SAS link BGO positions

[maxpod]

Hi all,

I'm in the process for a FO position at SAS link, BGO base.

I don't have much info on this company, except that they fly the Embraer out of BGO, I couldn't find much about their operations etc.

I asked the terms and conditions and this is what I have received :Average monthly salary breakdown: (all payment made in Norwegian Kroner, NOK)

• Monthly basic salary – entrance step 1 – NOK. 36.040 per month, new step every year.

• Allowances: In line with ECA (Employment Condition Abroad Ltd) “Daily rate excluding

hotel/breakfast, “3 star ”.

• Duty on off-duty day: 8 % of actual monthly basic salary for duty not exceeding 6 hours.

14 % of actual monthly basic salary for duty exceeding 6 hours.

• Check-out on off-duty day– 2 % of 100 % basic salary each 1⁄2 hour. Maximum 8 %.

• Pension: Annual contribution is 6% of the pension base between 0G and 7.1G and 24.1% of the

pension base between 7.1G and 12G. In addition, a 4% supplement paid on the salary


They don't mention per diems or anything. I have an interview next week and will request more info.

Reading this, this sounds pretty little money for a country like Norway.

Does anyone fly for them or have more info ?


Thx guys!

Max

[maxpod]

Hi all,


Just had the interview, done by CAE. Not much more info at this stage, as it's quite a new company. They will try to provide me with a typical month salary, they are currently asking some of their FO to provide them with their incomes.

Is there really not any one here flying for them ? Or someone who knows about them ? Maybe some pilots flying for SAS or even SAS connect, the other subsidiary.

Thanks guys, and take care.

Max

[maxpod]

Hi Lilijet,

Yes my inmail box was full with ... one message. Weird. Anyway, now it should be ok, they said I can receive up to 150 messages. Can you try again?

Thanks,
Max

[hans brinker]

Originally Posted by maxpod

Hi Lilijet,

Yes my inmail box was full with ... one message. Weird. Anyway, now it should be ok, they said I can receive up to 150 messages. Can you try again?

Thanks,
Max

You need a certain amount of posts to be able to have more than 1 message in your inbox. Just replying to help you meet the quota.

[maxpod]

Thanks Hans!

Now I can receive up to 150 messages apparently, problem solved

[172_driver]

Per diems will be paid according to the Collective Bargaining Agreement that's joint between mainline, Connect and Link (more or less). Expect a couple of thousand grand extra per month from per diem. The exact amount will be dependent on the number of overlays vs. one day trips. You are right that the job isn't well paid, relatively speaking, to what it once was and living costs in Norway. Link salary is 10 % lower than mainline/Connect.

A word of advice, SAS has been on a slippery slope eroding collective bargaining and slaughtering terms & conditions the last few years. It took a 15 strike last summer to unionize the airlines that make up SAS and get you where you are today. Make sure you join the union, NSF, that owns the CBA. CAE is a new player to the Scandinavian labour model and they seem to struggle to fully implement the CBA.

[FarewellFire]

Sounds about right

Link is merely one year old and was founded by SAS as a 100% fully owned subsidiary to fly thinner routes where it doesn't make sense to use a 180-seater, while external wet lease partners such as Cityjet and Xfly (CRJ and ATR's) would offer too small planes. Right now six E195's are in use and split between their bases in Copenhagen and Bergen. It is still not clear what model Link eventually will end up flying, it may be the 195 or the A220. SAS is currently going through a chapter 11 process that indirectly, but technically not directly, affects Link.

The figures you mention are accurate and per diems are about 500 Norwegian krona when scheduled off base, this will be subject to taxation. Earlier hires have all been promised a fixed roster while interviewing with CAE and SAS, to this day this has not been honored.

Bergen is insanely expensive so the wage is actually hard to live on once taxes and cost of housing/living is accounted for. It is however a beautiful city and people are friendly. It has an annual 270 days of rainfall so bring a raincoat.

Otherwise, colleagues found both in the air as well as behind desks on the ground are friendly and all do their best given the relatively small operations.

​​

[maxpod]

Thanks for your answer.

Alright, I understand the airline is great, so is the atmosphere and the surroundings of Bergen, no doubt about the friendly people in Norway. But it's maybe not a good idea to leave a job in France better paid than this job which is in Norway, in a country 30 to 40% more expensive.. I would go for the same salary I have right now, but relocating there for less money in a more expensive country is maybe not the smartest move..

[LearJet.ax]

There is a lot of uncertainty within the whole of SAS right now and I expect the company to look completely different in a year or two, that can go both ways for Link but seeing the history of SAS in recent years it is not looking too good for future employees regardless of main, link or connect. I know they have had a lot of trouble getting enough pilots to join Link, suspect pay and location has a lot to do with it. Pay in Main isn't that great either, and reducing it by 10% further is not helping when taxation and cost as mention is high and on the rise in Norway.

On the other hand the operations from Bergen are certainly exciting and demanding, as this company most likely will serve a lot of domestic smaller airports with shorter runways and adverse winter conditions and terrain.

[maxpod]

I'm sure that the operations will be exciting, no doubt about that, and Norway is such a nice country. But 3-3.5k net euros at best for a FO in such an expensive city / country is a joke, no matter how exciting the operations are.. I could understand the interest of this position for a pilot living in Norway / in Bergen and willing to stay home, definitely, but for expat relocating there, it's another story. I understand that SAS is struggling and I'm sad about it, it used to be one of the majors, but those are very bad T&Cs.

[semmern]

Pilots are worth more than the utter insult Link is offering as pay, and they are starting to realize that themselves. That’s why Link is struggling to recruit. They just recently announced they will open a base at OSL as well. I suspect that won’t help much, as living there is even more expensive.

[maxpod]

Bergen and Oslo are indeed so much expensive cities.. No surprise they are struggling to hire pilots with the conditions proposed..

[sudden twang]

And it’s reported in another place that the new COO of SAS is the one that bashed the BA pilots into submission and demanded a few hundred lay offs.