are?

You're not welcome here. Now be gone. No one's interested.

Handover.

[Fratemate]

I have several friends working for AJX/AJV, and JCAB.

(a)With your spiteful attitude I would question your claim to have any friends.
(b)Who on Earth would claim to have friends in JCAB. Now we know what sort of bovine excrement artist you are. Is it meant to impress us terribly that you claim to know people in JCAB (here's a clue: it doesn't).

You step on me, and I will step all over you...That is a Promise

I would REALLY love to see you attempting that

just posting some facts and stating my opinion

Facts you say! As far as I am aware, AJV does not have a 'pool'. They screen people and then offer them a position once they've jumped (successfully) through the hoops. I was speaking to one of our managers this past week and he had just returned from conducting interviews. The latest information I have (but it's ony from the horses mouth and Wind's information is obvioulsy a lot more accurate ) is that we are still planning on running a class of 4 every other month for the forseeable future. Those are facts, not some rumours from alleged friends in the Company.

As for stating your opinion; you have. Now f**k off and annoy some else from your Walter Mitty world.



CRJ/Dominican,

I was asked about this supposed 'pool' in a PM. Do you know if AJX have one?

[crj705]

I think it all depends on what your definition of a pool is.

Most companies that I know of, once you pass everything, you are pretty much guaranteed a job and put into a pool to await your class date. I don't think that is how it works here. Passing everything here does not guarantee that you are selected.

That being said, I don't believe that AJX has a pool in the traditional sense of the word.

[Storpikk]

Japanese

Unfortunately allot of westerners do not understand Japanese and how this country works. First of all, they really do not want you in their cockpits at all. They want to sit there and speak Japanese and hang out with thir own kind, and definately don`t speak english.
You are hired as a "gaijin" contract employees, only to fill the void....a machine operator that will be sent home once there is no more need. The economy now is in a really bad shape. Japan is running a unemployment in excess of 5%, the highest since after the war.
The fact that they are still interviewing means nothing, remember JAL trained 400 crews, spent millions of dollars to train them, just to have them fired and sent home loosing their investment.

Applying western common sense is meaningless here in Japan, because the old Japanese dudes, smoking sigarettes.....wearing those sweaty brown and grey suits, operate on a whole different level of common sense. They will snip your b.lls of in a heartbeat., light up a sigarette and feel no shame.

I suggest go down to your regular gaijn "waterholes" in Shinagawa, you know the safe zone...TGI or Outback where you can feel you are still in the states. And put your tinfoil hats on and hope for the best.

Cheers!....over some Bud Light.

[crj705]

And here we have it again. We just are not smart enough to get it.

There is no doubt that the Japanese run their companies differently that in the west. We all understand that. But, do you really think that western managers would hesitate to let pilots go (or snip our balls off) should the need arise? How many pilots have been let go in the US compared to those in Japan? In that sense, we are all just machine operators that are filling a void until we are no longer needed. I don't see much difference there between Western and Japanese managers.

What this all boils down to is job security. You come here and you are signed to a 5 year contract. That contract may or may not be renewed. Let's look at my job prospects for the next 5 years if I were to leave here and go to the US. Well, to start off with, no one is hiring. Even if they were, i will be stuck in the right seat at crap wages God knows how long.

Compare that with AJX / AJV who are still hiring. Not only are they hiring, they are also upgrading. Where else in the world can you go and have a shot at the left seat of a wide body aircraft in 3 years time, even in good times? Not only that, FO pay here is probably the same, if not more than what most Captains make in the US. If for some reason my contract is cancelled early, I am entitled to 12 months of pay. (PARC....I think CREW is different) That is a pretty good cushion.

As far as us being treated poorly.... I don't know how it was at JAL, but here at ANA, I have been treated better that I could have ever dreamed of in the US. I know they don't want us here. I knew that coming, and I accepted it. But it does not show in the way we are treated.

Some examples: In training, they were nice enough to ask us if it would make the training experience easier if we were moved out of the hotel into furnished apartments. Most of us said yes, and shortly thereafter, we were all moved into very very nice furnished apartments in Shinagawa.

Another example. I have been given 2 pay raises since I have been here. None of which have been included in an amended contract, which means they could be taken away at any moment. With the times being so bad, have they taken them away? Nope.

Another. The scheduler here bends over backwards to accommodate special requests. I have gotten every day off that I have every asked for and made my commute home the same day i finish work every time. I have also had things come up at the last minute that required me to leave and go home. The company gave me not one ounce of grief and only told me to let them know when I was ready to come back.

Does this place have things that can be improved on? Sure. What company doesn't?

Given ANA's future growth plans, their number of retirements compared to their annual intake of local pilots, and given that the economy in Japan is turning around, in my opinion, if you were to come to AJX or AJV, your job security is as good if not better than what you would have at any company in the US. (and i assume probably most other parts of the world too). In addition, you will be treated better here than any company in the US treats their employees. I will state again however, everything is subject to change. That is the same for a Japanese airline or a Western one.

Some of us have gone to great lengths to try to learn about the Japanese while we are here. As I have said before, we are not a bunch of uneducated idiots living in oblivion.

[gtseraf]

POOL

Hi Guys.

As far as the pool goes, we have a (swimming) pool but due the fact that summer officially ended on 31 August, it is now closed.

Maybe that's what he heard and "misundestood" the situation.

Handover, you took the messgae out of my mouth but expressed it WAAAAY better than I ever could have.

For info, AJX office management last week confirmed that there were plans still for 4 intakes until March next year. After that, the intention is to continue intakes but the decision still has to be approved.

Now, let me go and bury my head back in the sand!!!