Thomas Cook-Beware

[Surfer2005]

CW247

A very immature response from you, I suggest you grow up and read your posts again, your attitude is shocking, you condone cheap labour, in fact I am not going to engage in further conversation with you until you display some basic self respect and maturity.

On track with this thread all I hope for is that you guys in TCX do not sufffer and get rid of certain people who advocate lower terms and conditions.

[Trossie]

Your employer decides to outsource your job and replace you with cheap labour and you applaud that decision? Am I understanding you correctly?

Could that be a management pilot in 'disguise'? Or a management 'wannabe'?

[D00dles]

It is somewhat difficult as a retiree to comment, as I have been out of the loop for some while, but in my 20+ years with group airlines, "loyalty" has changed from a two-way street to one-direction only. My suggestion would be not to make that road too busy at all.

Just like all bonus-driven management, they quickly lose sight of that fact that a happy company is the most profitable one (take John Lewis for example). A shareholder's long view is ignored in favour of short term gains that in the end, prove to be fatal.

I am saddened to hear that out-station colleagues, many of whom I will surely know, are getting the short straw.....again. Even LGW is fast becoming a minor out-station! How did that happen!!!

How can things improve? Well it is a great start denying the laughable pay "offer"! Start getting the boot back on the right foot, never undervalue your professional licence (we wish management were licensed!!!) and recover your status as "Airline Captain" (if you're not one yet, you will be)....rather than just "[Air]bus driver". Say "no" occasionally and NEVER bust-a-gut!

Good luck out there. I wish you all well.

PS. The retirement cheque is pretty small, and in TC there are ZERO, I repeat ZERO perks. So keep on eye on where the best retirement Ts&Cs are. That may just point you in the right direction.

[Jovis]

Cool...

As a potential joiner, I wonder if there are any thoughts on the impact this might have on numbers of crews at TC?
Apart from the unnerving possibility of those existing crews at closing bases having to move... are TC still expanding in terms of numbers of crews, or is there a genuine threat to existing pilots at the company (closing bases or others), based on this news?

Thanks guys

[Superpilot]

We are in actual fact increasing the fleet by an additional A321 next year with a view to being (finally) all Airbus next year. A small trickle of pilots is expected next year despite the ACMI changes. The company is suggesting they wish to expand presence at the main bases. If this is true, then the overall number of pilots required doesn't change. The bases closing to pilots have a huge seasonal variation with November through to March generally having no more than an average of 3 flights per week. This is the primary justification for the closures. At the moment the company are denying or not answering questions about year round ACMI operations. If we see ACMI during the winters when our SH pilots are genrally less busy, this will be a very bad sign indeed. However, it hasn't been done/announced yet and personally I dont think it will.

[Jovis]

Cool, thanks for the info and your thoughts. More positive than I initially assumed.

[Mister Geezer]

I was taxying out in MAN the other day and noticed a LY registered 321 resplendent in the full TCX colours, which made me do a double take!

It would appear that the decision has been already made with regards to year round ACMI ops. Would the cost and downtime for a repaint be justified for just the summer season?

[Down Three Greens]

I believe this 'all year round ACMI' assumption derived from the extent of their livery was clarified internally today. They are not here all year around apparently i.e. as per other years they leave at the end of summer.

[SFCC]

If you believe that........

[763 jock]

Let's not forget that we already have year round ACMI aircraft. Air Tanker.

Thin end of the wedge and the situation will only get worse. Make no mistake.

[momo95]

At least the guys flying for smartlynx and avion express have some work

[Habana2118]

Wow all this is a very slippery slope for all aircrew in the U.K., is this plan to our soursce small bases in the summer but then have the bigger bases operate from the smaller ones during the winter? If so where will this end?

[763 jock]

It is precisely that. Pilots in BFS, EMA and STN are all being kicked out of base. They are being replaced by ACMI aircraft in Thomas Cook livery, with Thomas Cook cabin crew carrying Thomas Cook passengers.

Those bases will then be supported during the winter months with company aircraft and company pilots with night stops/base touring. Bean counters think it will save money.....

[Habana2118]

And how long before the cabin crew are also out sourced to ACMI crew wearing TCX uniform in the same way Menzies staff wear an airlines uniform on check in! This really is a very slippery slope for all airlines and their crew, I work for another large U.K. Airline and what's happening to you guys really concerns me.....

[Twiglet1]

TC base like BFS/EMA with one or two aircraft will say what need 12-14 crews @ 6/7 crews per aircraft depending on flying etc. The likes of Smart Lynx say 3-4 crews max particularly with EASA FTL. You'd have to assume TC Crews get paid a lot more and if SL crews are even put up in a Hotel it won't be like the ones TC use.
So you can see the "savings" adding up...

[Marlon Brando]

It's very bad, indeed.

Why not just take only smartlynx pilots for all aircrafts ? All year long ?
More benefits for the company. Shareholders will be happy.

The brexit might not be that bad after all. But they will probably find a way to scr..w us anyway

[cvg2iln]

Scope: the brand name of an American mouthwash as well as being a contractual parameter which protects one's employment against the moves of a foreign invader who'll do twice the job for less than half the price. Wakey wakey Little Britain.

[Piltdown Man]

Short of losing your job, having your work subbed out must be one of the worst things that can ever happen. So that gives rise to the next question, what do your CC think about it? Given enough support I'm sure the management could be persuaded that a series a four hour strikes might be more expensive. And this time play them on social media the whole way along. The slime in management don't like nasty social media postings because they can't control them. The rumours, noise and threats can start now if someone provides a link.

Best of luck guys.

[OMDB30R]

Might be reading too much into it, you don't think this has to do with the past events of a pilot that took them to a tribunal for falsifying duty hours? I mean could there could be an investigation in the background going on with the CAA involved, maybe the CAA have restricted their operations? Speculation I know but it does seem a coincidence

[FlipFlapFlop]

Originally Posted by cvg2iln

Scope: the brand name of an American mouthwash as well as being a contractual parameter which protects one's employment against the moves of a foreign invader who'll do twice the job for less than half the price. Wakey wakey Little Britain.

I guess this is why we voted for Brexit. How does a cheaper pilot do the job twice as well ?