Once more the same old position taking, the same arguments, the same 'us and them' mentality. I fly the RJ for BACX, flew the 146 before that, watched it all unfold, and it's so sad, and unnecessary too.
I remember the offer from BA to allow the RJ/146 guys onto the BA master seniority list last year I think. Personally, I reckon it was a huge missed opportunity by both sides, but particularly by CX; it would have been a lot more than a few toes in the door, and probably impossible for BA to prevent eventual total pilot integration a la CFE. Well, our CC were pretty immature, (though maybe for all the right reasons). They had seen CFE integrated, and saw no reason why our case should be different. Impeccable logic, but it came up against a policy change by BA management and a Scargillite 'protect our jobs/scope/snobbery' element from the BACC. Anyway, the BACX CC decided there was to be no compromise, they insisted on it all going their own way or the cot and the toys parted company. Again, pretty childish attitude, unsurprisingly antagonised both BACC and BA management (not a bad achievement when you stop to think!!)Thus careful aim was taken at one's feet, the trigger was pulled, and it became history, fact, and more unfortunately sides were then taken and management have become even more entrenched.
However, BACC were also pretty short sighted. At that stage, BA had just swallowed CFE, so to call the RJs BA aircraft is really no different to calling the Dash 8s BA aircraft, or the ATPs etc etc. The routes ex BHX and MAN, no argument, they were definitely BA, but an important point is being missed here. Over the last couple of years, lots of competition has appeared on many, if not all BA short and medium haul routes, to the detriment of all profitablity and the demise of many of those routes. The rot is continuing. Wouldn't like to predict how much, if any of current BA short haul (I include the BACX setup) will be here this time next year. If BA became a de facto BOAC again, loads of mainline flying jobs would go, and the arrival of the next Freddie Laker would be just around the corner with another locost long haul business model. BA cannot survive solely by continued cost cutting and retrenchment, it will disappear up its own anus.
Now, it may well be that BA have had some problems we are not privy to in retraining the ATR community from CFE - and maybe even some of the RJ community as well (I seem to remember a Fleet Manager and training Captain failing his 737 route check!!!. I would think they would have a problem or two looking at some of the BACX turboprop, yes and RJ/Emb guys - but then, let's be honest, there are some less than below average blokes with BA too (the allegedly chequered poling career of one TDLF, our DFO, is an example in point!!!!!!!!
) The basic skills profile across the board of most airlines is probably within a few percentage points of each other, training equipment and training time/costs applied can make a lot of difference to eventual pass rates.
Anyway, why not get real. BA needs to cut costs drastically, starting with chucking out large quantities of lower, middle and upper management, and sorting the OTT cabin crew costs. (Yes oinkers might fly too, I know, I know)
[No axe for the hosties, its just that unlike the Flight Deck in mainline, the cabin crew are paid massively more than the industry rate for the job]
For us pylotts on both sides, BA and BACX, since our fortunes are already linked, there has to be a dose of common sense. Get ALL BACX flight deck a right of access to mainline, and likewise a return facility for ANY mainline guys who wanted to come back to the regions. Call the CX payscale the REGIONAL paygrade, but don't make it retrospective, or the current BA guys would be dramatically disadvantaged. (No whinging from CX here, if you wanted those salaries, you should have joined BA when they did, likewise seniority.) Grandfather rights on similiar types / bases for all current seat occupants on Emb/RJ though, that's fair in return. By all means insist on a sim check for any CX personnel (there's gonna be one on the conversion courses anyway!!) but remove the bloody Lego/psychometry stuff. This will somewhat adversely impinge on the CX Effoh community, but the omelettes and eggs adage applies here, and most Effohs have a longer remaining career and hence mainline opportunities than most Capts, so it evens out.
God, this is longwinded. Apologies to all, but for all our sakes, if we don't stop the internecine sniping we are going nowhere but the dole queue. It's time for a reality check, we know what the management are like, we've watched Swissair and Sabena crash and burn. We are shackled together, and if one of us stumbles, the other will be dragged down too. No-one has a job for life anymore, the world has changed since 9/11 and the Easyjet/Ryanair business model.
Adapt......or follow the logic in that nice Mr. Darwin's book on the survival of the fittest. Apologies for the length of this, but its my neck on the line too............
