Fantastic Job San Expiry. You stand above, way above many others....

They asked at the phone interview if I would consider paying for the TR and if I would consider a 70% contract. In both cases I said yes I would consider them, but in the light of the package as a whole. I did say that 70% of £40 k is only £28 k and if they asked for for £20 k for the type rating that would leave me only £8 k for the year to live on. I haven't received a rejection letter yet though.

They also asked if I had any applications progressing with other airlines.

Regards and good luck

The sad truth is that Jet2 are going to be offering !!!!! 70% contracts and expecting you to pay for your Type Rating too.

I am pleased people are saying no, but I also (sadly) expect people will say yes. Hopefully not enough people though, because we really need to see an increase in salary, etc, not a decrease.

There are a lot of people looking to get out of Jet2 because all that has happened over the last few years is a reduction in Ts&Cs and this latest joke of an offer for new people is the next rung down on the !!!!!ty ladder.

Yes, it's great if you are on a 100% contract, with annual increments and live around the corner from the airport, but how many people does this now relate to? Not many.

Spike

This combined with the multiple reports of candidates being asked if they will accept poor terms and conditions (70% salary and working plus pay (quote) £20,000 for type rating), would lead me to support the theory that as much as anything else, Jet2 management are trying to get a feel for the current market.

I suppose previously they would simply think that it is an employer's market, but now that the Middle East recruitment appears to have changed the conditions of that market, they are trying to find out by how much, which is good. Encouraging to see plenty of naysayers above, which proves the market for employees is becoming better than it was.

Hours during winter months.
 

Hi folks,

Can anyone give an indication as to how many, if any at all, hours are flown by pilots during winter months?

Do the guys on 70% get used at all or are you dormant while the smaller number of 100% contracts cover the work?

Thanks.

Yes max continuous, 70% means 5 months off over the winter to sit at home bored. You'll probably have to do your annual ground school refresher and 6 monthly sim during that time, making it harder to get a fill in job. I recall a figure of 300 hours are allowed to be flown at another airline during the 5 months off. Those on 100% will cover the winter programme, depending on how many are left to do so.

Newly promoted Captains who have been forced onto 70/80% contracts were given a couple of flights a month over last winter to keep their hand in. Whether the same would happen with low houred pilots, who knows?

Adding fuel to the fire, the original part time contract a couple of years ago was for 80% - offered to existing Jet2 pilots to take part time. Last year new joiners were offered 70%. So who knows, if they get enough takers this time they may only offer 60%? Don't sell yourself short, it's a slippery slope!

Just like to add my admiration to those guys who have said no to the joke of a 70% and paying for your type rating. As stated by others the T&C's here have been in a steady decline over the last few years and unfortunately while people are still willing to accept these crappy offers the company will carry on exploiting this area.

Definitely think the company are testing the water, seeing who and what they can get for the lowest possible price, not sure that's going to work for them in the long term!

Problem is they need to pay closer attention to the guys already here, it's no good recruiting now if the guys that are here at getting pissed off and leaving, makes no bloody sense to me!

Should I be offered a phone interview I will say 'I will consider whatever you have to offer' to whatever they offer only in the hope of getting a proper interview, and the opportunity to refuse the offer at a later stage. I think that could make a stronger statement about what I think of the Ts & Cs, which I agree are poor, and are not what I really want. It should in no way be construed as me selling out please!

I commend those who have been open and honest about not willing to accept reduced terms and conditions.

Unfortunately, the company won't budge on the 70% stuff. They know they can get away with it. Last year as XL and Globespan had turfed pilots on the market and Thomson and Baby were going through redundancy, there were a huge number of guys available. The pool may be shrinking, but I think there are still too many looking for work. The Cadets will accept anything. I think a starting salary the same as our cabin crew would still yield a bucket load of applications.

The CP has said that he thinks this is the norm for the company for as many years as they can get away with it. I do think having selection criteria based on those willing to get shafted is hardly the right approach, but what do I know. How many good guys are we going to turn away because they just want to be able to put food on their tables?

It all comes down from the CEO and no-one has the balls to stand up to it. If you do, you are out of the door.

Spikedog, thanks for the reply, I suspected that would be the case.

