A 10 year WJ FO just went to AC
Moderators: sky's the limit, sepia, Sulako, lilfssister, North Shore, I WAS Birddog
-
- Rank 1
- Posts: 28
- Joined: Mon Dec 24, 2018 9:28 am
Re: A 10 year WJ FO just went to AC
I think the bigger news is that the Encore MEC chair (with 6-7 years at the company), who took to flow to mainline Nov 1, is now a new hire at AC just a few days later. This in addition to the vice chair leaving the company earlier this year. Just shows that even those with the most inside info have zero confidence in the company for a long and prosperous career.
Last edited by FlyAlberta on Sat Nov 12, 2022 9:49 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: A 10 year WJ FO just went to AC
Mic drop on this forum as far as I’m concerned. The whole when the border opens south last out, shut the lights out thing, we all know that’s never going to happen and the Federal government will fight tooth and nail to make sure of that. With that said, last one at encore, take a huge steamer of an upper decker and then shut the lights off.FlyAlberta wrote: ↑Fri Nov 11, 2022 9:28 pm I think the bigger news is that the Encore MEC chair (with 6-7 years at the company), who took to flow to mainline Nov 1, is now a new hire at AC just a few days later. This in addition to the vice chair leaving the company earlier this year. Just shows that even those with the most inside info have zero confidence in the company.
-
- Rank 1
- Posts: 32
- Joined: Tue Apr 27, 2004 6:16 am
Re: A 10 year WJ FO just went to AC
Lol, well said.The government will do what they can to block any movement to the US.
American pilots are making DOUBLE of what we are making!
The airline industry changes every 10 years.
The regional model seems to be dying.
AC just bought another 15 A220s, in my opinion to cover regional flying with mainline pilots.
Do not count out the new ULCCs, there may be a few ugly mergers in the future.
No wonder nobody wants to be a pilot.
American pilots are making DOUBLE of what we are making!
The airline industry changes every 10 years.
The regional model seems to be dying.
AC just bought another 15 A220s, in my opinion to cover regional flying with mainline pilots.
Do not count out the new ULCCs, there may be a few ugly mergers in the future.
No wonder nobody wants to be a pilot.
Re: A 10 year WJ FO just went to AC
While the Chair's departure definitely made an impact to some in Management, this Company does not care about any particular individual pilot leaving; they care if they can staff their flights. The departure of ~60+ pilots since August who started the year at Encore (i.e. current Encore pilots and pilots who recently flowed to WJ/Swoop but then left) makes more of an impact. When it comes to recruitment and retention, there has been very little proactive planning, any impetus to try and improve retention is only reactive (and so far, underwhelming).FlyAlberta wrote: ↑Fri Nov 11, 2022 9:28 pm I think the bigger news is that the Encore MEC chair (with 6-7 years at the company), who took to flow to mainline Nov 1, is now a new hire at AC just a few days later. This in addition to the vice chair leaving the company earlier this year. Just shows that even those with the most inside info have zero confidence in the company for a long and prosperous career.
For anyone considering their career options, maybe coming to/staying at WestJet/Encore/Swoop does make the most sense (it is not an awful job by any means). But don't stay/come because you hope or wish that wages/working conditions/schedule will improve. There are lots of options out there.
Re: A 10 year WJ FO just went to AC
I think they're sitting around being apathetic because they are banking on (or hoping) that they will soon have ~400 SW pilots.
Re: A 10 year WJ FO just went to AC
Ironically, SWG management seems apathetic probably for the same reasons
Truly a match made in heaven...
In twenty years time when your kids ask how you got into flying you want to be able to say "work and determination" not "I just kept taking money from your grandparents for type ratings until someone was stupid enough to give me a job"
-
- Rank 2
- Posts: 72
- Joined: Sat Jun 11, 2022 3:47 pm
Re: A 10 year WJ FO just went to AC
Sunwing is also understaffed, it has its own airplanes and routes. These aren't 400 pilots sitting around looking for work. The fact that both management teams are indifferent to the attrition and terrible morale, makes you wonder what's really going on over there.
