Advice from JET 2 pilots please
Join Date: Aug 2012
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Hey guys I recently went to a Jet2 interview for an FO position.
I asked about bases and they said that Belfast is tough to get into (dead mans shoes is how he put it) because it's not expanding and the pilots who are based there want to stay there permanently. East Midlands is also apparently hard to get whereas Stansted and Leeds are seeing growth.
I was also told by the HR guy that rosters are published 8 weeks in advanced, that the days off are fixed and that typically we would fly 650 - 750 hours a year (weighted in the summer).
I'm not sure how accurate this is or if it's recruitment spin, perhaps someone who works there can enlighten me?
I asked about bases and they said that Belfast is tough to get into (dead mans shoes is how he put it) because it's not expanding and the pilots who are based there want to stay there permanently. East Midlands is also apparently hard to get whereas Stansted and Leeds are seeing growth.
I was also told by the HR guy that rosters are published 8 weeks in advanced, that the days off are fixed and that typically we would fly 650 - 750 hours a year (weighted in the summer).
I'm not sure how accurate this is or if it's recruitment spin, perhaps someone who works there can enlighten me?
Are the off days actually fixed or is that just an ideal that the crew planning tries (but fails) to achieve? What kind of roster instability are we talking about?
Edit: Forgot to mention that there were two captains there applying for DEC, one type rated the other NTR.
Edit: Forgot to mention that there were two captains there applying for DEC, one type rated the other NTR.
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In terms of days off being fixed, they are inasmuch as once the roster is written, the days off won't be changed. You get three Request Days Off per month which are pretty much guaranteed to remain unchanged. Rosters are published on the first Thursday of each month for the next month.
In my time at Jet2, the program has gotten progressively busier. Last year I flew ~240 sectors. This year I've already done over 220 with 5 months left to fly.
In my time at Jet2, the program has gotten progressively busier. Last year I flew ~240 sectors. This year I've already done over 220 with 5 months left to fly.
Join Date: Mar 2012
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Summer £5800 to 6500 is NET in your hands so to speak.
Winter £5200 But that is a bit lower than average because as I litterly done NOTHING last winter.
I dont know a single FO or Capt in my base flying less than 90 hrs a month most closer to 95. Thats of course ignoring AL / sickness. Im using discretion A LOT this year 3-4 times a month but thats French ATC rather than ****ty rosters. Most days are 2 sectors only 1 overnight 3 sec duty and its only at the week ends luck of the draw some are nailed 3 times a month others haven't done it yet !!!
Hours yep 700 a year ish but be warned its 600 during the summer ... April to Oct and 50-150 during the winter. The 10 stbys a month is a lot, in my exp more like 4 reserves ( 90% not called ) and 3 perhaps 4 Stby a month ( so far exactly a 50% call out for me)
Lots of options for winter leave both paid and unpaid.
Defiantly busier this year and will be more so next year. Some horrible reports expect to see a full office @ 5 am and again @ 2 -3 am on lates.
Despite the mayhem of the French the rosters are preety stable its not a FIXED roster but on the published roster the days off DONT change but you will get the odd call asking to work a day off. but absolutely zero pressure to say yes , in fact I've never said yes EVER !
Over all its the best company Ive worked for in 22 years flying ( only 3 here in J2 ) in my not so humble opinion. Most people are happy........ with the normal bitching and moaning we are so good at. Ive noticed its the ppl that live 90 mins from the AP that are the ppl most unhappy as its a bloody killer in the summer but thats their fault. Come Sept you can really see the wear and tare telling on them..
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- 80% pass rate is about correct whether you work "here" or not - reference: I work here too
There isn't a list, you knuckle down, do a good job and you get your chance.
Jet2 love their internal upgrades more, internal candidates are prioritised over external DEC's.
Doesn't even warrant a sensible answer
There isn't a list, you knuckle down, do a good job and you get your chance.
Jet2 love their internal upgrades more, internal candidates are prioritised over external DEC's.
Doesn't even warrant a sensible answer
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Quote from previous post
"Jet2 Cons:
- Unstable random roster
- Command system convoluted
- RAF mentality, paired with itchy jumper and lots of hoops to jump through all the time, to prove you're a company person
- Jess Glynne"
What is an itchy jumper and Who or what is Jess Glynne?
