JT8,
In order for Virgin to make us work 900 hours a year, they would have to negotiate HARD with our BALPA CC. That would cost them a lot of cash I hope...
As for never being as big as BA, maybe not, but there could be a hell of an expansion in order to get bigger. Who knows?
At the end of the day, if you do a typical month at Virgin, you walk away with £3300 a month PLUS your cash downroute (after pension contributions and YEAR 1 figures). It's identical to BA really, but our pension is a little better and we will have worked a trip less (or thereabouts each month).
Take your pick guys, but the reality of it is that both airlines are right up there in the marketplace for pay and conditions, irrespective of what we may all think.
Final salary pensions are long gone. Forget them and look at some airlines where you just get abused and more abused each year.
Life ain't bad in either BA or VS............there are a lot of people who would like our jobs.