Spring airline
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Join Date: Nov 2005
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Spring airline
Does anyone have info on the Spring airline, working conditions and treatment. Do they pay the bonuses that they advertise to pay during the courese of the contract?
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: CA, USA
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I almost had a job at Spring Airline. Here's the long version:
I am a flight instructor at an American school that taught several classes of Spring Airline cadets. I was lucky enough to be sent to China to supposedly "hand pick" the best students for my school. The students were average as far as Chinese students go and I gave my recommendation to my company and Spring Air officials. Spring Air then told me that they were going to send all of them anyway because they were all qualified as far as Spring Airlines was concerned. My company of course agreed with them and sponsored them all for visas. When several of them failed out for poor English or lack of aptitude, Spring officials said that I approved all of them.
Before I left China I told Spring HR people that I would be very interested in working for them. They told me that they would be very happy to have me. They presented me with two contracts, one in Chinese and the other in English. I was told that they are the same but if for any reason there were any differences, the Chinese one would take precedence. Before signing I had a good friend read them. They were VERY different. The both said that Spring would pay for my A320 type and that I would reimburse them during my 5 year contract. The English one simply said reimburse, the Chinese one said for $60,000. I brought this to the attention of the HR department manager and she said that is what they pay China Eastern Airlines for the use of their A-320 sim. Little did she know, my friend that looked over the contracts for me is a China Eastern employee. My friend contacted the training center and it turns out that China Eastern charged about $10,000 for each person in the sim. I then contacte the Spring Air HR manager and told her of my findings and pointed out the $50,000 discrepancy. She became enraged and told me that there was no longer an offer for me at the airline. It was back to banging around the pattern with students for me.
I have told this story to many of the studets and they all told me that the Spring Air recruiter all requested money from their families to get chosen and they have all said that Spring Air is nothing more than a giant corruption machine. They have all agreed that the $50,000 that I paid extra would have gone directly into the HR managers pocket.
I can tell you several more stories if you wish. I sometimes regret not going because I already owe much more than $50,000 for my student loans. I mean come on, what's another $50,000 right?
I am a flight instructor at an American school that taught several classes of Spring Airline cadets. I was lucky enough to be sent to China to supposedly "hand pick" the best students for my school. The students were average as far as Chinese students go and I gave my recommendation to my company and Spring Air officials. Spring Air then told me that they were going to send all of them anyway because they were all qualified as far as Spring Airlines was concerned. My company of course agreed with them and sponsored them all for visas. When several of them failed out for poor English or lack of aptitude, Spring officials said that I approved all of them.
Before I left China I told Spring HR people that I would be very interested in working for them. They told me that they would be very happy to have me. They presented me with two contracts, one in Chinese and the other in English. I was told that they are the same but if for any reason there were any differences, the Chinese one would take precedence. Before signing I had a good friend read them. They were VERY different. The both said that Spring would pay for my A320 type and that I would reimburse them during my 5 year contract. The English one simply said reimburse, the Chinese one said for $60,000. I brought this to the attention of the HR department manager and she said that is what they pay China Eastern Airlines for the use of their A-320 sim. Little did she know, my friend that looked over the contracts for me is a China Eastern employee. My friend contacted the training center and it turns out that China Eastern charged about $10,000 for each person in the sim. I then contacte the Spring Air HR manager and told her of my findings and pointed out the $50,000 discrepancy. She became enraged and told me that there was no longer an offer for me at the airline. It was back to banging around the pattern with students for me.
I have told this story to many of the studets and they all told me that the Spring Air recruiter all requested money from their families to get chosen and they have all said that Spring Air is nothing more than a giant corruption machine. They have all agreed that the $50,000 that I paid extra would have gone directly into the HR managers pocket.
I can tell you several more stories if you wish. I sometimes regret not going because I already owe much more than $50,000 for my student loans. I mean come on, what's another $50,000 right?
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Saigon
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There have been 4 expats working at Deer/Capitol for 1.5 to 2 years now. I have talked with a couple and they are happy there. I have been here for over 4 months. While working for them might be good, I have to give you the current info on hiring expats, and it is not pretty.
I don't know how many have interviewed this year. I assume the pass/fail is similar to other chinese airlines, which is a very high failure rate (much higher than 50%). Capitol adds another twist to this.
When you pass the screening, you then submit all their required documents for their review. They are "reviewed" and you are offered a job. You quit your current job, and come here to work. Unfortunately your documents were "reviewed" by a 23 year old straight off a farm, with little or no experience in aviation. He has no idea what is valid or good enough for the CAAC.
So far this year, to the best of my knowledge, this is the breakdown of pilots showing up for work at Capitol (they wanted 50 Captains this year).
Showed up for work 11
Currently on line 2
Sent home jobless 3
Waiting to fly 6 (4 months, 3 months, 1.5 mo)
More pilots have been sent home this year, AFTER coming here for a job, than were put on line. I am one of 2 that have been here 4 months. We did our screening 6 months ago. They forgot about it and panicked when they realized we needed a PC. We were just given a no-notice PC, no study materials, 1 sim session only (no 2 sim session, as a normal PC). Luckily the powers-that-be still want us around, so we passed. It could have just as easily went the other way.
In all my dealings with Capitol they have been very polite and respectful with me. But, we came here for a job that pays 14k per month plus bonuses, and we are still getting 11k because we have not flown, and are now in our 5th month. Both of us are non current in the aircraft now (>6 months). Neither of us are scheduled to fly for the next week.
