There are quite a few that are trying to leave SAI.
Those that can, will leave.
Shoot, SAI is already having to recall due to folks getting other jobs.

 

Have any Southern guys applied to Etihad? It's a pretty nice place to work except the lack off commuting contracts. I started the thread because of the Jet offer but after doing some research they are not a very reliable company to work for.

 

One (f/o) went to EY back in October.
I believe a couple of other guys have applied.

 

I'm on a Delhi layover as we speak. Delicious food, terrible air quality, nice people. Has anyone actually heard back from Jet Airways or worked with them before? I'd like to hear about their experiences

 

Was very interested initially, but I checked on them and saw how they are very fast and loose with contracts. A few years ago they terminated most of the expats and are now in a bind so are recruiting again. A US base would be great, but my company is now training Jet pilots on the T7 so I presume once they are checked out the expats will be let loose. Makes more sense to stay where I am with permanent contract, good terms but not living at home rather than the crap shoot of Jet.

 

I think that if you wait a while there will be other opportunities opening up, the market is getting tight so more companies are considering reverse rosters. I have a feeling that the expat market will get very interesting in the next couple of years....!

 

True statement with jobs opening up with the majors back in the US. Terms and conditions for expats will have to improve for retention and recruitment.

 

Etihad is already re-thinking this issue. They sent out an email to find out if there was any interest in pilots, already employed at EY, who were interested in working one month on one month off.

 

This "FEIE" exclusion is an often debated benefit for U.S. citizen pilots. You guys at EK know how aggressive the IRS is becoming. I have worked with multiple expat tax attorneys/tax preparers/CPA's since moving offshore, and have to think you will for sure get "reviewed" if you try to claim it without actually meeting the residency requirements. Which means forget using this quite valuable tax savings with these USA basing or reverse roster schemes.

Be careful, our government is broke and predatory. And pilots are tasty meat for them as many of us know......

 

Jet-Etihad offers to double salary of Air India pilots : India, News - India Today


Jet-Etihad offers to double salary of Air India pilots

Sanjay Singh | Mail Today | New Delhi, January 2, 2014 | UPDATED 13:59 IST




Jet-Etihad lures AI pilots with higher compensation
It's the plane truth, and it's going to be hard for the Maharaja to bear. Jet-age poachers have not only entered Air India's airspace but have the struggling airline's best pilots in their sights.

Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways and its Indian partner Jet Airways are in touch with Air India pilots who fly wide-bodied Boeing 777 aircraft, and are offering them up to double their current compensation. Etihad's Rs.2,058-crore infusion into Jet Airways for a 24 per cent stake was cleared by the Union Cabinet on October 3 last year.

Jet Airways vice-president (Human Resources) Dr Samar B. Srivastava and US-based agency AeroPersonnel Global hired by Etihad had individually invited 140 commanders of Air India who fly Boeing 777s to a roadshow on November 27 and 28 at Jet's Andheri (East) office in Mumbai. The Jet-Etihad mass hunt for Air India commanders thus began much before the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh approved sale of five brand new Boeing 777-200s to Etihad on December 26 last year. AI pilots who fly 777s could now end up flying the very same planes for a different airline for a much higher salary.

An e-mail to AI commanders from Mike Ethridge, Director Recruitment, AeroPersonnel Global, on October 28, 2013 said: "The Etihad-Jet Airways investment has been signed and has been approved by five of the six Indian Government agencies reviewing the deal. The last governmental approval should completed within the next few weeks. This will bring close to half a billion dollars in the coffers of Jet Airways. Jet intends to add another five B777s starting in the last quarter of 2014. This is on top of the fifty B737 NG order announced last spring."

Needs 777-rated pilots

Indicating that the Jet-Etihad combine needs a good number of Boeing 777-rated pilots, the email said: "On the commercial side, the Turkish Airlines contract will end in June 2014. Starting in April 2014, Jet Airways will fly from Abu Dhabi to New York (JFK) on behalf of Etihad. If the number of interested crews is high enough, Jet intends to establish a base in New York and base crews there. It is likely the same could happen for Chicago but we do not know yet if this could be the case. Mumbai basing is also available." The last paragraph of the mail was revealing. "As we need another eighty B777 candidates, do not hesitate to mention this opportunity to your friends and colleagues who could be interested," it said.

Jet-Etihad has also promised good salaries, much higher than that what Air India pays to commanders. The airline says it will reimburse all recurrent training expenses besides hotel expenses. Air India officials maintain brave faces. "Since October last year, hardly three-four pilots have left the carrier," one said on condition of anonymity. Salary delays at Air India-a problem that has largely been resolved now-had forced many AI pilots to join Emirates, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways since July 2012.
Also, 12 AI pilots had been sacked by the management following a monthlong strike in April-May 2012. A commander working for an Indian airline said that six of the 12 sacked AI pilots affiliated to Indian Pilots Guild (flying Boeing 777 planes) were not considered by Jet Airways. Similarly, those pilots who faced temporary suspension after the 2012 strike were not considered by Jet-Etihad management.

"There is big demand for commanders flying Boeing 777. If Jet-Etihad manage to get even 40 out of 140 commanders from Air India in their fold, they would save lot of money on training these pilots. If Jet-Etihad start training pilots fresh on Boeing 777, it would take at least four-five months time, while if they trained 777 pilots they will get everything ready on their platter, without any effort," said a senior executive pilot.

It's been sweet going for Etihad in more ways than that just that one. "Etihad has done a good business deal given that it would have taken two-three years to get deliveries of new planes. They got five 777 LRs at a throwaway price," said a senior civil aviation ministry official.

Etihad Airways has said it will use five AI purchased Boeing 777 planes on a new route between Abu Dhabi and Los Angeles from June 2014. Etihad Airways currently flies to New York, Chicago, Washington DC and Toronto in North America, and to Sao Paulo in Brazil.

Debtstricken Air India had put eight of Boeing 777s on sale, but had to issue the tender twice as there were no takers. After selling five of these planes to Etihad, AI is now looking for potential buyers for three more planes. All these planes were brought in 2007 and were supposed to operate for at least 25 years.

Air India Chairman and Managing Director Rohit Nandan did not respond to phone calls and email. His office too did not respond. The Jet Airways spokesperson had no comment either.