Air Transat interview - Potential lay off in the fall???

[ontheBUS]

Question for the Transat guys :
I just got called for an Air Transat interview and they advised me of a potential lay off in the fall. Why is that?
I can't leave a good job to go work for you and then get let go a few months later. Please have some respect towards pilots.
Thanks.

[Jack Klumpus]

Time for Air Transat to get the PFO from the pilot group

Cheers to those who have already done so.

[.......]

Question for the Transat guys :
I just got called for an Air Transat interview and they advised me of a potential lay off in the fall. Why is that?
I can't leave a good job to go work for you and then get let go a few months later. Please have some respect towards pilots.
Thanks.

To answer your question, because there's a possibility of layoff in the fall... I think they're actually respecting you by telling you IN ADVANCE about that possibility. Would you rather know about it AFTER leaving your good job? Think not...

Instead of pointing a finger at AT, you should look at the operators who wilfully abuse the system to bring pricing down...

Great first post BTW...

[Jack Klumpus]

Did AT tell the pilots that were interviewed last year that they will be laying them off before they finish line indoc?

Nope.

[.......]

So what's your point?

Call it learning from their mistake... They do now, and they recalled everyone much earlier than anticipated...Once again, this wouldn't be happening if someone else wasn't playing dirty and bringing the market down...AT has to adapt if they want to survive; remember WE are a publicly traded company and our results are there for everyone to see...

[aerodude]

Agree with sky, you are upset that the company is honest with you so you can make a career decision and you are upset about it?!?

[ontheBUS]

I am not happy about the fact that they are hiring pilots and will most likely let them go after they used them for the busy summer months. If AT knows that they will not be able to afford a pilot after a few months of employment then they shouldn't hire them. If they need them badly then hire them but don't let them go after they used them. At least pay them the 50k/year.
I think respect has to go both ways.

[full_throttle]

They said POTENTIAL lay off, not even sure that it will happen... Would you rather prefer AT to subcontact europpean pilots instead of hiring our canadian guys?

[rudder]

AT already have the ability to subcontract 100% of their narrowbody work and now they want seasonal pilots on the widebodies. Priceless. Doesn't AT ALPA have any suggestions on a better way to deal with the seasonal fluctuations? How about 90 hours in the summer and 80 in the winter? Is this really that complicated?

[Morav]

With this new hiring practice Transat(management) is only asking for the bottom of the barrel pilots. Any reasonable person wouldn't leave a good seat or well paying job in this economical climate for a chance of summer time 330 flying. The type rating wouldn't even get you places in Canada.

[.......]

I can't leave a good job to go work for you and then get let go a few months later. Please have some respect towards pilots.
Thanks.

Instead of registering on this BB this morning just to vent, I hope you told the same to whoever called you from AT to offer you an interview...!

[Jack Klumpus]

Learned from their mistakes or the word is out of what they just pulled a few months ago, that they can't lie about it now and act all surprised.

[ontheBUS]

Hey Skylounger,
I am not here to vent. I just want to raise awareness about this issue. Do you agree with these practices?
I think it's unfortunate that our industry is going this way.

[mbav8r]

We can't have it both ways, we want Sunwing and Canjet to stop bringing over seasonal workers, so which is it. Should a company carry a bunch of extra pilots on their payroll and stop hiring German pilots with an obvious disadvantage or keep going with that program or do what they are doing and give a guy enough info to make a choice?
Don't you think that by AT telling potential candidates there is a possible layoff in the fall, they might be setting up for there own seasonal program. Look Minister we tried to hire but no one applied, now we need some German pilots.

[WetJet]

It's pretty simple. If Sunwing doesn't saturate the southern market by bringing in 200+ FOREIGN pilots in the fall, Transat won't have to lay off the CANADIAN guys and gals who just got their start.

[TopperHarley]

Even with the newhires, pilots will be at 85 hrs for the summer season. They cant do the flying with the current staffing levels, so either hire pilots to cover the flying (and lay them off in the off-season), or, say no to the added work. It's unfortunate, but at least they are advising everyone in advance.

