Originally Posted by
bex88
Sudden Twang. It does not sound harsh to be honest. I have on balance said BA is a good place to work but it’s really really crap at the bottom. It seems to be a company where the employees are only increasing the seniority gradient. Don’t get me wrong there is a place for it, but when it negatively impacts to such an extent on day to day life I don’t think that is right. The pay problem (first world problem agreed) for P1 is something that is not the fault of BA or the union because as you say normally you went in at PP15. With the improved conditions elsewhere the opportunity to address this should be considered. SFO’s on long haul? well I guess like all of us they have a bid next year too. It would be up to them. For the record though a friend of mine is LH part time and his take home exceeds mine (sometimes he does overtime) on full time and he would not ever come back to SH.
For those considering BA a good point was raised. Why have I not left? There are a few factors and primarily that is hope. Hope that it will get better, hope that JSS would improve things, the possibility to change fleets, the options of part time. The overriding factor though is I don’t really want to leave. I like BA, I like where I live but it is a real strain on family and relationships. There is no hiding from it and I always point to rostering.
Re reading the above I should have just said “what has BA ever done for us?” My wife is right I can be a grumpy git 😂
I would absolutely agree with the above, I have been at BA 2.5 years LHR SH and I can honestly say the last 18 months has been the most challenging of my 15 year career. I personally don’t dislike BA but my wife sure does! My children are 4 and I never see them, my wife works full time during the week and come the weekend is stuck looking after children on her own. She constantly makes jokes about being a single parent and if this continues there is a very real chance she might be. The seniority system disproportionately protects the pay and lifestyle of those at the top and it’s a very difficult pill to swallow but it will never change. As for joining BA I would say if your ambition is to be a LH SFO for at least 20 years and you don’t mind not seeing your family for the first 5 then go for it there honestly is no where else you will achieve this. But if you want command or long term SH then almost anywhere else might be better for you.