Well thats me.
The only people getting part time at the moment are getting it for compassionate or childcare purpose. Everybody else who wants it (and thats lots) can take a running jump.
Airbus Girl
Perhaps you might to consider that when someone is junior on a fleet they get no bidlines either, just blind lines. They get no guaranteed weekends off per year. They will get 42 days leave per year (7 days = 1 week), but will have to take it in 7 or 14 day blocks booked up to 10 months in advance - no option to take a single day. Our earlies report from 0500Z at LHR, with pick ups downroute as early as 0310Z. We can also start at 0600Z after a day off. Also how can you only get 8 days off per month if you're only flying 15 days this month (compared to my 18)? Our work patterns don't necessarily improve with seniority either; more control of days off perhaps, and a few less earlies, but you'll work just has hard at the top as you will at the bottom, only not on the weekends. 8 to 12 hour days are equally routine, but I bet you won't be doing four sectors through LHR with a terminal change and 3 aircraft changes as well. 7 days in a row away from home? Not uncommon. I've got 13 nights away from home this month, and thats a light one. And no hotel for me either when I finish another 12 hours shift and have to spend 2 hours driving home and 2 hours driving back (seen how much it costs to live in the South East) to report 13 hours later. I'm still at least 5-10 years from command too. Plus I get to do this month in, month out, no slacking off and taking it easy in the winter season. 750 flying hours logged last year, almost double that time on duty.
Of course I do get well paid for it (eventually) and my roster rarely changes, but the guys I know who came from Airtours, Monarch and JMC all reckon they're working harder now than they were before so it's not all rosy.