"Jet2 Cons:
- Unstable random roster
- Command system convoluted
- RAF mentality, paired with itchy jumper and lots of hoops to jump through all the time, to prove you're a company person
- Jess Glynne"
What is an itchy jumper and Who or what is Jess Glynne?
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Crap uniform and non stop having to listen to that bloody awful tune they paid Jess Glynne a fortune for..... " Hold my Hand" . It's slowly driving us all nuts...
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COTB, have you considered RTR part time? I too have decided I have had enough of commuting to Heathrow with ‘trip two days off’ for the rest of my career, and predicting how bad JSS will be for a junior captain, my lifestyle is going to change beyond recognition. I considered leaving, but decided it would be madness to leave without first obtaining the command. In your shoes, I would have chosen part time (to make the commute with short haul acceptable), and then bid for a short haul command. Once you have your 500 hours, you can review whether to continue part time with BA or go for a DEC with someone else? If you are in no rush for a command, these options are still available to you, you will just have to wait until 2020 for the command having not bid for it in the recent window. Part time is in my opinion, the only way to survive BA nowadays, but I think part time with BA will be a better lifestyle than full time with someone else.
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Jess Glynne is an experimental interrogation technique adapted from CIA PsychOps, designed to weaken the resilience of militant aircrew. It's similar to waterboarding, only in the ears with repetitive unbearable noises rather than water and a flannel.
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Ineresting thread... re the FR guys who are getting a bit annoyed, are they saying it's actually worse than FR or is it just a bit of frustration of high workload and roster changes during the peak summer season? Surely the thought of a quiet winter is light at the end of the tunnel for these chaps?
I can't imagine any flying job being much worse than FR at the moment so I am very interested to know!!
I can't imagine any flying job being much worse than FR at the moment so I am very interested to know!!
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For Jet 2 guys. I am an easyJet pilot thinking of booking a last minute package with Jet 2 rather than use eJ staff travel. The reasons are:
1. eJ have had a cr@p summer with many massive delays and cancellations and as a ST passenger you are entitled to nothing.
2. If I pay full fare with eJ I will be better off if it all goes wrong but our customer care is woeful and inadequate so I would have my plans ruined and still be scratching around trying to save my holiday.
3. At least with a package holiday delays to the flights will not have such a bad effect on the rest of the holiday and Jet 2 will have to pick up the cost to the other elements such as hotels and car hire.
The big question is how is the summer going at Jet 2, thinking of flying out of either STN or EMA?
Cheers
1. eJ have had a cr@p summer with many massive delays and cancellations and as a ST passenger you are entitled to nothing.
2. If I pay full fare with eJ I will be better off if it all goes wrong but our customer care is woeful and inadequate so I would have my plans ruined and still be scratching around trying to save my holiday.
3. At least with a package holiday delays to the flights will not have such a bad effect on the rest of the holiday and Jet 2 will have to pick up the cost to the other elements such as hotels and car hire.
The big question is how is the summer going at Jet 2, thinking of flying out of either STN or EMA?
Cheers
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I would say it is going well. We will have had some delays, of that there is no doubt, and some of those will not have been insignificant, but that’s no different to any other airline. Apart from one exceptional day at the end of May we haven’t cancelled a single flight. Jet2 holidays is an excellent product, go for it.
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There are good and bad things about both airlines, its personal choice which one works best for you. I am also finding that a lot of ex-FR pilots are looking to return, I think its mainly for the standard of life that FR offer, the fixed roster offers stability if you are based where you want to be.
I'm ex-FR but have no interest in returning at the moment, I do miss the 5/4 very much and I definitely had a better home life in FR than I do now, but Jet2 is a much nicer company to work for, they have a decent and improving annual leave system, transparent basing system and you can actually pick the phone up and talk to people if needed, i.e. crewing. Its just a shame they don't have a decent roster! if they did, very few would leave. If the roster situation hasn't improved within the next year or two, then I probably would look at returning to FR too.
I feel more exhausted doing 500 hrs per year than I did doing 897 hrs per year in FR, that would indicate there is something wrong with the roster, a lot of ex-FR guys say the same, thats why they are leaving, I think! but I do think things will change at Jet2.
Lots of people say that in Jet2 you have the winters to look forward to, it means nothing, you still get very few days off, instead of flights your roster is full of standby days, which you can't do anything on nor relax because you're always checking your phone, so you are confined to your house (or hotel room if you don't live within 90 minutes).