Re: A 10 year WJ FO just went to AC
What’s going on is figuring out how to consolidate routes. All those 400 sunwing pilots won’t be needed. This is probably working out as best case for WestJet management. They don’t have to lay anyone off from encore because they are leaving on their own. When/if the merger goes through there will be no additional training needed for the pilots.
Re: A 10 year WJ FO just went to AC
SWG is only really under staffed for 4-5 months per year.
In twenty years time when your kids ask how you got into flying you want to be able to say "work and determination" not "I just kept taking money from your grandparents for type ratings until someone was stupid enough to give me a job"
-
- Rank 2
- Posts: 72
- Joined: Sat Jun 11, 2022 3:47 pm
Re: A 10 year WJ FO just went to AC
Yeah, but they need all those pilots for the 4-5 months when they are very busy. This year they may not have enough pilots. Don't kid yourself, the Sunwing Travel Group makes substantial profits on those few months. The challenge has been how to balance things year round.
-
- Rank 11
- Posts: 4562
- Joined: Mon Feb 16, 2004 2:33 am
- Location: YYC 230 degree radial at about 10 DME
Re: A 10 year WJ FO just went to AC
That explains the 200 hour cadets they hired this year, the TFW Captains getting paid higher than Canadians, and the 40 FOs bypassed for upgrade.
-
- Rank 5
- Posts: 306
- Joined: Fri Oct 28, 2022 10:13 am
Re: A 10 year WJ FO just went to AC
They've been hiring 200 hour cadets for years. Don't get me wrong, these are wonderful people that were hired and they work hard for the opportunity that they were afforded, but to say that there is a shortage of pilots because they won't pay what pilots are worth is a sad excuse for an excuse.
-
- Rank 5
- Posts: 311
- Joined: Thu Apr 26, 2018 6:16 pm
Re: A 10 year WJ FO just went to AC
So create a cadet program. Hire foreign students and sponsor them afterwards for Canadian citizenship.Canadaflyer46 wrote: ↑Thu Nov 10, 2022 1:22 pm The company feels like it’s imploding right now, and there’s crickets from management. According to ALPA we lost 31 pilots last month. Yet they think they’re going to be able to hire 400 next year? I’d love to know where they plan on finding them. For sure they’ll have to drop below their 1500 hour rule like Encore is. They’ve had so many chances to turn this around, but they seem hell bent on self-destructing. It’s actually really sad to watch.
Also, how deep in the red are they? How much are the losses pegged at? Did they do well on ANY international routes?
Last edited by alkaseltzer on Tue Nov 15, 2022 10:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.
-
- Rank 5
- Posts: 311
- Joined: Thu Apr 26, 2018 6:16 pm
Re: A 10 year WJ FO just went to AC
There wont be two of each management positions…most will return to the line or compete for new photo ops.
Re: A 10 year WJ FO just went to AC
Would it not make far more sense to give citizens of the country who already live here the first and primary opportunity to enroll in a cadet program before one starts importing foreign students to fill those rolls?alkaseltzer wrote: ↑Tue Nov 15, 2022 10:10 pm So create a cadet program. Hire foreign students and sponsor them afterwards for Canadian citizenship.
Also, how deep in the red are they? How much are the losses pegged at? Did they do well on ANY international routes?
Being a private company, rather than a public company, the books and reporting are closed.... no one outside the executives know whether they have made money, lost money, or something in between. By the power of accounting, 2+2=3 right about now... with money traveling more than your average flight crew to hide it, redistribute it and take advantage of tax sheltering.
I'm going to knock this up a notch with my spice weasle. Bam!
Re: A 10 year WJ FO just went to AC
Encore just canceled my flight due to no pilots,so the lady told me F&$k you WJ your product sucks.