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Thomson recruitment.

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Thomson recruitment.

Old 22nd Apr 2018, 08:21
  #781 (permalink)  
 
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I recently joined the company at the beginning of the year from FR and if there's anybody out there thinking about making the jump then I can highly recommend it! From the off, the company are trying to cut costs (who isn't?) and it remains to be seen what path they try to take. My decision was largely a lifestyle choice - I was offered command shortly before I handed my notice in but there's no way i'm moving to Romania on crap pay without any idea of when I could get home.

The flying here is great - there's nothing like flying to ALC and back and being back home by midday. I could fly with the best crew on the planet at FR but the flying was soul destroying - 4 and 6 sector days, max duty with min rest in between.

The training has been excellent. It's a VERY short OCC - 4 days GS, 4 days sim, 3 days LT - and the procs are very different to FR. We only have about a third of the callouts that FR do so the hard bit's forgetting the stuff from before!

Basing is very transparent and based on seniority. I was based far away from home initially but already have a base move confirmed 2 months after joining. You can input your bid from day one and the bid is run a couple times a year or as required.

There's the opportunity to fly in Canada and to fly different fleets and we've now got the opportunity to bid for mix fleet 737 & 787 flying (remember you'll be type frozen for the first 12 months but this can be waived for operational requirements).

Even with the 7k type deduction in year 1, I've already taken a pay rise compared to my pay as a TRI with FR. The training cost isn't great, it is what it is and I now see it as a 7k pay rise in year 2. The perks are excellent in comparison (I was a contractor with FR) and I can finally sleep well at night knowing i'm not on a tax-dodging contract, i'll get paid if I call in sick, hotels and transported are booked and paid for if I get sent away and I have a pension!

Just my opinion and experience so far, just though it may help if others are thinking of making the move. Good luck with the assessments!
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Old 22nd Apr 2018, 10:43
  #782 (permalink)  
 
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I was made redundant from Thomson back in 2010 along with others. Had that never happened, I would have still been there now and never planned to leave. Great company, or it was back then. Great crew and training top notch. I can not recommend Thomson TUI anymore than it's an ideal place to aim for. Time to command is a long long time. There is a reason for that, very few leave.
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Old 22nd Apr 2018, 16:56
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To be fair command is expected to come down to the 2014/2015 joiners for the S19 bid. Bit of expansion going on now.

Worth remembering there was a big gap in recruitment for 5 odd years, so now all the guys with 10 years seniority are getting their commands the only people left for commands now sit at the 5-4 year mark.
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Old 27th Apr 2018, 12:27
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Has the recruitment window shut? No sign on the tui recruitment search.
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Old 27th Apr 2018, 16:34
  #785 (permalink)  
 
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Originally Posted by Jack the rabbit
Has the recruitment window shut? No sign on the tui recruitment search.
Closed 6th April.
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Old 3rd May 2018, 07:57
  #786 (permalink)  
 
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Looks like TUI could be opening up for low hour pilots in the next few days. Personally, I think it will be the best opportunity available to non-ZFT pilots in the U.K. (Should they offer the contract currently on offer...)
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Old 4th May 2018, 18:49
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It's not a decision maker, but can anyone give an idea on the staff travel process at TUI? e.g. What's it like on own-brand flights?, are they any agreements with other operators e.g. ZED tickets?

Cheers
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Old 5th May 2018, 09:39
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Standby tickets are available with ourselves and all major airlines. Unfortunately, it's done by emailing a scanned copy of a form to our staff travel department who then issue you with a ticket (it used to be a paper ticket in the post up until a couple of months ago!). ID90/other electronic means of booking standby tickets is apparently coming. But it's been "coming soon" for 10+ years. I think it's now actively being looked into. After 1 year service we are given online access to BA staff travel (it's available from date of joining but via the form described above until you get online login). This can only be used to book standby tickets.

Confirmed seats AKA "late seats" are also available but are only confirmed 3 days in advance. Generally, you'd give staff travel a few destinations in order of preference and they work down the list. Nice for spontaneous last minute trips or taking the other half on a week trip to Costa Rica. Standby and late seats are very cheap.

