Accrington Web - View Single Post - Cheap Flights, slightly related to the chicken debate

Boeing Guy · 08-02-2008, 06:10

Okay so maybe this is related to the chicken debate, after all it is consumerism.
So next time you get a flight with a certain Irish airline for one pound bear this in mind.....
The First Officer, he will have paid between £40,000 and £80,000 to get his commercial pilots license, then he will have paid this company £50 for them to look at his CV. If he get's to the next stage he is charged £300 for interview and Simulator Check. If he passes, he is offered a Type Rating Course on the Boeing 737, so he pays £20,000 and off he goes to do this, none of his training costs includes living expenses. If he passes and some don't, they lose all that money they have paid this Airline, He is then offered Line Training, Now he gets paid, 1200 Euro's per month.
After 6 months of this he is offered a contract as a contract pilot the pay is 60 Euros per hour.
You are self employed and therefore are responsible for your own tax. However there are some conditions, you pay 5 Euros per hour for your continuing training costs, (Two sim checks per year, and some classroom), 75 Euro's per month for car parking. You are paid for scheduled hours as per the timetable, that's why these guys are early at times. With this in mind that means you are NOT paid for the 1.30 before departure when you report to the crew room to do the paperwork, nor are you paid during your turn around and finally when you return to base you have yet more paperwork and no pay for that. The cost for your uniform is also taken out of your pay packet.
Now it is recommended that when you fly you should have water to rehydrate and this airline is one of the very few who refuses to give it's pilots water, so you have a choice, either pay on the airplane through the nose, or pay on the airside of the airport, through the nose, because crew are subject to the same restrictions as passengers.
SO you might think that the Captain is better off, well he is better paid, but subject to exactly the same as a First Officer in fact he could have started as a FO a few years ago.
So why work for them, well the Aviation industry is a very hard industry to get into and lots of wanabee's will do anything to get a job. The cabin crew also have to pay for everything as well, I am not sure of the cost's involved.
Don't get me wrong, this airline complies with all current legistlation and is running a safe operation.
I would not work or fly with them though.
But the poor Passenger, they have to buy and drink on board and a sandwich, pay for any luggage and pay for checking in at the airport. The Airport they arrive at is miles from anywhere and when they complain they get nowhere.
SO why do we fly with them, maybe it is because it is cheap and we like things that are cheap, the quality may not be as good, but who gives a
s

t, I'm alright mate, so sod everyone else.

And you know the funny thing is this, there is an Airline in the USA that started this LO cost flying off in the early 70's (sorry it was not Sir Freddy Laker), they are called Southwest, staff are looked after and so are the passengers and they are the standard for low cost aviation the world over.
Right rant over and thanks for putting up with me for so long, I'm off to get a cup off coffee.

08-02-2008, 06:10	#1
Boeing Guy JFT96 Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: In the Sky, yeeeehawwwww Posts: 2,136 Blog Entries: 6 Liked: 273 times Rep Power: 24794	Cheap Flights, slightly related to the chicken debate Okay so maybe this is related to the chicken debate, after all it is consumerism. So next time you get a flight with a certain Irish airline for one pound bear this in mind..... The First Officer, he will have paid between £40,000 and £80,000 to get his commercial pilots license, then he will have paid this company £50 for them to look at his CV. If he get's to the next stage he is charged £300 for interview and Simulator Check. If he passes, he is offered a Type Rating Course on the Boeing 737, so he pays £20,000 and off he goes to do this, none of his training costs includes living expenses. If he passes and some don't, they lose all that money they have paid this Airline, He is then offered Line Training, Now he gets paid, 1200 Euro's per month. After 6 months of this he is offered a contract as a contract pilot the pay is 60 Euros per hour. You are self employed and therefore are responsible for your own tax. However there are some conditions, you pay 5 Euros per hour for your continuing training costs, (Two sim checks per year, and some classroom), 75 Euro's per month for car parking. You are paid for scheduled hours as per the timetable, that's why these guys are early at times. With this in mind that means you are NOT paid for the 1.30 before departure when you report to the crew room to do the paperwork, nor are you paid during your turn around and finally when you return to base you have yet more paperwork and no pay for that. The cost for your uniform is also taken out of your pay packet. Now it is recommended that when you fly you should have water to rehydrate and this airline is one of the very few who refuses to give it's pilots water, so you have a choice, either pay on the airplane through the nose, or pay on the airside of the airport, through the nose, because crew are subject to the same restrictions as passengers. SO you might think that the Captain is better off, well he is better paid, but subject to exactly the same as a First Officer in fact he could have started as a FO a few years ago. So why work for them, well the Aviation industry is a very hard industry to get into and lots of wanabee's will do anything to get a job. The cabin crew also have to pay for everything as well, I am not sure of the cost's involved. Don't get me wrong, this airline complies with all current legistlation and is running a safe operation. I would not work or fly with them though. But the poor Passenger, they have to buy and drink on board and a sandwich, pay for any luggage and pay for checking in at the airport. The Airport they arrive at is miles from anywhere and when they complain they get nowhere. SO why do we fly with them, maybe it is because it is cheap and we like things that are cheap, the quality may not be as good, but who gives a st, I'm alright mate, so sod everyone else. And you know the funny thing is this, there is an Airline in the USA that started this LO cost flying off in the early 70's (sorry it was not Sir Freddy Laker), they are called Southwest, staff are looked after and so are the passengers and they are the standard for low cost aviation the world over. Right rant over and thanks for putting up with me for so long, I'm off to get a cup off coffee.