Wizzair

[Mshamba]

Originally Posted by the flu

Brilliant Barry One year in the company - after my first year I was fine as well, belive me- you will feel it in your bones in a couple of years...
if calling you every day during your holidays, often happens at 4 o clock in the morning is fine for anybody (even if you will tell them “politely” to stop doing that) is not a constant pressure model, then what is? During my holodays I had to block the OCC numbers not to be interrupt by them all the time- and even that didnt stop them- they are using different numbers :P
Barry- give yourself time and gain experience in this ULCC model airline then start to make any statements... and yes in over a year a lot has changed- but its opposite your way of thinking- a lot of things are worse than before, thats why I left...

Working for Wizz and NEVER experienced something like that you mentioned. But i had this (and even worse) in my previous company, so i definitely know that feeling :/ Constant roster changes, even sometimes in one hour before checkin. Now at Wizz - if there is a roster change, they called me well in advance, or even ask me if i am willing to accept a change. First time i received a call from Wizz OCC asking me to accept a schedule change, i thought it's hidden camera. Asking me??? Never had that before. Flying on OFF? Sometimes i do receive a polite SMS if i am willing to do a flight. Ignore it, or if you are bored on your base, accept it. No pressure at all. In my previous company: if you had to fly on OFF day, you had to fly. "You have crew schedule changes". That's it. They took away all off days as they needed you. Here at Wizz i NEVER had that, and i don't know a single collegue where it was ever happening like that.

All those complaints - i get them. But believe me one thing: There are airlines out there where it is way worse than that. The "complaining Wizzpilots" think mostly the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. Compared to other companies i experienced and get feedback from - it isn't. And i have to admit that things might have changed recently to our advantage. It might not have been like that in the past. But definitely this one year i am in, no complaints at all.

But for sure, that all depends where you are in your career. New FO? Might be treated not like an experienced captain. And base issues. For sure there are bases with stable ops, and some without. I enjoy a stable base and have nothing to complain.

[Mshamba]

Originally Posted by Daddy Fantastic

Is Wizz Air still short of captains? I heard they lost a lot of their own people and seem to be hiring across the board. Whats the hiring situation looking like there at the moment?

I think we need all where we can get a hand on. Fastest growth in industry (europe). Huge demand. Every week 1-2 assessments going on with 10-20 people attending.

[Daddy Fantastic]

Originally Posted by Mshamba

I think we need all where we can get a hand on. Fastest growth in industry (europe). Huge demand. Every week 1-2 assessments going on with 10-20 people attending.

I heard they needed quite a few CA and FO. Just wanted to confirm. What bases can new hires expect to get or is it just assigned according to company need Some?

Where is the type rating training done these days and what hotel do they put you up in?

DF

[the flu]

Each single base has its props and cons, I have been travelling through the network and it looks like different base is sometimes like different airline...

[schweizer2]

Originally Posted by Daddy Fantastic

I heard they needed quite a few CA and FO. Just wanted to confirm. What bases can new hires expect to get or is it just assigned according to company need Some?

Where is the type rating training done these days and what hotel do they put you up in?

DF

You will get sent to where they can secure sim time for the TR, be it Toulouse or elsewhere.
Hotel will be the cheapest deal they get provided there is a bed and toilet.

[Daddy Fantastic]

Originally Posted by schweizer2

You will get sent to where they can secure sim time for the TR, be it Toulouse or elsewhere.
Hotel will be the cheapest deal they get provided there is a bed and toilet.

Hopefully there is a decent standard on the hotels which are conducive to studying. Where do the majority of people end up doing theirTR?

I get they will go to wherever there is a sim but they must have a regular place they use a lot.

[dirk85]

In Toulouse for the initial type rating the crews usually stay in the At Home Appart'Hotel, for five weeks. That would not be considered acceptable by any other respectable airline that I know. Most of the people do their training there in the Airbus Training Center.

[RexBanner]

Seconded Dirk, I spent five weeks there during the summer of 13. The place is an absolute hovel and has a fold down bed FFS. Was particularly galling when we met up with the Qatar crew who were all living it up in the Pullman.

[schweizer2]

Originally Posted by RexBanner

Seconded Dirk, I spent five weeks there during the summer of 13. The place is an absolute hovel and has a fold down bed FFS. Was particularly galling when we met up with the Qatar crew who were all living it up in the Pullman.

Done my 5 weeks there as well. As cheap as it can come I reckon.
Not only do you spend 5 weeks in a "fold down bed" room but you also have the pleasure of being the first pickup in the morning and drive round town for an hour picking up everyone staying at the nice hotels.

[Daddy Fantastic]

Hotels

Originally Posted by schweizer2

Done my 5 weeks there as well. As cheap as it can come I reckon.
Not only do you spend 5 weeks in a "fold down bed" room but you also have the pleasure of being the first pickup in the morning and drive round town for an hour picking up everyone staying at the nice hotels.

I wonder if they would let you use the money they spend on a hotel to use on a better hotel and you just pay the difference as i personally would refuse to stay in one of those ****hole hotels. I would rather pay half and get a nice place. Would cost you maybe 1500 euro for your half and you could be in a 4 star hotel.

[schweizer2]

Originally Posted by Daddy Fantastic

I wonder if they would let you use the money they spend on a hotel to use on a better hotel and you just pay the difference as i personally would refuse to stay in one of those ****hole hotels. I would rather pay half and get a nice place. Would cost you maybe 1500 euro for your half and you could be in a 4 star hotel.

The answer will be NO.

But you can pay extra yourself to upgrade your room.

[Klimax]

Originally Posted by schweizer2

The answer will be NO.

But you can pay extra yourself to upgrade your room.

is there a quick way to get a contract with this circus airline. I want to be the clown!

