Brussels Airlines pilot shortage in 2019 ?

[Luke777]

Trouble is coming up as B.A. seems to lose more and more pilots, especially the experienced long-haul pilots are bombarded with job offers from other airlines at much higher wages, and not only from far east companies...
As our belgian company is not able to compete these more and more increasing tempting offers, i think this could have heavy consequences. The limits of the loyalty are getting busted more and more....

[jan_olieslagers]

"our"? "belgian"? hm hm hm....

[Bracebrace]

especially the experienced long-haul pilots are bombarded with job offers from other airlines at much higher wages, and not only from far east companies...

Experienced long-haul pilots are ready for upgrade to left seat, and usually have a young family. So in general, they are not very keen on moving and losing seniority.

So what job "green grass" job offers are we talking about?

[Omychron]

especially the experienced long-haul pilots are bombarded with job offers from other airlines at much higher wages, and not only from far east companies...

Experienced long-haul pilots are ready for upgrade to left seat, and usually have a young family. So in general, they are not very keen on moving and losing seniority.

So what job "green grass" job offers are we talking about?

Experienced long-haul Brussels pilots barely earn more upgrading to a MH captain seat, and will certainly work a lot harder.

Staying close to home is the only reason you provided which is a factor.

[Bracebrace]

Simply looking at salary is very "narrow".

Experienced long haul pilots are usually top of salary scale, they are unable to gain any more than they have for the rest of their life. You have to compare left & right seat on a fleet, not compare between different fleets.

Moreover, if a right seater decides to leave the company, or loses his job because of a crisis, he ends up being a "bottom seniority" right seat job hopper which is salary wise a big difference from being a left seat job hopper. Include age limits for right seat that are usually lower than left seat, and your long term salary plan becomes tricky...

[Luke777]

Theoretically spoken , yes, but any beeline pilots here ? They can confirm, irl, a lot of them have already left the (b)house... and some others are planning to... Who will take their places ? contract-pilots i guess ? There's not only the "green-grass", after the recent strikes, things are not quite solved yet at the b-house.We will re-evaluate again here within 6 months...

[Omychron]

Experienced long haul pilots are usually top of salary scale, they are unable to gain any more than they have for the rest of their life. You have to compare left & right seat on a fleet, not compare between different fleets.

No, you don't. You compare left seat 320 with right seat 330, as that's the only possible move for any 330 FO for the next 10-15 years.
Increased pension age means moving to LH seat 330 is impossible for a LONG time to come, as current 330 captains are staying longer than the original career plan intended.

Moving to other companies and being bottom seniority is a similar situation, yet abroad pilots are paid substantially more.
Thus, the only reason to stay is being in your home country with family/kids.
An important factor for many, but not all...

Theoretically spoken , yes, but any beeline pilots here ? They can confirm, irl, a lot of them have already left the (b)house... and some others are planning to... Who will take their places ? contract-pilots i guess ? There's not only the "green-grass", after the recent strikes, things are not quite solved yet at the b-house.We will re-evaluate again here within 6 months...

Some leave, but not getting the impression there's an exodus.
Company has been hiring for a long time now, so new people enter the company constantly.

[Bracebrace]

Increased pension age means moving to LH seat 330 is impossible for a LONG time to come, as current 330 captains are staying longer than the original career plan intended.

Yes, but a company is supposed to grow, or go out of business. One long haul aircraft extra means multiple pilot jobs. If you compare retirements and extra left seat jobs in my company, you get a very pale comparison, even for the long haul. It doesn't equate, far from. Not moving left seat in a company like SN Brussels, that has been taken over, seems pretty suicidal for your career as you don't know what will happen with your fleet (change of base, change of salary scale, fleet future...).

So to get back to the original question: I don't see to which company an experienced first officer would move simply for temporary money reasons, giving up seniority and screwing his own career path for years to come. Unless he gets into a company like Air France/KLM. But even then the move becomes a matter of "choice" as you put yourself on a very long waiting list and age might work against you. Not to forget the side effect of Chinese jobs that might pay good, but require you to leave your brain, attitude and experience at home.

Anyway, everybody is free, but the move for money seems really really stupid...

[Luke777]

Let s hope so, i wish that our belgian pilots can continue their jobs in the homeland for many years to come, but i have my doubts, especially now with the germans controlling the wheel at SN. Everything depends on the next steps they will take with our small airline. I hope they do not only take the meat and leave the other parts for the birds...