As I see it there are quite a few issues with the 70% contract and in particular for low hours pilots.

I myself am low hours and I am only too aware of my own inexperience and shortcomings. I fail to see how it can provide a solid "backbone" to training to have pilots on board for a summer season and when they are getting their hand in over a busy period to then leave them dormant for 5 months. I understand completely that everyone is quieter over winter but when building experience going from flat-out to thumb twiddling can not be constructive.

On the other hand, if the rumoured recruitment in many carriers goes ahead then perhaps the situation will change and more flying will need to be done, but will that see the contract change to reflect this?!

It also occurs to me that as low hours pilot I would be effectively "bonding" myself to Jet2 for a number of years while gaining experience as the 737 classic rating is increasingly limited in "transferability".

That all being said if I'm offered my first flying job am I going to be able to say no?

I am glad people are being true to themselves .....

70% contract + pay for TR, you can only be greased up at one end I thought....

I did have a look as their most southerly base is near me, but having done 2 years with FC on summer only contract in the past it's not much fun having no life in the summer and siting around doing sod all in winter, trying to find some grubby little short term contract abroad

If enough people with experience say NO to 70% and they can't get enough crew to fly their aircraft they'll have to change it....Simples.!

Well done to everyone who has said no so far, it really is time us pilots grew some balls and stood up for our profession. :D

Well it may have taken me about 2 to 3 weeks of batteling through the technical difficulties of the application, but I have at last managed to get an application in, hope it's not to late though!

Judging by the number of folk here who are not prepared to accept the T & C on offer, I very much doubt it's too late. Whether you will be doing yourself any great favour by saying yes is another matter. You might feel a bit of a t*t if you commit yourself to Jet 2 on an out of date type for 3 years if BA/VS/Big charter etc start offering proper jobs in 6 months time. By the time your loan is paid for it may well be all over and you could be up the road with a fairly useless type rating.

Of course if you are looking for your first big break all bets are off. I bet your granny is already up for sale on ebay. Mine would be.

Not heard a thing myself, despite being on the more experienced side and having flown all sorts of 737 in the past.

... anybody with a positive picture and reasonable T&C numbers, because so far it seems a little bit too much out of proportion! thanks

strengthening attitudes
 

Ok, anybody who checked my recent post will have read that, due to personal circumstances, a 70% contract would have been ok with me.

But, the more I look into it, and certainly the more I read other pilots' views, the more I'm disappointed with the attitude of Jet2 and its competitors.

Low pay is one thing, but low pay with strings attached, is just wrong.

So I will make a stand...

Should I recieve a telephone interview, I'll accept the idea of a 70% contract. Should I then recieve a 'proper' interview, I'll do my best to impress and hopefully recieve an offer of employment. But, leaving it as late as possible, I will flatly refuse any such contract.

If enough of us do this, Jet2 may just realise that they are losing a stream of quality potential employees. As I mentioned in the earlier post, I would like to work there and would work there with a positive attitude; at any of their bases, to suit the company. And I'm sure there are many others like me.

I am a professional pilot, and will always do my best to bring a professional approach to the job; but, equally, I would always hope (expect?) to be treated the same way.

I love my wife, but wouldn't accept being treated like a :mad: from her; so I have formed the opinion that I wouldn't accept it from any HR or Flight Ops Management, either.

Market forces - yes, I am well aware that T's & C's have been driven down relentlessly. That's no reason to lose a sense of our self-worth. I've been out of work, but I'll just about manage to hold onto my dignity and tell Jet2 to stuff 70%.

Not for my benefit. But ours.

Professional Pilot = Professional Contract. Regardless of operator.

Rant over, I'm not looking for a debate, just clearing the decks.

:ok:

Hi all,

To put things into perspective of how bad the 70% would be I have just been offered a job as a train driver on full time paying about £40k per year with yearly increaments therafter.

The required qualifications were GCSE English and Maths.

The recruitment process involved on line application
Telephone interview
An aptitude test training day
Two one day aptitude assesment days including an interview.
Finally another interview with the Ops Manager.

The training will take 6 months which they will pay for while also paying me to do the training.

While I love flying and would chose to continue with this career if I could, I have a 100% mortgage and a 100% family, and may need to look elsewhere in order to support them.