[OKLpilot]

I cannot agree. I am a cadet after TR in Budapest and had very good quality hotel just next to the airport. I know many people undergoing TR in differrent ATOs that Wizz is sending to, and none of them were complaining about hotel. There was a case when some students recieved medium quality hotel during TR in Sofia, so they wrote complain to person responsible for accomodation and she booked 5 star hotel for them for the rest of the training. Durining line training in Warsaw there is high chance you will get accomodation in Marriott Hotel just next to the airport. Also they don't save money on flight tickets, and whatever your departure airport is, they are going to book you flight with any airline so that you can comfortably get to Budapest or any TR destination.

[dirk85]

There is nothing to agree or not agree. They used and still use the hotel I mentioned previously, and anybody can verify if it is up to standard or not. I stayed there 5 weeks and I can confirm it was absolutely not acceptable.

in Bud it was slightly better, but also luck of the draw, back in my days it was either a 3, 4 or 5 (let’s say 4,5 stars) hotel. The Ibis was pretty bad, the others were ok.
in Luton we layovered for years in the Ibis next to the airport. Borderline acceptable, with a bit of imagination. Also the holiday inn express or the hampton were used, but in our base it was just the Ibis (3 stars).

Don’t let me start on positioning, the honeymoon will be over soon for you too.
For the recurrent trainings and sims we had a cheap direct flight with another company from our base to the training location (it was 50 eur when I checked), but instead we found ourselves flying Wizz to an airport 150 km away, and then second class train ticket (occasionally with a change as well).

I worked quite some time there, like many other people here, so maybe you can assume we know what we are talking about.

[Daddy Fantastic]

Wizz hotels

Originally Posted by dirk85

There is nothing to agree or not agree. They used and still use the hotel I mentioned previously, and anybody can verify if is up to standard or not. I stayed there 5 weeks and I can confirm it was absolutely not acceptable.

in Bud it was slightly better, but also luck of the draw, back in my days it was either a 3, 4 or 5 (let’s day 4,5 stars) hotel. The Ibis was pretty bad, the others were ok.
in Luton we layovered for years in the Ibis next to the airport. Borderline acceptable, with a bit of imagination. Also the holiday inn express or the hampton were used, but in our base it was just the Ibis (3 stars).

Don’t let me start on positioning, the honeymoon will be over soon for you too.
For the recurrent trainings and sims we had a cheap direct flight with another company from our base to the training location (it was 50 eur when I checked), but instead we found ourselves flying Wizz to an airport 150 km away, and then second class train ticket (occasionally with a change as well).

I worked quite some time there, like many other people here, so maybe you can assume we know what we are talking about.

Accommodation quality!

How long ago did you leave, maybe things have changed a fair bit?

[dirk85]

I left almost two years ago, but I am still in contact with a lot of friends there and the situation is the same: pilot comfort is still ranking low on the company priority list.
Well, actually now with LTN base there is no need to layover (at least from the bases that I know), so at least the discomfort is limited to the two times per year that you need to go to the sim. I know they go to LGW a lot now for the training, but I don't know which hotel they use.

[Daddy Fantastic]

Hotels

Originally Posted by dirk85

I left almost two years ago, but I am still in contact with a lot of friends there and the situation is the same: pilot comfort is still ranking low on the company priority list.
Well, actually now with LTN base there is no need to layover (at least from the bases that I know), so at least the discomfort is limited to the two times per year that you need to go to the sim. I know they go to LGW a lot now for the training, but I don't know which hotel they use.

Norwegian and a few others use the Copthorne hotel (LGW), its huge but the area it is in is a dump. The hotel is okay, rooms are dated but quite nice. I stayed there once, nice beer garden and a couple of bars but I would not want to stay there for a type rating, way too long.

[Daddy Fantastic]

Originally Posted by dirk85

I left almost two years ago, but I am still in contact with a lot of friends there and the situation is the same: pilot comfort is still ranking low on the company priority list.
Well, actually now with LTN base there is no need to layover (at least from the bases that I know), so at least the discomfort is limited to the two times per year that you need to go to the sim. I know they go to LGW a lot now for the training, but I don't know which hotel they use.

I believe the difference now though is they are very desperate for pilots so they will most likely have to up their game, especially as they will need pilots with experience and cant just keep hiring cadets, that has not helped their requirements for captains due to lack of experience and most likely skills.

I dont pretend to know but ex Wizz guys and current I have spoken to have said they are losing a lot of pilots due to shoddy conditions to other carriers abroad and in the Europe. Market forces will force them to change or die if it is as bad as I hear...

Again I dont work there so its all hearsay but I suspect there is an element of truth in there.

[Lexsis]

Personally never had any troubles with the hotels I stayed in. Regarding positioning, it depends what you ask from them. Sometimes I would ask them a different, more comfortable routing to where I needed to go, and I would get it. Sometimes I didn't...

Conditions wise, I decided to stay on the old salary scheme. After several tries from people in HR trying to convince me to change... I still wasn't impressed at all...

Not sure what they are trying to achieve with this whole people council stuff, it is regulated by top management, so no backing from ANY union. Which means the company is dealing the cards. Bit of a joke in my eyes.
I do have the luck I am based in a 2 AC base. Which means I never got pushed too far regarding hours. But I heard horrible stories from other peope. And oddly enough, each base feels slightly like a different kind of Wizz/Airline, each with their own mini procedures. Which is very tiresome when you get out of base captains helping out...

[MCT SET]

Hi guys currently considering joining wizz, however I have a few questions before I make a decision.

1) When looking at the pay scale it mentions landing pay which is if I’m am correct €19 for FO and €30 for CAP. Is this paid to only the pilot flying/landing or to both FO and CAP?

2) what is the current base allocation like right now and how long does it take for a move too another base?

any and all help is appreciated, happy new year to all.