Attention all BA wannabes!
British Airways recruitment...
...what you MUST know before you sign that contract!
British Airways is recruiting at the moment, mostly for type-rated pilots.
We think it is important that you know ALL the facts, warts and all, before you sign that contract.
The following is a BA Copilots' perspective... forewarned is forearmed!
(A) COPILOT PAY
(1) Basic Pay:
Copilot Basic Pay is £40500 plus an annual increment for every full year served (to a maximum of 23 increments).
Long Haul (B744/B777) increment = £2175
Medium Haul (B757/B767) increment = £1650
Short Haul (A320/B737) increment = £1575
e.g. total basic pay for B744 after 5 years = £40500 + (4 x £2175) = £49200
e.g. total basic pay for A320 after 7 years = £40500 + (6 x £1575) = £49950
(2) Incentive Pay (flying hour pay):
Copilot Incentive Pay = £8 per flying hour (fully taxed)
Long Haul pilots fly 800 - 900 hours per annum
Short Haul pilots fly 700 - 800 hours per annum
Long Haul Copilots' Incentive Pay approx = £6800 per annum (850 hours)
Short Haul Copilots' Incentive Pay approx = £6000 per annum (750 hours)
(3) Time Away From Base Allowance (meal allowances):
TAFB = £2.58 per hour between report at Base and Release at Base (taxed at approx 7%)
All pilots' TAFB approx 2500 - 3500 hours per annum
All pilots' TAFB Allowance approx = £7740 per annum (3000 hours)
(4) Total Gross Pay:
e.g. total gross pay for B744 after 5 years = £49200 + £6800 + £7740 = £63740
e.g. total basic pay for A320 after 7 years = £49950 + £6000 + £7740 = £63690
(B) PENSION
BA has closed its Final Salary Pension Scheme to all new joiners. This scheme allowed up to 2/3 final salary to be taken as pension. BA contributed approx 25% of a pilot's pensionable salary to this scheme.
The new scheme (as currently proposed) is significantly less beneficial. The scheme will be a "Money Purchase" type, where the liability rests with the employee. BA is proposing contributing only approximately 9% of the pilot's basic pay... far less than currently contributed by the employer in a number of equivalent schemes (e.g. Virgin Atlantic).
Under the current proposals it is unlikely that a pilot will receive more than half his final salary as pension (depending on investment / stock market performance).
(C) SENIORITY
All aspects of a pilot's career in BA are governed by his/her seniority.
There are no merit promotions, and all bidding between fleets, as well as for all rostered work, is on the basis of seniority.
New joiners become "First Officers" (two stripes) for the first four years. Subject to satisfactory performance, a pilot will be promoted to "Senior First Officer" (three stripes) after that time. This is unaffected by previous experience.
The retirement rate within BA is reducing sharply over the next few years, so a new joining pilot's seniority will not increase significantly for a number of years.
Moreover, it would appear that the BA Compulsory Retirement Age (currently 55) will increase (probably to 60) in October 2006, due to European Age Discrimination Legislation. This would effectively freeze a pilot's seniority at that point in time, for a period of up to 5 years.
(D) FLEET BIDDING
New joiners are "frozen" on their initial type for the first 5 years in the company. After that, a pilot may bid, in his seniority, for a move to another fleet. Having moved to another fleet, a pilot is then frozen on the new type for a further 4 years.
However, as mentioned above, fleet bidding is in seniority order and depends on availability of places. It is possible that a junior pilot may be "stuck" on his current fleet far longer than the minimum "freeze" period, especially as a result of the forthcoming retirement age changes (see para. C).
(E) WORK BIDDING
BA fleets (except LGW Short Haul) have the Bid Line work allocation system, allowing pilots to select a full month's roster in seniority order.
Due to the seniority system, there is very little choice of trips or days off for junior pilots (either Captains or Copilots) on any fleet.
The bottom 20% of the seniority list receives what is known as a "Blind Line" (basically an auto roster but with the opportunity to express limited preferences, which are not guaranteed).
Blind Line Holders will typically work most weekends and Bank Holidays - most days off will therefore be allocated during the week.
Junior pilots also get very little choice of trip destination... new Long Haul Copilots had better enjoy going to The Gulf and East Coast USA - you can probably forget Australia, Cape Town, South America, and the Far East !
Additionally, new pilots can expect to carry out 2 or 3 "Reserve Periods" (i.e. standby) a year, consisting of 21-day blocks of permanent standby.
Reserve Periods are also allocated in seniority order.
It is likely that a new joiner will receive Blind Lines and Reserve Periods for his first 4 or 5 years in the company.
However, when the seniority list "stagnates" due to the changing retirement age (see para. C), you can probably add another 5 years onto this figure.
(F) TIME TO COMMAND
Pilots bid for Command Courses in seniority order. Broadly speaking, the top half of the seniority list are Captains and the bottom half Copilots.
No allowance is given for previous Command experience in other airlines.
BA currently has about 3000 pilots.
A pilot needs to be higher than (approx) 1600 on the seniority list in order to get a Short Haul Command.
In order to get a Long Haul Command a pilot must be above (approx) 1000 on the seniority list.
The time to achieve Command has increased markedly in the last couple of years. This is due to the slowing retirement rate, and recent changes to the pay system, which have made Short Haul Commands more attractive to senior Long Haul Copilots.
Approximate time to Short Haul Command = 10-12 years
Approximate time to Long Haul Command = 16-18 years
Again, if the seniority list "stagnates" due to the changing retirement age (see para. C), you can probably add another 5 years onto this figure.
(G) STAFF TRAVEL
All British Airways staff have the option of purchasing reduced price tickets, after one year's service.
Additionally, SFOs and Captains receive a couple of enhanced "management concessions" per annum.
However, the most important issue is that staff are on-loaded in order of date of joining... and most of our aircraft are quite full these days!
In short, the staff travel perks are worth very little when you've only been in a few years, as it is very hard to get a seat on the aircraft (especially on popular Long Haul services).
You would be surprised how many of our pilots buy "normal" tickets from travel agents or off the internet!
(H) IN SUMMARY...
BA is a good airline, with reasonable terms and conditions, and reasonable job security. This is mainly due to the high level of membership of BALPA (about 92% of all pilots), and therefore a good collective bargaining position - the general terms and conditions reflect that situation.
However, don't believe all the hype - you may well find that, being a new joiner, your lifestyle is poor and choice very limited. In particular, you will be away on trips almost every weekend... not good if you have a young family.
The proof of the pudding is in the eating, and a number of pilots have left BA over the last couple of years, to go to airlines as varied as Easyjet and Emirates.
Moreover, forget what you heard about BA pilots not doing much work - many of our Long Haul pilots will reach the legal flying hour limit in a year (900 hours), and we have Short Haul pilots who have flown in excess of 800 hours in a 12 month period too. It's no holiday!
Forewarned is forearmed...
...good luck!