There will come a time soon when things will have to change as there are only so many parents willing to pay £100k for their kids to follow a dream.

While the younger and lower houred single pilots may be prepared to take these conditions those with families may not.

At the end of the day any airline will offer the minimum they can get away with, they are a business after all. If they can offer 70% and get enough takers then they will be happy. But if those takers are all low houred and inexperienced they may have to offer more to those with more experience if they want a mix of skills.

If Jet2 suck up all the spare low houred guys and other airlines come to the market later in the Autumn they will have to raise their terms.

Regards

Just wondering what the PM is: Are they still recruiting and where do I apply!!!:E

Binsleepen, fair play to you....just sad that you can't continue in what should be a more than viable alternative profession.

binsleepen,
Can you give us some idea of the hours requirement for that job ? will they accept 1500 hours on 'thomas' to go direct entry RHS on the 'eurostar' ?

any info appreciated :}

Its quite clever JET2 are simply getting their retaliation in 1st and foreseeing a small upturn are hoovering up and locking in crew.

Off Topic,

You need to show experience on toy plastic trains then wooden trains and finally Hornby trains as well as a feather from Big Chief I Spy for completing the I Spy book of Trains:O

Regards

binsleepen, see now you are in trouble and you didn't even start to offer a job! I will not be surprise if people start to PM you their CV.

I would like to come back to the UK. I have a 757 rating and 1500 hours on type. I am an Airbus Captain currently, but I can't be bothered to fill out the application and assist the charming Mr Meeson (who I had the misfortune to sit next to at dinner 10 years ago) in degrading our profession further.

70% with no way of flying when they don't need you? :mad::mad::mad:

If you pay £20k to take this awful job and 6 months latter normal contracts with decent employers become available, you'll probably feel quite stupid.

Nearly Man
 

No. It was worse!

Assessment Day
 

Anyone who has been to Jet2 for the full Assessment Day care to share rough details about the experience? Format, tests, interviews, timings etc...?

Thanks in advance

JL:}

HelloFirst of all thank's to everybody.I already applied 2 weeks ago via website for the first officer possition with jet2, but I only have the automatic response from the website Have you any other type of respone?I rode that some people had the phone interview, but I don't know what experience they had.Have you any news?Thank's

It's all gone quiet!!!!

Had a phone interview a couple of weeks ago and heard nothing since!

Does anyone have an update on what is happening and/or feedback from the assessment day last Friday?

Apparently Jet2 were keen to get things moving quickly!

It took them about 7 weeks to get in touch with me after an interview at the end of last year. They don't seem to be in that much of a hurry.

Firestorm the question is this...

Was you successful? Could no news be good news?

The thing I find a bit odd is the person who interviewed me said they was helping out due to HR being too busy... Seems there was no rush after all!

Everytime the phone rings I jump out my skin and I think my iPhone will need a new battery after it's over as I must check my emails 10 times a day!!!!!!

Let's see what happens.....

Bad manners?
 

How many people do you think HR have to deal with this influx of applications? How many applicants would you imagine they have? These all have to be sorted out, people apply for posts they are not qualified for E.G. Application for 757 rated position by 737 qualified pilot, this has to be processed and if HR are feeling kind moved to the correct place. On top of this people without the correct licences apply and swell the workload, despite all the posts on here from people who are very swift to knock the company, a great number have applied and do wish to become part of Jet2.

The airline is not being bad mannered, the HR and Pilot Managment staff involved with this also have to continue with the day job.

M0.76 I was unsuccessful as it happens. I'm not sure how disappointed I was, but not hugely by then.

4S: I think that sorting applications, arranging interviews, and informing people of the outcome is probably a pretty large part of the "day job" for an HR office. I was told at the interview to expect a decision after ten days to two weeks. It's a bit like the pilots not doing the PAs to the passengers because they were getting on with the "day job" of conducting the flight. PAs to the passengers are very much part of that "day job."

Well no news is good news in my book:)

Anyone who 'doesn't make it' getting into Jet2 shouldn't worry as RYR,EZY & BMI are starting to haemorrage crews as the Gulf carriers & BA gobble them up!

