If You Had a CHOICE: Brits, easyJet or Ryanair...

[LVL CHG]

Let's say that the airline biz in the UK improves a bit and hiring starts to open up. If one were LUCKY enough to have offers at Brits (not LCC out of Coventry), Easy and Ryanair, which one should this person select? Obviously charter flying is difficult in the summer months with a tremendous amount of flying and lack of time off - that is understood. Let's also assume a London-area basing for all three so location is NOT a consideration. So, the following questions:

1. Which would you select and why? Top 3 reasons for selection.

2. If you have already made the switch between two of the carriers (from Easy to Brits or Brits to Ryanair, etc.), are you happy with your decision and why?


Looking for some rational reasons and personal experiences for advice. I realize that these opportunities might not be available now, but hopefully in the coming years.

Cheers

[Pub User]

I've never been in a position to have such a choice. However, I have first-hand knowledge of 2 people who have paid off substantial bonds to low-costs to get out and start with Brits, both within the last 8 months.

[wheelbarrow]

Well, for my tuppence worth....

Easy: Good company, probably gonna work hard, get hours and progress quickly if you are good enough. Then what? A lifetime of flogging yourself half silly around the tracks maybe? Poor pension and average terms.

Ryanair: No doubt you will work hard and be rewarded for doing so. however the money disguises the fact that the rest of the package is AWFUL. Virtually no pension to speak of and you will end up very tired indeed and in need of a good retirement!

Britannia: Trying to be something they are not IMHO. 20 years ago they were great. Now they are another charter airline trading for the german owners and living in the belief that they are somehow better than Air2000, Thomas Cook etc. Maybe in the past they were, but they seem pretty much the same now.
True, they have a final salary pension still, but you have to work until 62 to get it....... just what you will be needing after 35 years there already.:yuk:

Face facts. All airlines are as bad as each other nowadays!

[omoko joe]

very true, wheelbarrow!
LCC's are here to stay and they are taking customers from the charter carriers. True that winter rosters in charter are 'more relaxed' than in summer but with every year that goes by they get a little busier. If your charter company has a low cost operation too, guess where your command's gonna be? No matter where you go I'd be surprised if in 3 years time you can honestly say your lifestyle's improved since you joined. These days a 'good' airline is a 'crap one waiting to happen'. Very sad but generally true. :{

[kishna]

Just out of curiosity LVL CHG are you looking for a job? You seem to have been posting for years on various forums seemingly after all different types of employ!
:ok:

k

[Dogma]

Wheelbarrow and o'joe,

I understand your sentiment but you are way off the mark. Britannia mainline beats the others hands down.

The summer roster is no where near as busy as easyJet's year round roster and in the winter it is even more quiet.

Block window, flexi working, pensions, leave, total roster stability, varied route structure, 7 years to command (currently) and new initiatives on the way make Britannia arguably the best airline to work for in the UK.

I am not blowing their trumpet but it has to be said.

It has been hard won and the struggle continues to keep it up there with the best.

[Level Buster]

7 years to command. Not sure where that number came from. Maybe quick command in Thomsonfly but currently 15years F/o`s are just getting their commands now. Future may be less but then again Brits might become total low cost airline with new conditions.

[High Volt]

If Britannia's rosters are quiet, it has more to do with the work going elsewhere than any benevolence on the company's part. The final salary scheme is exactly that: a final salary scheme and it will not be recognizable in 20 years time. The pension is being used as a threat during pay negotiations and the union view the fact that it has not been binned as a victory. Flexi working (overtime) payments are non pensionable as are the other areas (eg. sector payments) which received 15% increases over the last two years in contrast to the main pensionable salary which has just received its 5th consecutive RPI increase.

The point was made earlier in the thread what a good airline Britannia used to be but it is true that it is rapidly becoming aligned with the others. Factor in the 13 year wait for command (and all the fun and games) and you may well be better off making hay when the sun shines elsewhere. I accept that as a snapshot in time Britannia is better but I have genuine concerns as to whether this will remain the case.

[Constant Speed DU]

With out a doubt Britannia mainline. Yes, as other people have said, Brit work you hard in the Summer but still not as hard as Ezy and Ryan. Several of my friend who work in Ezy say they do an averageof 85 to 90 block hours per month throughout the year, totalling about 850 per yr incl leave. The rostering at Ezy has to be considered. Yes you get fixed rosters and you are meant to work 6 on 3 off which is really 6/2 as they have a thing called a flexi day. they have this so that they finish you late on day six and start you f'early on day one. Also it is meant to be 3 early 3 late but once again in reality it is three reports before 5.59 and then 3 reports at six ish (worst case) with duty times rostered within 30' of max.

On the other hand, at Brit you will probably in the Summer do 3/2 off and in the Winter one day a week. You get a final salary pension scheme, good pay scales which are the equivalent of cmd pay at low cost outfits. Time to cmd is coming down currently 12 yrs but should soon be 7/8 yrs. Varied flying medium and longhaul. There and back, not there and back x3. More night stops and we know what that means. Very stable roster with the occassional change not daily changes like at the other two.

To me the choice is obvious!!! Sign the brit contract.

[Slim20]

I think the days of quiet winters may be numbered in the current climate, especially as you say EZY and RYR operate full schedules throughout the winter. I wouldn't be surprised if Brit & others start a wetleasing blitz to utilise idle crews and a/c during winter. Azerbaijan in January, anyone?

Also - how long will you be at Brits mainline before the offer of a quick command etc to tempt you to Thomsonfly crosses the table cos you have your 737 TR courtesy of the LCC's? Given the choice between mainline and more of the same 737 rubbish out of Coventry, which would you rather have? I hope you will always have the choice mate.

Of course, even if you have to get beaten with a stick before flying every day for Brits it'll still be a whole lot better than flying for easyJet. Where do I sign???

[abfgh]

How long will it take before getting a command, if you join thomsonfly now?