Being a 'holiday airline' we are issued with concessions every year to be used towards a package holiday. The amount depends on years of service. I think year 1 is £500 or £750 and is capped at something like £1750 a year. Don't quote me on the numbers. These are confirmed seats/airport transfer/hotel rooms etc, can be booked well in advance and are great for taking the family away.
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Old 5th May 2018, 10:23
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Interline on BA is ID 80. Roughly speaking, when all taxes and charges are added to the final price, it works out at about a 50% discount on an equivalent firm ticket with the airline.

£1750 is the max amount of concession available and had not changed in 20(?) years. The cost of holidays in the meantime has roughly doubled. Sadly you are not able to use the maximum amount of concessions on an increasing amount of hotels in the group (platinum, small and friendly etc) so, like with a number of other things, it is a diminishing benefit.
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Old 7th May 2018, 18:21
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Evening, are there many of you still waiting for an assessment date after being offered the temporary hold pool? Cheers
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Old 8th May 2018, 01:30
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Originally Posted by donogca
Evening, are there many of you still waiting for an assessment date after being offered the temporary hold pool? Cheers

hey buddy,

holding pool as well since 9th April.

anybody else been called out of the pool ?
anyone knows how long is the waiting ?
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Old 8th May 2018, 09:04
  #792 (permalink)  
 
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Most likely movement will happen once our internal bid results are published, this will show where the recruitment is needed. I suspect this will concluded by the end of May.
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Old 8th May 2018, 17:50
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Cheers, fingers crossed!
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Old 8th May 2018, 18:34
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Applications open for military pilots, low hour CPL holders and 'no airline experience' pilots. All non type rated. Closes this Sunday.

https://tuijobsuk.co.uk/view-jobs.php?area%5B%5D=Pilots&location_alt%5B%5D=&keywords=&sea rch_source=13027&search_page=search%2Fairline-jobs%2F&results=Search
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Old 8th May 2018, 19:09
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Originally Posted by recall_checked
Applications open for military pilots, low hour CPL holders and 'no airline experience' pilots. All non type rated. Closes this Sunday.

https://tuijobsuk.co.uk/view-jobs.ph...results=Search
how this will affect people in the pool ?
does it means there will be possibility first for
the ones swimming in the holding pool and
afterwards low hours ?

anyways Best of luck to everybody applying !
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Old 8th May 2018, 20:33
  #796 (permalink)  
 
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Answer is: No idea. But official comms say approximately 100 pilots needed so plenty of space for the best people. I assume they'll probably want a mix of all the backgrounds, but who knows? (not me).
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Old 9th May 2018, 11:41
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With the permanent uk basing and temporary Nordic is there a chance you could be stuck on this for a few years? one season would be hard on my partner but not insurmountable. More than a season it would be a no go. Am I right in thinking it’s pot luck surprise if that’s what you’re offered?

I understood Tui to have a long time to command of 10 plus years but there’s mention of year 5 FOs being in line. I take it that’ll be temporary with expansion and expect the command time to return to the 10 plus year point?
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Old 9th May 2018, 22:58
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Originally Posted by clamchowder
Jack the Rabbit - RE 757/767 fleet the nordic stuff is just positioning out there to fly on long haul trips. You won't have 5 on 2 off for 6 months. 7 days away 5 days in England is a good example. Apparently if you use just over half of your leave during NOV-APR and use the chosen day off system you might only do 1 or 2 trips a month. I don't know anyone on the 787 nordic, but I don't imagine anyone will get 78 unless rated. My buddy says they are super short on 73, that's where I'd set your expectations (don't know if they have a nordic thing for 737). Good luck
Thanks Clam chowder for the info. I got the impression from the vacancy that you’ll be based in the Nordics for the period with local accommodation rather than being offered to position out for trips? It’s the having to be based out there that’s causing doubt. My main concern was whether you’d be stuck on this for a few winters.

