Yeah, don't make false statements in the interview like you did here. And to don't be again disappointed, just read more carefully everything from now on. Good luck if you can make it.

are they still advertising for B767 temp contracts?
what s the contact

Seems a lovely place to work with friendly colleques like Pikee and Vokes...Imagine 10 hours on 787 with them...FR are still looking lol

No temp contracts

so they take permanent crews? any contacts

I must have missed the 'L' out, didn't mean to sound derogatory.. I know a tattoo parlour where you can have the TUI Smile put on your skinny arm

Just by way of addressing some of the bickering that has crept into this thread, having just retired after 37 years with the company I think that I am qualified to observe that this is a very good employment opportunity. Great colleagues in all departments, excellent training,well maintained aircraft, a variety of lifestyles in long and short haul, good Ts and Cs. Yes of course the management are always knocking on the door to try and extract more, but the BALPA Company Council do an excellent job in keeping the wolf from the door as much as possible. Of all the UK based employment opportunities currently available I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it as a good career choice. Colleagues who, in recent years, have joined from other operators have in my experience been unanimous in their view that they made the right choice. I fully appreciate that it is not the same deal that I signed up to many years ago, but still worthy of very serious consideration. Right...back to my pipe and slippers!

Agreed. Without doubt one of the top three jobs in the UK. Offers some of the best pay and conditions of any UK airline, opportunity to live almost anywhere in GB (some 787 guys and girls live on the continent/islands in between!) , short and long haul dependent on your wants/circumstances, round the world trips, detachments, different part time contracts and many other lifestyle choices not available at many G-reg operators.

Is it what Britannia and Air Leisure were 20 years ago? No. But nowhere is. A comparatively strong union seem to keeping this one of of the best jobs out there. Good luck to those who applied!

hi
does anybody have the contact for TUI? I hear they have 767 British crews flying out of Scandinavia or shall I contact the Swedes directly?
cheers

It's not a contract position, and the recruitment is all done via advertised campaigns. The last of which closed a few weeks ago, so you've missed this time around. Perhaps there will be another round next year?

Anyone able to describe the promotion to captain prospects for someone joining tui in the UK please? Is it on merit or time etc? How long would you be looking at?
Well done to all those recently recruited.

Seniority, suitability and personal choice re type, base etc

Time to command is a difficult one to predict. Currently it is around the 10 year mark, but who knows by the time 10 years comes about....Based on past experience it is probably fair to say that it’s somewhere between 8-17 years.

Guys, how easy is it to commute on the 787 fleet? Is it do-able to commute from an European base?

Like guys who are flying for BA but living at FRA and commute for their flights from LHR..

Seems like a nice place.

Doable.

The 787 is a quiet fleet in the Summer, so definitely possible. And if you take a winter basing in Scandinavia (very junior bid at the moment) you get a minimum of 5 days off between trips if you pick the commuting option. You then pay/book for your flights back home yourself and the company reimburse that cost against receipts. That's your best option, and fortunately for you it's the easiest bid on the 787 to get.

I know one chap on the 787 commuting to mainland Europe. I'm sure there are others.

As above but also consider that the 787 fleet will be increasing its SH exposure over the coming years, presently 2 frames do summer SH. This will increase which wont be commuter friendly.

Hearing that tui airways is recruiting on all fleets.......any information anyone?

Recruitment is open today until 6th April.

Looking for non-rated as well as 737, 7576 and 787 pilots.

See https://tuijobsuk.co.uk for more.

Interesting to note that, even for type-rated candidates, you still have to pay £7k in the first year for "training costs." For NTR candidates it's £21k over 3 years as before.

Caveat emptor. Thomson is not the Britannia Airways of yore. Little stunts like asking for 7k for tr training costs should give you a clue. This is symptomatic of flight ops management who I would not buy a used car from. There is a big push to drive costs down and no surprise, pilots are the target. Reduced pension contributions, ludicrous basing arrangements, reduced allowances etc, etc. Once a really great company, now not so much.

