Monarch
 

hello,
just general how company doing ?
hows it to work ?

recruitment ,question on what to expect on the Interview in Luton and the Sim ?

I have been in the company for around 6 years ,
Although we have had some ups and downs I still believe that Monarch is one of the better places to work . The package is still very good compared to other airlines ...
During our only crisis recently ( not the one a few months ago which was caused by enthusiastic plane spotters but the one in 2014) lots of my friends and colleagues left to other airlines BA, Easy etc... and the grass isn't always greener
They regret there decision
Lots of rumours at the moment regarding LH
Quick time to command , around 6 years (I'm due soon)
Easy days out (2 sectors)
Fantastic guys and gals like a small flying club
Not sure about the current recruitment

Yeah yeah, keep denying it but we know the truth.

I'm sure you "all" do , it's amazing the negativity monarch has from fellow aviators ?
It's as if Monarch is an airline which is new in the industry crushing T&Cs for all involved ?

I was one of those that left and believe me I wish I had not. It's a great company with lovely people, decent 2 sector rosters, good pay and conditions. The only negative is that constant dark cloud that hangs over it and questions regarding its current ownership and their plans for the future. If you can live with that and the airline lasts you will be rewarded with in my opinion the best job in the UK.

I agree with you Enzo , the only negative (which alas is a big one ) is the dark cloud .
But I believe in this industry there is always a pay off , some folks love working as a number in a huge organisation with rock solid stability but fly till you die work . But I prefer an easy lifestyle ( max pay for least work ) while it lasts

JFP,

You have absolutely no idea what really happened! It never surprises me how some (emphasis on "some") of our colleagues from our competitors would rather we sank as an airline. How sad!

At the moment the company is in as good a financial position it has ever been and I am quite optimistic about the future. The company knows it has to expand and longhaul is a strong possibility sooner rather than later. Despite what some say, I am impressed with Greybull who come across as very business savvy. It is clear they want to grow the airline and our current CEO Andrew Swaffield is one of the very best in his field.

I joined in Spring last year and overall I am very happy. The vast majority of my colleagues are first class, both as pilots and people. I nearly always have a good day out! A pleasant place to work without doubt. Summers are extremely busy and winters much quieter.

Selection is fairly straightforward. Online testing followed by a selection day at Luton including a group exercise, a briefing exercise and interview. Be yourself they know what type of person they are looking for! Sim ride was straightforward and fairly similar to most other airlines. They are hot on decision making and situational awareness as an airline and if you display these qualities in the sim, you will pass no problem. Not looking for perfection, just improvement and above all operate safely!

Good luck.

Where did I say that I would like to see Monarch disappear? Correct I didn't, and nor would I. Having suffered that fate at a previous employer I wouldn't wish it on my own worst enemy. However there can be no doubt that at the end of October 16 Monarch were right in the brink, no matter how much you don't like it and don't want to believe it. I hope Monarch continue to prosper, but their situation and their constantly changing model does give rise to concern.

What happened last autumn was almost a self fulfilling prophecy. Prior to the ATOL debacle, the company was NOT in financial difficulty but with the conspiring circumstmaces that developed, was almost pushed to the brink! Not having to bond our flights only, is a millstone we have gladly shed!

Exactly what the Mantegazza's and Greybull conspired to do their employees in August 2014.

Ask your Captain (who has been there for twenty+ years) about his DB pension and loss of all the increments he had earned due long service and loyalty.

They are taking a hit that is in the hundreds of thousands of pounds - just like the British Midland pensioners.

Greybull had an airline that had nearly 50 aircraft but were only interested in an airline with 32 aircraft.

There is a degree of paranoia displayed by a couple of posters on here that indicate that their fellow pilots, in other airlines, wish they would fail. Absolute nonsense.

I hope to god that Monarch survive - I genuinely do - but some of the comments on here are best described as delusional.

I left fairly recently and don't regret it. I have seen too many of my friends wake up in the morning and find that they have lost their job. I will do everything within my power to stop that happening to myself.

I still can't work out the logic of doing a switch from Airbus to Boeing at such a critical stage in the airline's recovery. Airbus are still scratching their heads.

Best of luck.

Just out of interest would anyone care to share the latest financial package on offer for a Monarch Captain?

It would be interesting to compare it to Easy, Ryanair, Norwegian and Jet2.

I think Monarch is, and always was, a class act. Very hopeful for its future.

You Airbus guys looking forward to the MAX? When will we see them on the ramp? Which bases will see them first? At one point I saw an ad for hiring pilots with 737 type/experience for the MAX - is that still the case?

Cuillin Hills sums up my feelings on Monarch very nicely having been one of those longtermers.

I have been on PPRUNE a very long time but I have never been called paranoid or delusional! :rolleyes:

Anyway, for the avoidance of doubt, no one knows how things will pan out with Monarch. Five years down the road will Monarch exist in its present form or be merged/subsumed with another airline?

Whilst I'm a recent joiner, I have friends who have been at Monarch for many years. The Mantegazza family ran the airline for their own ends and then summarily ditched it when it no longer served their needs. Many loyal and long serving employees were shafted no two ways about it. That said, if it wasn't for the rescue package put forward by Greybull in late 2014, none of us would be in a job. The rescue was painful, extremely painful even but by then Monarch had run out of options. Slashing the final salary pension scheme, cutting salaries and working hours was inevitable. Whilst the airline was saved, the process generated bitterness and resentment from some senior employees. Many left or simply retired but a few stayed on. They are easy to spot in the crew room and everyone knows who they are. Thankfully there aren't that many! There are quite a few long term employees who are still guarded about the future and that is understable but we are where we are! The move to a low cost model has been a success, albeit painful. Longhaul was stopped because it was never done efficiently, not my words but those of long standing in the airline. Moving forward if Monarch think they can do longhaul efficiently and profitably they will do it as there is definitely a market for it!

As to why the fleet change, no one knows for certain but I have heard the following. Airbus seemed to have lost interest whereas Boeing were dead keen on creating a new relationship and the subsequent terms and conditions offered were far more suitable for Monarch. I don't believe anyone at Airbus was scratching their heads because of the fleet change decision contrary to what has been said by another poster. However, the fleet change is a logistical nightmare and how it's all going to work out is anyone's guess! There is talk of A321s remaining at LGW because of slot restrictions which is another complication!

For those that are interested, the basic salary quoted on PPJN for a year 1 FO is correct. When I joined we were only offered a 10/13 contract but very soon after were offered 12/13 which I'm now on. Those that want it are now going full time from this May. I haven't got time to dig out the exact figures, but there's also flight pay, pension, private medical, LoL insurance and 30 days annual leave. However, where PPJN is wrong is saying that the travel perks are rubbish which they most definitely now are not! In fact they are really quite good and include standby with many other airlines like BA and Emirates.

Anyway, in a nutshell, I am paid on time every time and I am treated like an individual. The company is very reasonable and accommodating most of the time and genuinely a nice place to work. Unless things change dramatically, I plan to see my career out at Monarch if I can!

Crosswind

I don't understand what your point is, should they all have left?

Alycidon,

I didn't have a specific point as such and no of course they shouldn't necessarily have left the company.

I'm glad in a way that Monarch has had its change or modernisation as they like to call it . Pre 2014 the airline was almost like a legacy carrier from the 60s ,
Lots of the 20+ year captains were living the life of Larry , 600 hours a year mixed fleet on full pay , a monthly week trip to the Maldives or Goa etc.. , staying in a nice all inclusive and still getting £1k worth of voyage pay ,
A pension which would give them 60k a year ? (Better than the top legacy carriers)
Whilst all this was happening the orange airline and the Irish airline were appearing and squashing T&Cs , making everything cheaper ,the start of the race to the bottom ,
So we had to do something to compete , and for now it's worked ,
I find it very frustrating when the older guys moan about how they lost out , whilst deep down I know I will never see that type of remuneration and lifestyle ,
Look at BA SH modernising , BOB food , smaller seats , pp34 , lots of bad press recently , supposedly a unhappy place to work especially with Mr Cruz at the helm ,
Why pay £150 for BA when you could pay £70 for easy ? Same package , easy is probably better in there own game
Everyone has felt the squeeze and these are the toughest aviation conditions ever with over saturated roots , terror , fuel ...

But considering all of this I still get my 4300k a month (6yr fo) and I'm part time , still fly with my friends , and always have a great day out ! Even if Monarch ever went tits up ( considering it is the oldest airline in the U.K. It hasn't done too bad ) I'm sure it would be bought or absorbed into another airline , thus no job loss (no pilots have ever been let loose)

£4300 a month part time!!! Maybe with 5 day off working payments. The conditions are decent at Mon but not that good.

Do you have the ctc bond repayment worth about 500 I think ? I try and get 2 DOW a month

I'm 12/13ths so not really that part time

Ok that's makes more sense, even so £4300 must be a good month I can't imagine you were taking home that much during the winter months. Even so I totally agree with you comments about the old guard at Monarch they enjoyed terms and conditions the rest of us will never experience, unfortunately this industry has gone backwards and Monarch needed to join the rest at the bottom.

Just went through my finances and that is average , well completely average would be £4220 (2016) were you a CTC grad ? That really does top it up ! It's a great shame about the overall state of things at play in the industry ! May I ask Enzo where you went to after Mon ? Just for interest

No was not CTC, so I guess if your figure includes top up payments for that it would make sense as I say most months I was taking home between 3.5 and 3.8 a month. I went to BA, heard about guys getting quick commands so thought I would join them, unfortunately I am now sat at the bottom of a seniority list longer than a phone book with no movement expected any time soon, still as the saying goes you win some and you loose some.

Snapper, what was done with the final salary pension was criminal in my and I believe many other people's minds. I and many others will not get what we put into our final salary pension, nor will we ever get a large proportion of the companies contribution of what was basically defered pay. If I did that to you then you would call it theft.

Not a criticism of ZB, rather the industry, but I'm not aware of any other profession where professionals are prepared to go on seasonal (10/13 etc.) pay and contracts in the quiet months just to start employment having payed for their own professional licence. We are our own worst enemies at times.

Enzo - we get some strange bond repayment scheme not entirely sure how it works . I know some guys that went to BA , heard it's like marmite. At least you don't have the cloud

Alloy - It is definitely criminal what the company has done or should I say what the mantagezzas have done , Is the reason they did it so the company was attractive for a purchase ?
I love working part time !! The way you should look at it is essentially working less for more income (tax reasons) also in the winters you would just be sitting around on standby , besides I flex a week in winter if I have no plans , tops the salary back up ! Win win !
The way the industry is going most people will burn out after a career in aviation unless they go part time .
You need to talk to the cadets at Ryanair and easy , pay to fly anyone ? Flexiscrew , they have screwed it for us

Sounds very much like you're alright Jack. Well done.
I remember people on here 7-8 years ago encouraging everyone to join as it was the best T&C's about, while others could see the huge pension hole for what it was turning the company into.
A bit less of the wallet waving and a bit more educated delving into future plans would serve you well.

Renort do you really think in this world that there is such a thing as a job for life ? I can't think of any airline that was the same as it was 7-8 years ago ( although Thomson I hear is very good still)
The whole purpose of this thread was how is monarch doing ? How is it to work there ?

Monarch is doing ok .
To work here it is excellent! Great people !treated like an adult ! But as explained there is always a slight niggle in the back of your mind regarding the future , if you can get over that keep your head down and just enjoy your life then you will be rewarded with one of the best airlines in the U.K.

The family wound the company up for a number of reasons, the pension defecit being one, but also increased financial regulation made their money laundering much more difficult.The industry had changed and a failure to invest and move with the times meant they were actually going to have to spend serious amounts of money.
They have now moved into river cruises with their company Avalon waterways,and property As the airline was being deliberately prepared for execution they purchased a lot of brand new vessels, and built the Palazzo Mantegazza in Lugano.

GDAJB

There's no sabre waving and I can't argue with your fair comments. Tubby and Snapper5 also more or less summarise Monarch's issues which finally came to a head in late 2014.

A couple of years ago I watched the film 'Wall Street' even though it is over 30 years old.

It involves Michael Douglas thinking he is very clever in maximising money for himself (and only himself) as he s****s some airline employees in the Midwest US.

Some of the parallels with Monarch were uncanny.

I am sure there was a Gordon Gecko somewhere in the midst of the negotiations (at some, no doubt, swanky villa/hotel somewhere) as the Greybull 'team' discussed the best options with the Mantegazza 'team' as to how to do what was best for them.

As people have said already - the pension theft was criminal.

The people at Monarch are, generally, superb. It needs more than that, though.

A poster boy for the Ruinair generation. So Sad. Used to be a profession once believe or not. Now snot nosed idiots who would sell their granny if it got them "advancement" on the declining slippery pole on the race to the bottom

45989

Yes it used to be a great Profession ! Until airlines started selling you a dream
Very sad , then you get guys on here bitterly hoping that a good airline with still respectable terms should fold ? Also sad ?
Maybe we could drag everyone down and start a new level of low cost . Level ? now that sounds familiar

Where, on here, has anyone said that?

Some people have been in the industry a long time and have seen how airlines and their owners work. Sometimes good. Sometimes bad. Perhaps they are just being practical but you are misunderstanding that? The more you come out with sentences like the above then the more likely the word 'paranoia' gets used.

People have been very supportive and complimentary of the airline, in general, and quite right too.

Excellent post, by the way, G-DAJB.

Put aside the issues which are largely now put in the past which have been discussed already.

Some of the great things about the company:
-Brilliant people and good working relationship between crew and flight deck
-Good T&C'S
-Good overtime rate £448
-Good definition of a day off
-Easy day at work. 2 sectors and 99% of the time have a cracking day out at "work"
-Good training department

You could do a lot lot lot worse. Overall, a great place to work in my opinion.

GDAJB

A mature and measured reply to some rather disappointing and selfish comments from other readers. Your articulate reflection of a once great Company and a bygone era is extremely accurate, as is the mention of pay & conditions 15-20 years ago. Thankfully, as you say, the culture of such a legacy remains in those still working there. It is the people, ultimately, that makes the airline what it is...or isn't!

One of the best and somewhat poignant posts I've read in a very long time. Thank you.

GDAJB

An eloquent post clearly borne out of a long association with the 'Monarch family'! There is definitely a legacy feel to many of my more senior colleagues, both pilots and cabin crew.

Monarch is by and large a warm and friendly airline and I'm proud to be part of the team. The training cadre is second to none. High standards are expected but with that comes empathy and understanding from the trainers. A very pastoral approach, where if you show hard work, potential and importantly, humility, you will be nurtured and your potential ultimately fulfilled.

There is a 'Monarch type' and the recruitment team have known this for years - birds of a feather............... :ok:

Us older ones have a lot of affection for MON. I learnt much from a true legend there GE the ex Crewing Manager whose base line answer was always NO.
But what about this n that that other Airlines get - NO.
But despite this everyone I knew at MON loved working there.
At the same time MON were competing with Britannia and they have survived with many of the "benefits" that MON Staff have lost so you can understand some of the angst.

I'm going to be starting with Monarch non type rated soon and am very much looking forward to it. Throughout the whole interview process it felt very warm and friendly and the impression from everyone I met working for the company was always positive so am looking forward to becoming part of the team.

DH626

Welcome onboard ! You will thoroughly enjoy it

As an ex LHS chap from F.C. (but without any staff travel)...I regularly fly Monarch to the Canaries and Faro.....because my wife and I like it.

In particular the attitude of the cabin staff leaves us both happy and looking forward to the next trip.

Keep it up team!