Originally Posted by
HandsomeHarry
Again, thanks for the honest advice, it’s appreciated.
What about a commute from the north of England? Is that still unrealistic?
Yes, LH is open but I’d like a command within 5 years or so and actually like the prospect of short haul around Europe.
The bad stuff : Short-haul at BA as a junior FO (or Captain …) can be pretty tiring.
At the start expect to work hard with little control over the kind of work you do. You’ll end up with a mix of day trips (some 4 sector days for instance) or layovers with minimum rest and multiple sector days. Mixture of earlies and lates .
In winter and autumn when weather can be bad, expect very long days with disruption to your schedule.You will end up worn out very quickly, and I can’t imagine commuting in these circumstances. I would end up fatigued very quickly. That’s not to say people don’t do it, but they often end up spending every free minute trying to swap their schedule to fit their commuting requirements. Stressful . Expensive . And I just don’t think it’s worth joining BA under those circumstances . But that’s my personal view.
The good : decent company to work for overall . Far from perfect . Many frustrations but I’ve worked for other airlines so I know it could be a lot worse than it is . Vast majority of colleagues want an easy day and easy to work with.
Is BA worth the hassle involved in commuting to and from Heathrow on a full time shorthaul roster?
In my personal opinion, absolutely not.
I’m a full time short haul FO so can’t comment on LH or part time arrangements.