Is the shorter time to command people mention a blip and most likely to plan on 10 plus years?
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Old 10th May 2018, 09:26
  #799 (permalink)  
 
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Nordic basing isn’t happening this winter, so you’ll be U.K. based regardless of if you’re given a dual base or not. It might be scrapped permanently if this winter goes well without using the dual base.

Command is rumoured to have come down to and including all 2014 joiners. Still awaiting bid results, however.

737 doesn’t do any Nordic work. All 73 UK bases were generally fairly easy to get into up until recently. LGW is overcrewed as it stands, but all subject to change pending the bid results.
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Old 18th May 2018, 08:32
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Rosters are crap. You will find yourself on endless bullets usually with some positioning thrown in, all planned by people who’d not be trusted with a TV remotein any sensible world.

Typical bit bit of stupidity:
Day 1 position Your Base to NCL, preferably by the most circuitous route and don’t forget to plan it during the rush hour to save 38p on allowances. Check in to cheapest hotel possible but remember to spend at least 30 mins of your already traffic reduced rest ringing the Hotac department (who will have gone home) to get them to book you in.

Day 2 operate NCL-BGI. Be prepared to tear your hair out doing all the jobs other people are paid to do as everything will have been contracted to the lowest bidder. Upside, you will have a great day out with a great crew once the doors are shut although you can expect at least one disruptive pax who is pissed up and getting arsey because they think £200 all in on the lash entitles them to an in board Presidential Suite. You can also expect some genuinely aggrieved pax who’ve booked and paid for Premium but been bumped and are now spread out all over Economy.

On arrival stand in the blazing heat in a uniform made by the lowest bidder while you wait for the transport. Amuse yourself watching VS and BA crew waltz past straight on to big buses to their decent hotel. Eventually board two cramped and smelly minibuses of unknown Chinese origin. On arrival at hotel, wait minimum 1 hour for rooms as hotel will be hot bedding despite their denials and the contract specifically stating it’s not allowed and the Hotac manager saying he’s spoken to the hotel about it.

Meet up in bar and bitch about everything. Don’t forget to slag BALPA off but then not bother emailing anyone official about it. Coordinate travel with A N Other crew who will be positioning with you tomorrow, ring Crewing to ask why the two crews are rostered 90 minutes apart even though they go on the same aircraft tomorrow and get told to go with what’s on your roster. Attempt sleep to the dulcet tones of reggae from the bar which does at least drown out the noise of the aircon that is expending so much energy making a noise it has none left to cool air.

Day 3. Ring transport to find out why it hasn’t turned up as booked by you personally just 16 hours ago. Get to airport and wait 90 minutes for the other crew who are on the same aircraft but with a different rostered departure time. Upside, you’re in the private jet terminal so rape the bar. Banter with the crew who will look a $million while you look like a sack of **** tied up with baling twine, Flight Deck Fashion, it’s for winners.

Board private aircraft raft which will hopefully be a Saab 340 and not the dreaded Wetdream Jetstream. If the latter you will be tech stopping. Upside, the local crews know us all and are top people who do the best to make the journey pleasant. Assist at least two of your crew off the aircraft at the other end as a result of the local hospitality.

Arrive in MBJ. Transport and Hotac as last night.

Day 4. Operate back to U.K., own base if lucky. Flight back is a repeat of flight out.

Day 5. Position back to base late afternoon after arriving around 0600 and getting to the hotel for a day stop.

3 days off, rinse and repeat. Other combinations are available.

LGW get better trips than MAN although IMHO MAN pax are easier going. BHX is a small base so getting in there unlikely as lots of senior guys.

Trips are rostered through Carmen with a small seniority loading. Top Tip, bid for what you DON’T want as that’s the last thing you’ll get. It’s crap.

Bring sense of humour, you’ll need it.

TUI is pretty much 100% Boeing NPs etc.

If it wasn’t for some great people to work with once you’re free of The Landside Idiots I’d have shot myself long ago. They make life good but if you’re expecting any kind of support or respect from beyond the crew level, you’ve made a mistake. Upside, my Pilot Manager has been brilliant with a number of pastoral care needs I’ve had which is probably why they’ve not been promoted.

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