Originally Posted by
Busdriver01
I’ve heard of several people who left my outfit to join BA, did a few years, and then managed to walk back across the slightly burnt bridge, albeit on the lowest contract available at the time. For most who leave to BA its for the opportunity of long haul which is just never going to be a possibility here. For some it’s the thought that, in their early 20s, being in a loco forever more may not be the most exciting career (who’d have thought, maybe it really does benefit you to go and fly knackered old TPs With the auto throttle and only a basic Ap delivering mail for a few years?). I do have to question the logic of leaving a seniority based airline after only a few years (only 1 year in some cases) of SH flying with them before having tried LH, or gaining a bit of seniority but everyone’s situation is different.
As several people have already said, the fact this thread even exists is a worrying sign of the state of our industries Ts + Cs...
so I’m on the other side of the pond, but at 50 I have a bit of my own experience to impart. I was at a legacy here and I left to go to another legacy because I thought it would provide a better career path. Then 9-11 and then bankruptcy and the T&C were completely unsettling to me. I couldn’t imagine my career going this direction or staying with my airline under those conditions. I took a leave to fly a Citation X and then I went back to the legacy for a month before leaving to fly the “mail” as you say. I couldn’t imagine the legacy I was at would ever recover. So I left in 2007! Then the world economy collapsed in 2009 and I found myself at the bottom of the list at my new airline. Ha! The best laid plans.
I only offer this because sometimes the slow and steady is the way to go. Over an entire career T&C will change. What is hard to win is chasing bases, aircraft, upgrades, etc. I know the market in Europe is different than the US, but I am reading a lot of comments on time to upgrade and to get certain bases... it makes me pause. I know nothing about the state of BA, but I will say I never would have guessed my old legacy contract would bounce back like it did.
Sometimes the current schedule makes one think that they need to make some huge change as soon as possible. If they would have waited just a year or two it could look totally different. I’ve change aircraft and bases and at times it’s seemed like a totally different company and job. If SH is Bad, try LH. Tired of that? Go back to SH. It might take time to get the position you want, but options are great. Use caution with rash decisions based on how it looks today. Step back and have the long view.
I’m happy with my decision, and it’s been a great ride, but I would have been better served by staying put. Best of luck in your decision.