Guys
It has nothing to do with glamour, or 'stripes in the terminal during daylight', or cabin crew, or shell suits in low cost, it just comes down to lifestyle choice for the individual; you enjoy flying away from home for 6 days at a time and not seeing your family. You enjoy only flying when it is dark. You enjoy not getting fed or watered when at work. You enjoy living out of a suitcase for those 6 days away. You enjoy having the equivalent of jet lag to start your days off. I didn't. So the crew rooms are not portacabins any more, great! That wouldn't swing it for me. The 'Britannia Service' is gone; so what? I didn't join the airline for the service to it's passengers, I joined it for the lifestyle option. When I joined it was 15 years to command, but flying out and back getting home each day suited. I was converted immediately on entry to the 767 and flew that for less than 12 months before I got the CHOICE of longhaul (if you don't want it you don't have to do it). I chose to do it and thoroughly enjoyed it; much more enjoyable spending 5 days in Barbados on the beach than 5 days around the EU changing hotels every morning.
I took a (basic salary) pay cut to move from DHL, but earnt £19k more than the DHL F/O salary in my first year at Brits. 18 months in they started the low cost arm and were short of captains. After 2 years with them I had a command on a 737. I was years away from having the hours for a command with DHL at circa 300 per year.....
We have block window protection on our roster, at plus or minus 2 hrs, Flexible working at £530 per day for a captain, a salary scale with over 20 increments, a final salary pension scheme (which I am in), duty pay and sector pay, loss of licence insurance, death in service insurance, PPP for me and the family, the list goes on. I get home most nights or days, with very little deep night flying (which I hate), I fly about 700hrs per year for about £90k as a year 2 captain (including Flexi Work), have flown 3 flights in the last 28 days and have fitted out my ensuite bathroom (and done all the work to make it into a wet room) AND had excess time available for my sideline business and the kids.
So obe one and honest Frank, it does indeed
depends on what you want.
I HATED deep night flying, out of a suitcase, being away from home ALL the time with you and A N Other, who might just be a Tw@t who tied fishing flies in his room for 5 days (know him?) and I made my choice. The Britannia service may have gone (your opinion), but it doesn't make it a crap company to be employed by.
And let's face it, I am an employee, not a passenger (shell suit or not).
Don't degrade other people's opinions just because you don't agree with them. You like night freight, then fine. I don't and I just told those who want to know the other viewpoint, having been there and done it for 6 mohths.
Enjoy, as will I.
PP
Canada Goose
Yes you could indeed, if you liked sleeping on bunk beds with paper sheets. The older you get the more fussy you get and also the harder it is to do this. I personally used to stay awake as I really felt like sh1t after 2hrs having to wake up and go back out in the freezing cold to operate another sector.....if you were in a deep sleep when you woke you would be in the cockpit half set up before you were fully awake....and that wasn't good.