Csy Mon

And their ticket prices: The $65 fare across the pond was just to get headlines and attention.
NAI is bleeding money, they are losing $13.44 on average for every ticket they sell and have accumulated massive debt.
They also have a problem recruiting pilots for their bases in Spain and other places in Europe: Some of the candidates being pushed through the B-737 simulators have as little as 180 hrs TT and are unable to land the plane.
Pay-to-play does not attract the best and the brightest I guess.

WHACKMASTER

Excellent! Where did you source such good news?

GogglesPisano

Yeah, because there's never been low-cost airlines flying across the pond before

Anyone remember what happened to Laker? How about People Express?

Csy Mon

I am from Norway, I read the newspapers over there and know pilots and instructors for the real Norwegian. (The original Norwegian Airlines, based in Norway have decent pay and work rules, the shell companies with other bases and pay-2-fly schemes not so much, but same owner and same paint job, AND no scope-clause )

I believe NAI's business model did not count on a real pilot shortage.
They have tons of airplanes on order and short of crews. The compensation package will have to go up, otherwise many pilots will quit and go to China or Japan once their contract is up and for 3 X the pay, or just go to the majors like KLM, SAS, BA, Iberia, etc.

As for the US bases: I doubt too many Americans wants to go through the hassle of getting EU tickets for mediocre compensation.
Been down that road before: I went to Japan and the Middle East to fly for the locals and had to sit for numerous exams and do several pain in the arse check rides, because the pay was a good it was worth the hassle.

Typically pay and benefits will go up to attract quality candidates, not too concerned that NAI will tear down the industry and make us all work for peanuts. Supply and demand..

WHACKMASTER

There's a lot of us that hope you're right but it seems they'd have a healthy supply of Regional pilots here that would consider it a step up (however shortsighted that might be).

Csy Mon

The regional pilots signing up for this deal may be stepping on their own d!cks if SWA, JetBlue or UPS call them for an interview while they are locked into a 3 year contract with NAI

Duesenflieger

I would do it out of sheer desperation only if in the event that no one else would be calling and I would have to remain a regional lifer forever. Especially with the FLL base.

Csy Mon

Looks like everybody and his grandmother is hiring pilots so you should get the call from better airlines.
I am done now, turned 60 and quit flying, but if I was going to do this dance all over again, I would not waste time on something like this: You are a contractor in your own country, like an expat. You could be gone anytime, no seniority number on the books, no recourse.
Take a quick look at scheduled retirements and apply first to those who will have most immediate retirements, AA perhaps, then apply to everybody on a sliding scale towards fewer retirements. Get guys below you and get some job security. Then enjoy life with a unionized carrier.
Contract jobs used to be emergency jobs, nobody was hiring so you went overseas to put food on the table. Been there, done that.

NEDude

The NAI subsidiary may be losing money, but the parent company, Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA, had a net profit of $135 million USD (1.135 Billion NOK) in 2016, and a net profit of $29 million USD (246 Million NOK) in 2015. The company has had a net overall profit in 10 of the last 12 years.

Sources:
Norwegian reports record result ? Air Cargo News

https://www.norwegian.com/globalasse...eport_2015.pdf

Csy Mon

They are losing money based on every ticket sold, but making up for it selling food, drinks, ear phones, blankets, etc.