Virgin Recruiting
Joined: Jan 2006
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 43
Likes: 0
From: UK
...don't forget it also says that they will sponsor a four year residence visa. One has to ask why "the best gig in the UK" would need to do this, no? Particulary if there are vastly qualified and experienced pilots in the UK still available.....some even with decades of prior service at the actual carrier?!?!?
Joined: Jun 2022
Posts: 5
Likes: 6
From: Hand to Mouth
The seniority concept suffered the same fate. Sacking 50% of the pilots, out of seniority, just based on thier type rating at the time. Seniority now only applies when it works in thier favour. Not only will you spend years waiting your turn for promotion, you will also spend your life looking over your shoulder wondering if you've made the right fleet choice come the next inevitable downturn and subsequent redundancy rounds.
What they didn't (and still don't) realise is that those protections were the only thing making VS attractive to pilots.
There are many, many other things that happened that have now rendered VS the least attractive gig in the UK, by a considerable margin. A lot of which will, no doubt, be revealed during the court cases scheduled for next year...
Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 122
Likes: 27
From: World
Don’t think any of the Nigels who were sacked then given a £14k pay decrease, endlessly told there were no slots at LHR for them whilst the company recruited externals into the positions would necessarily agree with you there. Although the corruption and nepotism in the BA CC is a different story entirely.
Joined: Jul 2021
Posts: 115
Likes: 7
From: EU
Don’t think any of the Nigels who were sacked then given a £14k pay decrease, endlessly told there were no slots at LHR for them whilst the company recruited externals into the positions would necessarily agree with you there. Although the corruption and nepotism in the BA CC is a different story entirely.
Nepotism in pilot selection
Joined: Jul 2021
Posts: 115
Likes: 7
From: EU
...don't forget it also says that they will sponsor a four year residence visa. One has to ask why "the best gig in the UK" would need to do this, no? Particulary if there are vastly qualified and experienced pilots in the UK still available.....some even with decades of prior service at the actual carrier?!?!?
Joined: Jan 2006
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 43
Likes: 0
From: UK
When did you last see a European "legacy" carrier, marketed to be an employer of choice, advertising visa sponsorships to attract applicants(UK licence holders or not)? Take a look at the news in the UK today and read between the lines.
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 259
Likes: 0
From: Rome
what court case ? What’s it all about ?
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 1,092
Likes: 47
Big Bad ....
what court case ? What’s it all about ?
I feel fairly qualified to state the above as a long serving ex-VAA Captain who was unceremoniously made redundant out of seniority during their "shake up" of terms and conditions to retrograde permanent new ones that are quoted above in this thread. There are a significant number of us (most with decades of service dutifully done to get that LH command at the "best gig in UK") that are taking them to court for all sorts of unsavoury discriminative reasons. The six week hearing starts in February.
Even their "star" instagram sensation TRE is off to the High Court shortly to allegedly face accusations of some pretty nasty career-ending defamations made to bosses of colleagues.
Even their "star" instagram sensation TRE is off to the High Court shortly to allegedly face accusations of some pretty nasty career-ending defamations made to bosses of colleagues.
LFH
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 149
Likes: 0
Also axed -
...to be brutally honest, I don't think the Virgin management have opened this avenue up for EU pilots in order to improve terms and conditions at Virgin in the future! Lets not politik this situation when there is no need!
The fact is, in my very humble opinion, that VAA is very definately not the employer of choice that it once was. It can't attract UK pilots because of this, and is so forced to look elsewhere. It really is as simple as that.
I feel fairly qualified to state the above as a long serving ex-VAA Captain who was unceremoniously made redundant out of seniority during their "shake up" of terms and conditions to retrograde permanent new ones that are quoted above in this thread. There are a significant number of us (most with decades of service dutifully done to get that LH command at the "best gig in UK") that are taking them to court for all sorts of unsavoury discriminative reasons. The six week hearing starts in February.
Even their "star" instagram sensation TRE is off to the High Court shortly to allegedly face accusations of some pretty nasty career-ending defamations made to bosses of colleagues.
They made their bed with a very oportunistic response to Covid that was also very much an outlier compared to other airlines at the time.
....it is certainly worth thinking if you want to lie in that particular bed?
As for working out your time to command etc - well, just factor in that it counts for NOTHING at Virgin when the axe falls. Our stories are true testament to that.
The fact is, in my very humble opinion, that VAA is very definately not the employer of choice that it once was. It can't attract UK pilots because of this, and is so forced to look elsewhere. It really is as simple as that.
I feel fairly qualified to state the above as a long serving ex-VAA Captain who was unceremoniously made redundant out of seniority during their "shake up" of terms and conditions to retrograde permanent new ones that are quoted above in this thread. There are a significant number of us (most with decades of service dutifully done to get that LH command at the "best gig in UK") that are taking them to court for all sorts of unsavoury discriminative reasons. The six week hearing starts in February.
Even their "star" instagram sensation TRE is off to the High Court shortly to allegedly face accusations of some pretty nasty career-ending defamations made to bosses of colleagues.
They made their bed with a very oportunistic response to Covid that was also very much an outlier compared to other airlines at the time.
....it is certainly worth thinking if you want to lie in that particular bed?
As for working out your time to command etc - well, just factor in that it counts for NOTHING at Virgin when the axe falls. Our stories are true testament to that.
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 149
Likes: 0
I think you may have misunderstood -
I think Nat meant - Trade Union Reps were top of management's wish-list of undesirables and trouble-makers who were not wanted back - so they had to 'fail' their re-hiring interviews. If true - thats a black-list offence under labour relations law.
There's probably a long queue of Subject Access Requests as a result - https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/yo...-of-your-data/ - while the shredding department works overtime.
Our Virgin mate wasn't in the pub last night - seems he got clobbered for an extra trip.
LFH
I think Nat meant - Trade Union Reps were top of management's wish-list of undesirables and trouble-makers who were not wanted back - so they had to 'fail' their re-hiring interviews. If true - thats a black-list offence under labour relations law.
There's probably a long queue of Subject Access Requests as a result - https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/yo...-of-your-data/ - while the shredding department works overtime.
Our Virgin mate wasn't in the pub last night - seems he got clobbered for an extra trip.
LFH
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
From: Over the clouds
Hello everyone,
Does anybody have the latest salary and/or earning figures for VA SFOs in 2023? Also, I hear that the command line is very long there >5years. Can anyone with the inside knowledge share what procedures the company has for SFOs upgrade?
Cheers,
Does anybody have the latest salary and/or earning figures for VA SFOs in 2023? Also, I hear that the command line is very long there >5years. Can anyone with the inside knowledge share what procedures the company has for SFOs upgrade?
Cheers,
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 20
Likes: 1
From: North West-Europe
Hi all,
having gone through the thread, the last 2 phases sim/final interview not much to go on unfortunately. Would anyone mind to share some feedback who've done it recently and passed? Pm if needed.
Thanks in advance. Goodluck to all going through to the final stages. Rgds M_1
having gone through the thread, the last 2 phases sim/final interview not much to go on unfortunately. Would anyone mind to share some feedback who've done it recently and passed? Pm if needed.
Thanks in advance. Goodluck to all going through to the final stages. Rgds M_1
Joined: Aug 2003
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 236
Likes: 2
From: About
Current SFOs are having their interview at the 8 year mark with a course sometime next year, however the norm is 10-14 years and not what people are being told by Zenon.
Current upgrade process is a Sim and an interview once signed off as capable by the command review board.
Last edited by Rhodes13; 6th October 2023 at 08:18.