I'm ex-FR but have no interest in returning at the moment, I do miss the 5/4 very much and I definitely had a better home life in FR than I do now, but Jet2 is a much nicer company to work for, they have a decent and improving annual leave system, transparent basing system and you can actually pick the phone up and talk to people if needed, i.e. crewing. Its just a shame they don't have a decent roster! if they did, very few would leave. If the roster situation hasn't improved within the next year or two, then I probably would look at returning to FR too.
I feel more exhausted doing 500 hrs per year than I did doing 897 hrs per year in FR, that would indicate there is something wrong with the roster, a lot of ex-FR guys say the same, thats why they are leaving, I think! but I do think things will change at Jet2.
Lots of people say that in Jet2 you have the winters to look forward to, it means nothing, you still get very few days off, instead of flights your roster is full of standby days, which you can't do anything on nor relax because you're always checking your phone, so you are confined to your house (or hotel room if you don't live within 90 minutes).
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Your guess is as good as mine!
Airport standby only exists at a couple of bases in the U.K. the rest of us are on standby at home most of the winter.
its the lack of days off that need to change, a fixed roster would be the best of both worlds. Can’t do anything in 2 days off apart from recover from the previous duties.
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There are good and bad things about both airlines, its personal choice which one works best for you. I am also finding that a lot of ex-FR pilots are looking to return, I think its mainly for the standard of life that FR offer, the fixed roster offers stability if you are based where you want to be.
I'm ex-FR but have no interest in returning at the moment, I do miss the 5/4 very much and I definitely had a better home life in FR than I do now, but Jet2 is a much nicer company to work for, they have a decent and improving annual leave system, transparent basing system and you can actually pick the phone up and talk to people if needed, i.e. crewing. Its just a shame they don't have a decent roster! if they did, very few would leave. If the roster situation hasn't improved within the next year or two, then I probably would look at returning to FR too.
I feel more exhausted doing 500 hrs per year than I did doing 897 hrs per year in FR, that would indicate there is something wrong with the roster, a lot of ex-FR guys say the same, thats why they are leaving, I think! but I do think things will change at Jet2.
Lots of people say that in Jet2 you have the winters to look forward to, it means nothing, you still get very few days off, instead of flights your roster is full of standby days, which you can't do anything on nor relax because you're always checking your phone, so you are confined to your house (or hotel room if you don't live within 90 minutes).
I'm ex-FR but have no interest in returning at the moment, I do miss the 5/4 very much and I definitely had a better home life in FR than I do now, but Jet2 is a much nicer company to work for, they have a decent and improving annual leave system, transparent basing system and you can actually pick the phone up and talk to people if needed, i.e. crewing. Its just a shame they don't have a decent roster! if they did, very few would leave. If the roster situation hasn't improved within the next year or two, then I probably would look at returning to FR too.
I feel more exhausted doing 500 hrs per year than I did doing 897 hrs per year in FR, that would indicate there is something wrong with the roster, a lot of ex-FR guys say the same, thats why they are leaving, I think! but I do think things will change at Jet2.
Lots of people say that in Jet2 you have the winters to look forward to, it means nothing, you still get very few days off, instead of flights your roster is full of standby days, which you can't do anything on nor relax because you're always checking your phone, so you are confined to your house (or hotel room if you don't live within 90 minutes).
I doubt the Jet 2 model suits a fixed pattern roster as unlike FR if there is any sign of trouble at least Jet 2 will give it a go as its not just a flight it's a package holiday involved. FR just cancel and leave their pax (customers to Jet2) in the lurch.
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why a lot of FR people go back.
Last edited by Johnny F@rt Pants; 7th Aug 2018 at 16:49. Reason: Typo
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Why couldn’t Jet2 offer their pilots a 5/4 in winter instead of a random roster, if everyone is on standby?
Some of the options are attractive - 80% pay deal (really 90% pay since half of that lost income would go on tax anyway, and still 100% towards pension etc) for 4 months completely off. If you tag your annual leave, 5 full months off roster. Is this still offered?
The minimum days off deal has been around in the charter airline business for years. Operational flexibility. Airport standby in UK when all aircraft are on the deck in the canaries or turkey on turnaround could become frustrating I guess.