I can't really get my head around many people who'd be willing to spend up to half the year (in the winter) in the Nordics on a permanent basis. And from the wording in the advert you don't even know if that will be the case with the contract until later on.

switch, our management are currently out of touch at the moment. Hopefully due for a reset soon otherwise they will struggle to recruit and retain pilots, we've already had a few leave due to the constant onslaught. In the past few years affecting new joiners - Fixed term contracts, PPY50, pay to join, pensions reduced, dual basing, no bonus paid (which has 5% pension flex for new joiners) and a recent document explaining how we're not cost effective versus flybe/wizzair and we must all take a 20% cut to our lifestyle benefits/T&Cs.

The good news is an unprecedented response from the pilot work force currently going through the usual failure to agree processes, I guess we shall wait and see how this affects the current landscape. In all its a good company to work for, strong union representation and great staff, your just not appreciated by management, constantly fed spin/lies. I guess this is the current era of management. Most airlines in the UK have had their battles recently, this is our one.

I don't think that's all totally fair. it certainly doesn't have the benefits that Britannia of the 80's had but it's still well within the top three best carriers in the UK to work for (currently).

Looking past the ridiculous training cost arrangement which isn't popular with the work force in the slightest, AT THE MOMENT it's a great company to be at. People will compare it to what is was years ago and it certainly isn't that. If you want the option of living in "the regions", not commute and dabble with short and long haul then its the best airline in the UK to work for.

There are negotiations ongoing which have lets say, raised a few eye brows, but the airline has one of the strongest unions in the land and it's fair to say the workforce are severely pushing back on any changes that aren't positive, especially during the current recruitment climate and record company profits. I agree with Olster on a number of points he/she makes but none the less I believe it's still a great place to be with fantastic colleagues.

The Nordic operation is for 757/767 and 787 pilots. 737 will be UK based with the opportunity to go to Canada in the winter should you wish to bid. There is an accommodation option and and commuting option in Scandinavia (minimum 5 days off between trips - which you will need to commute during). All flights, trains, taxis etc are paid. It suits some and not others but if you're looking long term and are willing to do the Nordic op for a time period you can bid off at any point.

It's very hard to passionately say "apply!" because it's uncertain where the current negotiations will take the work force, but there's no harm in applying and going to find out what they have to say on the assessment day! I've been in the company a small number of years now and have loved every minute. Wouldn't want to be anywhere else. I hope it stays that way.

It was a great company, at the moment it's a great company (compared the vast majority in the UK despite cuts in Ts and Cs over the years). Time will tell if that remains to be the case...

Thanks for those responses.

Er, I am being spectacularly fair. In fact my views on your management would be interspersed with expletive deletives if I was not restricted by common sense on a public forum. This is because I am aware of their extremely dubious moral compass or basically complete lack of one. I worked for Britannia Airways from back in the late 70s and it was undoubtedly a great airline. It would be extremely unrealistic to expect that now. However, you can live in your cosy bubble but the truth is different. It is certainly not in the 'top 3' uk airlines but hey, that is just my opinion.

However, also in fairness... I do agree that there are a lot of very good people in the workforce who do the job on a daily basis, pilots, crew etc. Ill served by the management unfortunately. When I was there Balpa struggled to deal with this brave new world of immoral management and the creeping Ryanairisation that is endemic in the industry. The previous 'partnership ' between reasonable managers and the pilot union has been ripped asunder. I don't want to be harsh to the guys / gals there now but it is disappointing to see where it has gone. A view shared by us old fogeys. Good luck anyway.

I left Tui/Thomson about eighteen months ago after a decent innings in the lhs on the 75/76. The outstanding terms and conditions created by the Britannia CC in days gone by have been under constant attack since the merger with First Choice; they were in reality quite unsustainable in current market conditions and potential new recruits should be under no illusion that what is on offer is very different from that enjoyed by senior pilots in the Company. That being said, TUI operates a varied fleet and is a significant UK operator of the 787 with an expanding longhaul programme not to mention the replacement of the 737 fleet with new for old in the not to distant future. Part-time working is a popular option for both individuals and the Company but make no mistake, you will be worked hard for your money ! The training department is very good despite their endless changes of SOP's. The Company Council fights hard to restrict the constant pressure from Board level management in both UK and Germany.

TUI is definitely worth serious consideration but go in with your eyes open.