[rudder]

Even with the newhires, pilots will be at 85 hrs for the summer season. They cant do the flying with the current staffing levels, so either hire pilots to cover the flying (and lay them off in the off-season), or, say no to the added work. It's unfortunate, but at least they are advising everyone in advance.

So why not do 90?

[TopperHarley]

Im sure if everyone did 90, we'd still have a need to hire. Some pilots will be over 90 too, especially the captains. Compared to last year, there is over 900 hours of added flying for the upcoming season.

[Jack Klumpus]

Sounds like hiring a prostitute. I'll pay you for when i need you, then you're off on your own.

As opposed to a long term marriage plan.

[oh yeah baby]

AT already have the ability to subcontract 100% of their narrowbody work and now they want seasonal pilots on the widebodies. Priceless. Doesn't AT ALPA have any suggestions on a better way to deal with the seasonal fluctuations? How about 90 hours in the summer and 80 in the winter? Is this really that complicated?

Please stop making a fool of yourself and stop right there you clearly dont know what you are taking about.

I am not here to vent. I just want to raise awareness about this issue. Do you agree with these practices?
I think it's unfortunate that our industry is going this way.

What do you want... lies????? I should remind you that you are trying to work in the charter buissness... Same story at Sunwing, Canjet for the contract pilot and even Jazz on the 757... If you are not happy just say thanks but no thanks.... I have to give credit to Transat for the advise...

[rudder]

AT already have the ability to subcontract 100% of their narrowbody work and now they want seasonal pilots on the widebodies. Priceless. Doesn't AT ALPA have any suggestions on a better way to deal with the seasonal fluctuations? How about 90 hours in the summer and 80 in the winter? Is this really that complicated?

Please stop making a fool of yourself and stop right there you clearly dont know what you are taking about.

Yes, obviously hiring, training, and then laying off makes infinitely more sense. Apparently at Transat it is rocket science.

[TopperHarley]

The flying hours, and therefore the crewing requirements, vary to a much wider degree than they do at an airline like Jazz on a month-to-month basis. The airline simply cannot complete the required summer flying with the staff we have now, even if we all went to 90 or 95 hours. Other than turning down the flying or hiring foreigners, there aren't many options on the table.

[DeltaHotel]

$20 says he took the job ...

[pilote007]

This is my opinion: I think AT are fine with guys because they prefer hiring and give training to canadian pilot. They don't use seasonnal program to hire foreign pilot to operate the summer schedule at lower cost.... And they teel the true : nothing is sure for next winter. If you prefer to stay with your actuel compagny, that's fine and you can send back your resume later. And if you operate a king Air and would like to jump in a jet. It's a chance but you known the condition and the risk... it's a personnal choice. I think TopperHarley have a good view of the situation. AT is a charter business not a schedule flight operator like AC, JAZZ, WS... Actually AT pilot's fly over 90-95 credit per month during the summer. During winter sometime lower than 70-75 credit per month. Hard to manage this variation of workload without hard decision. They continue to hire canadian pilot and I respect that idea. If it's not so stable and secure for you don't apply. Maybe a business of schedule flight with less variation and a couple of milk run is mostly your cup of tea.

[.......]

Hey Skylounger,
I am not here to vent. I just want to raise awareness about this issue. Do you agree with these practices?
I think it's unfortunate that our industry is going this way.

If our industry is going "that way" as you point out, it's not Transat that you have to blame... Transat is just doing their best to get through this storm and eventually get back to it's normal practices...

BTW, don't forget that before 1997, it used to be common practice for AT to proceed with layoffs in the fall, so nothing unseen here...

I think that AT is doing the right thing by advising the potential new hires that there's this possibility...I don't know how many different ways we're gonna have to explain it to you, but if you're looking for stability look elsewhere than the charter business.

Maybe you should buy yourself a 737NG type and apply for Sunwing, 'cause that's the only way they're gonna hire you over a foreigner, and you know what? You won't even be sure to have a job in the summertime either... Get my drift?