Smartlynx
 

Hello everyone,

anyone reading here who is (or has been) working with Smartlynx? I am currently trying to get some first-hand reports about the company.

Replay
 

Hi! Iam working, how i can help you?:hmm:

I am not working for them, yet, but will start next week their cadet program with BAA...I do know a couple of FO's working for them tough..let me know if you need anything.

Great to hear from you guys!

I will soon have the final interview for the BAA/Smartlynx cadet program and I am very excited about it. I try to figure out what working with them would look like, if I make it. I realize that they are an ACMI airline, operating point-to-point flights towards the mediterranean area and egypt out of Talinn, Vilnius and Riga, and also will station you anywhere in the world where they have a wetlease contract (I see that they have aircraft in Vietnam, France and Norway at the moment). That sounds very interesting to me, especially regarding hourbuilding and getting handflying experience at special airports as a young pilot.

I would be especially interested how many hours you make there per month in both winter and summer seperately, and maybe someone could give me an insight into a duty plan?

Was wondering what the pay is like, how many hours you tend to fly a year and what the basing is like (in terms of time spent at one base, do you get any sort of say where you go) and any other info that may help re life at smartlynx! thanks.

I too would like to know about the airlines if anyone can shed some light on in. Thanks

Thank alot for the info. Is the Small Planet Airlines also like SmartLynx? or is the Pilots life a little better there?
Also, do you happen to know what is the average gross monthly salary of the FO?

What is pay for FO?

I think LOLO put it plain enough above. Only go here if you can't get anything better. Simples!

Does someone know about Direct entry cpt ? Do they pay the type as well ? Got interview in Amsterdam coming, but I don't have info.
Thanks

Except that SPA PL is a pure charter operator? Never mind the facts. :ugh:

You are correct, not so pure, also many ACMI for SPA.de (this is getting really funny right here) My bad. Still, there is a fundamental difference between the (almost pure) ACMI specialists SLX, AvEX and SPA.pl who were a charter airline dedicated to the Polish market (with logical exceptions in the winter time). The point was to know your enemy, not to mix them. Lynx does ACMI "wholesale" for easyJet, running crews on 7/2 rotations whereas EZY do 5453. Truckload of beans right there!

The business powers that be also lobbied successfully in few CE and EE countries for piloting to become a recognized contractual profession. Can't blame them, but that is the real beast in my opinion.

The rates of pay listed on ppjn are quoted per day. Do the pilots in Smartlynx get paid for everyday of the contract period? How many days in a month will be paid on average?

You are right, better be cautious. However SP has dark side. Their bankruptcy in Poland and Germany in my opinion is staged.

It depends on the business they do with other airlines.
On the contract it is stated that you can stay up to 60 days at home as unpaid leave according to their needs. So it means that your pay will be between full rate and 16% less in average over the year...
Some month it might be possible to have 0 euros as salary.

i would be very careful with this crowd, the financials are not looking good and would suggest they could be the next Small Planet, Primera etc

What's the basis for this claim?

i have friends working in aviation leasing and whilst the companies they work for DO NOT lease planes to Smartlynx, the chatter around the table is that they are in big trouble and could be the next airline to go, of course could just be a big rumour but would make sense given their business model and what has happened to SP and Primera. They might be able to get through the winter as price of fuel has dropped but i doubt it. If i was looking for a new job at present i would stay well clear of start ups and charter companies and would stick to the 4 or 5 established LCCs and the legacy carriers if you can get in as a direct entry captain. I have friends who were made redundant by Monarch, went to Primera and are now back to square one again, they have new driving jobs lined up but a lot of upheaval for the families over the last 12 months.