T's&C's are going to have to be greatly enhanced at Jet2.com if they are to compete with RYR,EZY,BMI,BA & the Gulf companies for the dwindling numbers of qualified & experienced crews, or indeed, retaining the ones they already have.....

Be ready, prepared & be flexible as the cyclic gathering storm of Pilot Recruitment may be approaching & I hope it will be a feeding frenzy of job offers, counter-offers, sweetners & 'Golden Hello's'.

The accountants & bean counters have had their feast... now it's our turn. Exciting times ahead.
:ok:

Perhaps Daddy-Oh however, EZY, Ryanair and BMi hiring will tend to favour those with A320 and 737NG TR's first.

After than it will probably go to time on jets, turboprop guys, integrated high achievers and modular bods last. Sorry to be devils advocate and maybe stick a pin in the bubble of a recently qualified CPL/IR 250 hour hero reading this.

The aircraft type most affected in the past 3 years of downturn has been the 75/76, through mergers and bankruptcy's. It's these guys who are primarily getting these snide 7 month contracts from TCX and Jet2.

I fear the false recovery we're in just now won't bite until the interest rates rise to combat inflation in the next few years, that will then affect most people's largest outgoing, their mortgage. Granted it won't rise as steeply as it descended (0.5% a month, every month - winter 2008).

When that happens the public tend to cut out luxuries (some regard a holiday as a necessity now, however many do not) and we pilots who also have to keep our repayments on time, resulting in the bean counters still calling the shots for a while yet in my opinion. Late 2012/early 2013 - this is if the Mayan's got their prophecy of the end of the world wrong.

Jet2 seem to do this out of the traditional hiring periods it would appear to see the strength in the marketplace. It gives the HR department a chance to update their databases and top up the hold pool and the bean counters an idea of when they may have to increase the terms and conditions based on the calibre and experience level of those applying.

Glasgow base announced
 

Jet2.com Lands at Glasgow Airport With Nine
Destinations and 150 New Jobs
Jet2.com, the leading leisure airline with friendly low fares, launches eighth base at
Glasgow Airport
Jet2.com, the leading leisure airline with friendly low fares, has today (14 September)
unveiled Glasgow Airport as its eighth and newest base, bringing substantial investment to
the region including 150 new jobs and nine low fare destinations.
Jet2.com is set to deliver its highly successful low fare model at Glasgow which has seen
the airline launch and grow its existing seven UK bases since its inception in early 2003, to
date serving a total of 20 million people and 50 destinations across Europe and as far afield
as New York.
Jet2.com will offer the region’s only direct service to Nice, as well as direct low fare flights
to Alicante, Dalaman, Faro, Tunisia, Majorca, Paphos, Sharm el Sheikh and
Tenerife. Jet2.com’s sister company package holiday specialist, Jet2holidays, will also
offer great value package holidays to these great destinations from Glasgow. Flights are on
sale now from just £36.99 one way including taxes with ATOL protected package holidays
available from £199 per person for 7 nights and will commence operating from March 2011.
As well as giving the travelling public in Glasgow and the West of Scotland even more value
and choice when travelling from the region, the expansion will bring considerable
investment to the area with the creation of 150 new jobs directly with Jet2.com and also in
supporting industries.
One 757 and one 737 aircraft will be based at Glasgow from the launch in March 2011. Both
aircraft will feature Jet2.com’s brand new look interiors and ergonomically designed
seating which has been specially commissioned to make the in-seat experience more
comfortable and accommodating, whilst saving weight and therefore using less fuel.
Ian Doubtfire, Managing Director of Jet2.com, said: “We are thrilled to be launching at
Glasgow Airport and feel that the region will benefit considerably from our friendly low fare
service and the resulting investment into the area. It has been a turbulent time for the
travel industry with some airlines and operators ceasing to trade this year. In contrast, we
have continued to go from strength to strength - including the launch of a new base at East
Midland’s Airport this time last year and significant growth from our existing airport bases.

Dreamshiner

'The aircraft type most affected in the past 3 years of downturn has been the 75/76' - there is still contract work available for these. The real dead-ends are probably Fokkers and Avro RJ/146 and I'm almost at a dead-end myself.:{

I'll get my coat. :E

Hi. Does anyone have any feedback from the assessment day please.
Thanks :ok: