Could a Monarch pilot comment on T's & C's ?
 

My missus and I are seriously mooting an application to the Spotty M as a career alternative to millions of sectors in my 737 . . .

We really like the companies high standing in the UK but are wondering about the following:

1. Will there be any recruiting this winter?

2. Might they like my B757 rating?

3. What are their rostering practices like. I.E. time at home vs time away?

Probably a long shot in this sullen market but any comments will be welcome.

Thanks.

Unless you want to wait 15 years for a command I should stay put .

Ouch. Puts the moccas on that one.

(Thanks BTW)

15 years? Sorry but with very low post counts I don't quite believe the info source. Hope I'm wrong because if it's true that really is OUCHH!

Time to the left seat will vary but i guess you can halve 15.

I have heard we will be recruiting but i have also heard we wont. Still making up their minds / seeing how the winter and summer 2003 are looking. A type rating would, i guess, help.

Time away? Depends on lots of things. Man and LGW based, not v often. Ltn based more often.

T and C's getting worse, but they all are arent they?

I can confirm qwertyuiop's words apart from time to command. At least ten years, probably fifteen to change seat for a new entrant as all seniority based. If you are a 320 driver then there are no foreign night stops and a decreasing amount on the 757. There can be a lot in Bahrain on the 300 and the 330 is crewed from senior 320 pilots. 320 (and 757) pilots out of Luton do a lot of schedules as do an increasing number of 320 Manchester pilots.

One or two new 321s comming for next summer.

7 years seems a tad optimistic qwertyuiop. That would require an average of over 20 commands a year. I think 10 is perhaps nearer the mark, however I hope your right.

Time to command currently running at about 9+ years. Not a particularly happy ship.

looking at the seniority list I still say 7 years is a good guess for those that joined about 4 years ago. What nobody can do is look ahead and be accurate for somebody who may join this winter.

I do agree it is not a happy outfit down south!!!

Not a particularly jolly lot up north either by all accounts

joined nearly 4 years ago, still have 90+ ahead of me
7 years to command! I think not! maybe another 10 from now!

Time to command - probably 7 to ten years at present. Next F/O on list joined 7.5 years ago.

Unhappy? Which Airline doesn't have it's fair share of whiners? The acid test is how many leave before retirement. Answer - Not a lot. Read what you will into that.

I have been with Spotty M for 8 1/2 years and have no intention of leaving them.

The only BIG question is whether the final salary pension scheme would be available to new entrants. If it were to be available then I would suggest (IMHO) that Spotty M is one of the very best to join.

Rarely The reason Pilots dont move much is because of the seniority system which maakes moving a big gamble.

Just stumbled across this thread and have been with M for twelve years, yes ,time to command is slow at the moment and has left some fo `s disgruntled.Especially when they look around and see easyjet offering people quick commands. However, theres more to it than that. Monarch have never gone in for outrageous growth only to cut back two years later with redundancies and demotion.Growth is always slow and steady but secure. Salary and conditions are some of the best in the industry (although as alluded to already ,being put under pressure at the mo)but just as important in my opinion is the attitude of the flying management which always tries to support flight crew instead of guilty until found innocent which pervades some companies.
In the time i`ve been with M i have seen the demise of Air Europe, TEA, Inter European, Paramount,British Island Airways, Dan Air to name but a few.
Dont just look at the bright lights.

Buzz Lightyear, could you give us a heads up as to the present state of recruitment at Monarch this Autumn?

Monarch always was a good airline and with the final salary pension its the best financial plan I can see in these doldrums.

Thanks in anticipation of any info.

Monarch pilots have just received a 'State of the Nation' letter from the flight deck management in respect of the (ongoing) 2002 Pay Agreement.

It seems likely that recruitment (if any) will be small numbers and there is even a fairly strong rumour of summer only contracts.

Just have to wait and see.

A first officer with whom I flew last week has a freind coming out the mob shortly and he has been invited for interview.As for numbers, I have it on good authority it will be more than people think and hopefully will go some way to ameliorate the feelings mentioned in my previous post.
At the end of the day, put a group of pilots in a room together and eventually they will get round to whinging about hours ,conditions,time to command (I myself waited 8 years-joined in 1990),balpa ,etc but I firmly believe if you could put all your problems in a brown paper bag and throw them in a hat then most (I guess not all) monarch pilots would make sure they got the same paper bag out.

Final salary pension scheme to be scrapped for new joiners.