It’s an outstanding airline if you joined in the 70. A great airline if you joined in the 80s. A good airline in the 90s. Not bad compared to the low costs, if you joined in 00s. Probably better than the LCCs if you joined in the
10s. And what the company is proposing now, will put it on par with the LCCs ...but with a 15 year wait for a command. Oh and the chance of flying a B787.

Commuting Mainland Europe or Canary Islands
 

Anybody can tell if is commuting Doable from UK bases to Canary Islands or Europe mainland on the 737 fleet ? What about on the 787 as well ?

Anyone would like to share how the rosters on 787 look like ? How many days youre in the uk ?

Air Uk

From what I understand the boys and girls in Scandiland do get home quite often but clearly it can get difficult with winter weather and the lack of direct flights to certain UK bases - you may get used to Schipol !

There are the odd one or two pilots who commute from the Low Countries and the Channel Islands but from what I have been told, its not easy and quite wearing. Not sure if the Company would be very enthusiastic to such a proposal from a new recruit.

The 767 is doing Far East trips from Scandi in the winter.

The 757 is slowly dying on the vine so I would not make too many assumptions about anything other than the 73 and 78.

Staff Travel when I left was not easy due to understaffing.

Working environment is very friendly despite one or two dinosaurs in the LHS who will bore you to death about the size of their FS pension pots.

Please accept a health warning on these comments as I am out of the loop but still in contact with some on the coalface.

Do any of the regional basing options include NWI? Thanks

No. Operated by Sunwing.

The people I know in TUI/Thomson all say that it’s a great crowd to work with, and arguably it has been up there with BA/VS as a career until recently.

I have been tempted in the past, but as a TR applicant I just object to paying £7k for an OCC. Have never had a problem with bonds etc for TR’s, but I refuse in principle to pay that for the minimal training required. Also, being married with kids I don’t want to risk the possibility of spending winters in the Nordic countries away from the family.

It seems obvious that management are determined to drive the airline side towards low-cost Ts&Cs. I really hope that the union guys can hold that off, but think that for new joiners there’s a real risk that you’ll wait 10yrs+ for a command in an airline that is by then a LoCo along the lines of EZ/J2.

Just my rambling thoughts.

And another thing... as we were referring to the good operational people @ Thomson which is indeed true. I left as a trainer and in terms of the office staff that I had direct dealings with, absolutely superb. Long standing Britannia employees, very good at their jobs, polite, friendly and always helpful. Many culled due longevity and ergo, expensive. Thomson, in terms of the pilots are trading on the industry reputation which was hard won on the basis of the fabled (but real) partnership between the company and the pilot group. That was when the flight ops managers were gentlemen and had integrity. Be careful what you wish for.

But nonetheless valid, I agree with your points.

Does anyone know if you want a Nordic base, if it's possible to live there all year? Or be based there permanently.

Thanks

Perm base - no. You could take a winter base and commute in the summer. I imagine commuting in the summer will only be possible on the 787 because of the block of days off after each trip. 75/6 will be too busy in the summer to commute, although some people manage.

Having been TCX not TUI mind, I can say charter is a great lifestyle and job. If you are close to a LCC command, personally I think you would be bonkers to join the long queue there. Just my two pence worth but I guess it depends on what you value most, your age and career aspirations. Good luck I know people in both scenarios and both are very happy

I suspect one reason that there been few if any responses forthcoming is that people aren’t sure anymore! Thomson/TUI used to be regarded as a career airline and very good one at that -arguably the only real improvement would be to move to BA, and even then not many people did.

But things have changed dramatically over the recent past. The senior management team in TUI are emulating Ryanair in their approach to flight ops and pilots and doing all they can to reduce the terms and conditions, which once made TUI the airline of choice. The management are trying as best they can to more closely align our T&Cs with LCC around Europe. While the pilots through their BALPA representatives are trying their best to resist this onslaught, it is difficult to say anymore whether leaving your airline to come here would be a good move. If management get their way and impose the massive and significant reduction to our T&Cs, then I suspect the over whelming opinion would be not to join. In effect you would be leaving an airline with a short time to command to join one with a much longer time. TUI is not a happy place at present!