Quote:
Originally Posted by captjns
Intreresting how the little gnome at FR was chastised by those in the industry... with charging for pre-boarding, food on board, checked bags. While, I don't condone MOL's disdain for his employees, I wish the FR direct employees took a stronger stance against MOL as pay, benefits, and T&C were eroded.
Oh... remind me... aren't DAL, AA, and UAL following the FR model? Even UAL has gon a step further towards the FR model with their "basic fare"... last to board, no assigned seating, one carry on, and it better fit under the seat, $$$$.
Anyway, for me... FR was a 4 1/2 year vacation around Euroland. 5 days on five days off. I did vow however, I'd never work for a carrier that did not have at least a business class section.
Yeah, the majority of expats need the $$$. The minority can pick and choose the locations where to live and fly for a few years, then move on to the next adventure with a trade off for salary.
Yeah, NAI ofers a soft landing spot for U.S. Citizens who made a life in Europe and other countries. NAI offers a free ride back across the Atlantic. It's also a good opportunity for those who want to live in base too. Contracts are negotiable. If they don't want to put up the $$$$ for the bond, then they wont fly for NAI... simple. If NAI is hard up for U.S. based pilots,then they'll waive the training bond.
In the early 2000's many "Legacy Pilots" took early retirement to preserve their accrued benefits before the airlines terminated their retirement plans. They weren't ready to hang up the goggles and went overseas.
Would be interested to know your situation, seniority, length of service. Have you experienced, furloughs, mergers, seat realignments because of seniority list integration. Did you lose your retirement benefits?
1995 UAL. I lost $750k in ESOP stock, pension, 60% pay cut with a bump from the left seat all during bankruptcy. Merger with lost seniority. Prior to UAL I worked at 2 regionals. The first was for $9000/yr. Prior to that was flight instructing after paying my own way through flight school. And I had it much better than many at my airline.
Even regionals are paying bonuses for their pilots to come to work there. And NAI wants you to pay a training bond?!!!!!! You've GOT to be kidding me. Go to NAI if you want. But I recommend you go eyes WIDE open. For the first time in a long time, management and unions are on the same page about something: that NAI is a cancer that should be killed at all costs. Don't expect a warm embrace from any airline or its pilots; whatever form that takes. Except maybe JetBlue. So if you go to NAI, you'll want to plan on staying forever and hope that the winds of politics don't shift the other way.
You complain about there not being enough high quality jobs to come back to in the states, yet you are eager to go to work for the very entity that is trying to kill them off.... RIGHT when they are finally starting to come back. You think NAI is going to be the kind of company that eventually offers good pay and benefits?? Puh-lease! TRAINING CONTRACTS??! It's 2016.