Originally Posted by
Apple Tree Yard
Although I benefit from the (somewhat) stable rosters on a base, I do see Pickuptrucks point (and yes...it did come across as a bit of a rant). If the bases monopolise most of the productive long haul flying (not only from their own base areas to HK and back, but also other long haul areas out of HK and back), eventually the HK pilots (many of high seniority) will be reduced to doing nothing but the integrated regional bs patterns. Not only that, but they will effectively have any chance of consecutive days off being reduced to the minimum. No opportunity to commute, or even a semblance of proper lifestyle. Ultimately, there has to be some sort of balance in how the flying is distributed. Will that happen, probably not knowing CX.
Firstly, the bases are unlikely to ever be so large as to take up all the longhaul flying, which isn’t to say that bases couldn’t make it more senior in HK bidding due to less overall flying. Second, mixed crew flying is to everyone’s benefit. It is a common sense fatigue mitigation tool that should be maximized. Lastly, bases are by and large staffed by more senior crew, so the argument about 10 year FOs in HK and 6 year FOs on the base is not the prevailing issue, although it does exist. Again, I simply do not think HK is entitled to specific flying anymore than a base is.