Yeah we left that factor out actually one the basis that we only wanted to look at remuneration. It is a very very valid point thought and one we aired at the time.
Obviously for many from that part of the world it is a huge plus getting a LGW LHR base. For me it would be purgatory. Certainly in Cheltenham - not exactly known as a 'cheap' place to live :rolleyes - I can get a very nice period 2 bedroom house, garden, driveway, garage, near town centre for £180,000. We all know what a rat hole that amount gets within 60 driving mins of LHR+car park walk.
Not wanting to be a BA basher in any way shape or form (the worse they get paid the worse the rest of the industry gets paid tomorrow) but I would not apply to work for them in a million years now. The money and security is no longer meaningfully better than commonly available elsewhere. The industrial relations enviornment and morale is probably worse. I don't want a divorce - sorry, I mean Longhaul and the prospects of having to moved to the SouthEast fills me with woe.
I have no idea if BA would actually like me to apply to them. Probably not. But I am 27, have a decent stack of academic quals/degree am Boeing rated with 2000hrs on British license and was an instructor at a school they sent their cadets to. If people like me are not even remotely tempted to apply to them (pre Sept 11th) then possibly I think they may have a recruitment problem in the future. Which is sad in a way and good in another. Sad that what was the pinacle of many career aspirations has fallen so far so quickly. Good that BA may have to up T&C's for the flightdeck in the future.
Mind you I wouldn't mind 650hrs a year rather than 899.
This of course has little to do with the thread title so I shall now admonish myself quite sternly for thread wander.
Cheers,
WWW