Triumph

I've moved on to a more secure job. I hope they recall my number in about 19 years when I retire from my current job. Being that I'm about 20 from the bottom, it's not entirely impossible...

jtf560

Within the last few months, management has said they plan on getting rid of approximately 40 airframes a year- not stopping after 2011. They honestly need to get rid of about that many as the fleet gets older and older. The problem is that new airframes are not coming in until late 2012 after another 40 or so have gone away. I also have my doubts as to whether or not they will be bringing in 40 new ones a year when deliveries are really rolling. This year they have already ditched about 30 airplanes and sold 10 more, but leased them back and it is only May. Management has also said they plan on airframes lasting for 10 years. If they plan on ditching 40 a year and airplanes lasting 10 years, that sounds like a plan for around 400 airframes, which would require around 2400 pilots at 6 per airplane. Management has referenced the hammock shape of shrinking down and then as new airplanes come on, growing back up. I just don't really see it happening. They want to have less risk of a massive sell back which means having less size overall. I have a bad feeling recalls will be far away in the future and mostly rely on attrition. They won't tell us the 5 or 10 year plans and I have to think it is at least partially because they don't want to have morale slide even faster. I love this job and can probably survive another furlough or two if they happen, but I am definitely keeping my eyes open to all outside opportunities. Hopefully we will get some new management that knows how to treat customers and is actually good at bringing in new ones and not giving away market share. The current group is trying to make profits off of efficiency, creative accounting, and now they are going after the contract for those elusive profits that really only come from selling new airplanes.

kingairfun

That sucks.......But wouldn't this be considered "the 10 year plan"?

I gotta ask why would they be so willing now to disclose their 10 year plan..After 2 years of hiding it.. (this isn't the full plan but atleast a large component of it..)

jtf560

They have just given out bits and pieces here and there. Sometimes they spill some beans in the management talks to recurrent. Some nuggets come from company emails. Overall I think the union does know this stuff and probably more that hasn't been shared (I have a feeling the former union head and then NJA president has told the union whatever info he had before Sokol forced him out). Honestly, I am not too optimistic that there will be recalls any time in the next couple of years (and probably much longer) unless an entirely new management team comes in and changes the direction of the ship. I hope I'm totally wrong about this stuff.

xcorporate

The reality is that Netjets doesn't have the talent capable of managing a large operation. Warren knows this and is probably the one that has directed the shrink from afar. They say 10 years to get back to current size after shrinking even more. That is nothing more than a company that knows they are way out of their league and need to slow way down to catch up with itself. Kinda like having a teenager at the wheel of an Indy car. After you drag it along the wall for 3 laps the owner (Warren) is going to call you into the pits.

No future at Netjets for those furloughed, and probably not for the bottom 3-500. I for one have no respect for the way they handled and continue to handle the shrink. Sadly they have become typical. When they do recall, it will be fun to watch guys that haven't flown for 10 years try to get through the training, and use every available resource the union has negotiated for failed checks. I intend to have fun on those sim rides.....

Their is no way Berkshire's other companies are managed this way.

kingairfun

I agree with alot of what you say about how this place is being run..
However, in 10 years hardly anyone will have not found other employment in the aviation business (if they still want to fly). Even those that go to mediocre charter ops will have long tenure at wherever they end up, and probably won't want to come back to this place.... 5 years maybe, but not 10 or more years down the road....

I've got fun employment, not career type stuff, but it'll do... I've got my eye on a managment/charter company with 5 or so a/c..If I can get on with them I don't think I'd give up something like that (flying G's and Hawkers) to come back to an FO slot on the bottom of a poorly run companies seniority list.

NJA was great for benefits and such, but there were aspects like the schedule I didn't like. Small charter ops have their advantages for time at home and such...... I came from a small charter place back home, absolutely loved every part, home 25-30 nights a month, but the pay needed improvement...

xcorporate

The job we accepted from Netjets will never come back. Even IF they do recall it won't be the same.......

I've never been treated with such a lack of empathy or seen a company with less compassion for its employees as Netjets. Therefore, if I do get recalled and accept it something has gone terribly wrong with my new plan...

UCLAbruins

Yes sir, you are 100% correct. The great job I accepted from Netjets is gone. Times have changed... its going downhill, and quick.

When I got hired (early 2005), I thought i had hit the jackpot. Good equipment, great QOL and benefits, + months away from an industry leading contract and the backing of Berkshire Hathaway.... I thought I was set for life. Don't have that feeling anymore.

I actually got a call to interview at Emirates, but didn't have the courage to leave Netjets, so I passed on the interview.. I'd really like to stay, I'm going to give it another year or so, and hope it improves.

kingairfun

Tough call there.. If it was anywhere except a middle east job I would have jumped all over it...... I have a feeling the worrying over the next year is gonna be ridiculuous..... How long they can drag out furlough talks is amazing.

UCLAbruins

I'm not on furlough from NJ, actually I could probably survive another round of furloughs. However I don't like what i'm seeing here, I don't have much faith in management anymore.... their main focus is cost cutting, obviously our owners don't like that, crews are not happy, morale is low, etc...we need to convince Mr. Buffet we're worth keeping, only way to do that is by turning out profits, but i think the cost cutting system installed by Sokol went a bit too far.

I'm still not ready to leave, and I don't want to leave, this company has a lot of potential if only ___________.