Average_Canuck wrote: ↑Sat Jun 04, 2022 10:06 am
From a current employee to potential applicants, here are MY top reasons you shouldn't consider Encore:
1. Not to beat a dead horse, but flow may soon be a thing of the past. Even if the Pilot Transfer Agreement with Encore, Swoop, Mainline (and Sunwing?) may exist, you're still looking at 6 to 8 years to flow at 8 pilots per month (over 530 pilots at WEN currently) This is assuming there will be a minimim of 8 per month...and that's asking a lot, apparently.
2. If you have 1500 hours and an ATP (or in most cases IATRA with 1000) you have a lot more options now - Porter, Jazz, Sunwing, Transat, Cargojet, Swoop, Flair, Lynx, even mainline WJ. They ALL have better contracts than Encore - hands down. Better pay, same or better equipment, maybe even comparable schedules.
3. Encore ALPA has no teeth. All they care about is pub nights. They answer your questions like management - generic, vague and never to the point.
4. With Jazz, even if you decide AC is not for you (for some reason) a career at Jazz is not a bad option at all. Have a look at their pay structure- compare it with Encore's and you'll see why.
5. During your interview at Encore, they'll emphasize how a successful outcome of this one interview will take you all the way to a dreamliner. Don't fall for it. It's that dangling carrot at the end of the stick that grows longer and longer every year.
6. Too many scheduling issues and IROPS - granted this may be the case for every other airline currently, so take my comment with a pinch of salt.
7. You'll see the same names and their friends for training pilot nominees, pilot management positions, office positions, etc. Again, my personal opinion - sorry if you find this offensive.
8. Westjet management will never agree to years of service - meaning if you flow to mainline after howmanyever years, you start as year 1 mainline FO. The 'bridge pay' (REIP) isn't much I hear, after taxes.. correct me if I'm wrong.
Now to answer the question - What am I still doing here? Trust me when I say this - like several other Encore Pilots, I'm looking to move pronto. These problems didn't quite exist when we started here.
What are your reasons? What do you think of mine?