I really would avoid Capitol at the moment. Maybe in the near future they will learn how to hire pilots, but they don't appear to be able to do it at the moment. That lack of ability has cost 3 pilots their prior jobs.
I will write more, when I know more.
I don't know how many have interviewed this year. I assume the pass/fail is similar to other chinese airlines, which is a very high failure rate (much higher than 50%). Capitol adds another twist to this.
When you pass the screening, you then submit all their required documents for their review. They are "reviewed" and you are offered a job. You quit your current job, and come here to work. Unfortunately your documents were "reviewed" by a 23 year old straight off a farm, with little or no experience in aviation. He has no idea what is valid or good enough for the CAAC.
So far this year, to the best of my knowledge, this is the breakdown of pilots showing up for work at Capitol (they wanted 50 Captains this year).
Showed up for work 11
Currently on line 2
Sent home jobless 3
Waiting to fly 6 (4 months, 3 months, 1.5 mo)
More pilots have been sent home this year, AFTER coming here for a job, than were put on line. I am one of 2 that have been here 4 months. We did our screening 6 months ago. They forgot about it and panicked when they realized we needed a PC. We were just given a no-notice PC, no study materials, 1 sim session only (no 2 sim session, as a normal PC). Luckily the powers-that-be still want us around, so we passed. It could have just as easily went the other way.
In all my dealings with Capitol they have been very polite and respectful with me. But, we came here for a job that pays 14k per month plus bonuses, and we are still getting 11k because we have not flown, and are now in our 5th month. Both of us are non current in the aircraft now (>6 months). Neither of us are scheduled to fly for the next week.
I really would avoid Capitol at the moment. Maybe in the near future they will learn how to hire pilots, but they don't appear to be able to do it at the moment. That lack of ability has cost 3 pilots their prior jobs.
I will write more, when I know more.
maybe its time for you to get a spring pocket.
Join Date: May 2010
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PROBEUSMC
Thank you for this information. I screened for Capital in May this year, spent 5 months getting paperwork sorted out. I have been told the airline recieved the Approval letter from CAAC and I am now waiting for a start date from the airline. Did you guys who are in limbo have this CAAC approval letter also before you went to start training? Or is it that the waiting I have done here at home is the same waiting you are doing in China? ie CAAC approval?
I heard the guys sent home were for Airport security ID issues with their home countries authorities not cooperating with Chinese authorities.
Could you please outline what training you have done during your time there to date? Feel free to PM me with any other info you care to share.
My sympathies are with you sitting it out in that hotel....hopefully it will be sorted soon
Thank you for this information. I screened for Capital in May this year, spent 5 months getting paperwork sorted out. I have been told the airline recieved the Approval letter from CAAC and I am now waiting for a start date from the airline. Did you guys who are in limbo have this CAAC approval letter also before you went to start training? Or is it that the waiting I have done here at home is the same waiting you are doing in China? ie CAAC approval?
I heard the guys sent home were for Airport security ID issues with their home countries authorities not cooperating with Chinese authorities.
Could you please outline what training you have done during your time there to date? Feel free to PM me with any other info you care to share.
My sympathies are with you sitting it out in that hotel....hopefully it will be sorted soon
Join Date: Dec 2009
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I am not sure what a CAAC approval letter is. We were told something like that before we came, but some of my paperwork was not accepted after I got here. I don't think anybody approved it but the aforementioned 23 year old farmer. I watched them several times go thru my paperwork, and they were trying to figure it all out. They had no clue. It is a long story, too long to write about. 2 of us have everything to fly, and have for 5 weeks. But they still haven't flown us and now we are both beyond 6 months without flying. We really don't know what is going on, as we are just "expat pilot units", and they won't air their dirty laundry around us.
I do know 1 pilot had a issue like you said with his background check. I only have a little info, but keep in mind, he had sent all his paperwork in for approval, they approved it, and offered him a job. I don't know him personally but I assume he gave up a job to come here. Most of us did (not me). There are 2 others, one just last week or the week before. He has been here 3 months. I only know rumors so I won't go into details. I do know they were "approved" and came here thinking they had a job.
I can't recommend coming here at this time. I wish I knew more about the other airlines including Spring. Spring is too new and there is little info. For me, and the others here, Capitol applied for and now "owns" our Chinese license. I believe for us, we would have to pay to change airlines. As long as they don't have your license, I think you can switch.
As far as paperwork there is one glitch for you. Your no-criminal record letter (embassy authenticated) only has a validity for 6 months. Not 6 months from when you get here, but 6 months from when they apply for your crew ID, which might take a month or two. Mine almost expired.
We are flying "next week". We have heard that for over 3 months.
I do know 1 pilot had a issue like you said with his background check. I only have a little info, but keep in mind, he had sent all his paperwork in for approval, they approved it, and offered him a job. I don't know him personally but I assume he gave up a job to come here. Most of us did (not me). There are 2 others, one just last week or the week before. He has been here 3 months. I only know rumors so I won't go into details. I do know they were "approved" and came here thinking they had a job.
I can't recommend coming here at this time. I wish I knew more about the other airlines including Spring. Spring is too new and there is little info. For me, and the others here, Capitol applied for and now "owns" our Chinese license. I believe for us, we would have to pay to change airlines. As long as they don't have your license, I think you can switch.
As far as paperwork there is one glitch for you. Your no-criminal record letter (embassy authenticated) only has a validity for 6 months. Not 6 months from when you get here, but 6 months from when they apply for your crew ID, which might take a month or two. Mine almost expired.
We are flying "next week". We have heard that for over 3 months.
