Guys I have just had an offer to join on the classic out of Man. I'm currently an Fo on 777 with BA out of LHR/LGW and my whole reason for applying was that I'm fed up of the commute 4-6 times a month ( apparently we are the worlds hardest working longhaul company at 900 hrs a year). The management talk about honesty and integrity but would sooner sell their mums than help you. Anyway the thought of going to work a couple of times a month to the airport 10 mins away from home then having about a week off when I get home rather than the odd couple of days here and there and going East West with 8hr time changes each way sounded perfect. However grass I am finding out always seems greener.
I distinctly told them in the interview the reason I was looking for a move was because I am fed up with the commute and if I'm going to leave it has to be for the right job. So they offer me the classic which I believe is going to end up in HK doing local flying and the crews are going to be positioned out from Man. I wonder if they actually listened to a word I said. I guess they expect me to give up a 3hr commute to work in favour of a 14hr one. When I basically wrote back I got a reply to explain the situation and calm my fears. It said that the classics would eventually go to HK but MOST of the crews would stay in Man and that there MAY be some positioning to HK but on company or commercial airlines, and that I would be able to bid onto the 400 after a two year type freeze. So in reality I take itsome of the crews will end up in HK permanantly, there will definately be positioning to HK (oh on company or commercial a/c, were they under the impression that i thought I'd be paying for it myself!!) and then I can bid to go to the 400 obviously at the bottom of the pile behind everyone else. Oh and time to command 3-5 years but I can tell from the posts thats not going to be the case.
Anyway I've politely declined, a case of grass seems greener as I say. I do understand that sometimes the time off at home would be considerable and that would be worth its weight in gold to me as I currently find myself recovering from one trip only to get ready for the next but I'm not prepared to give up what I've got for that deal.
I guess people would agree with me I'm better off where I am... yes?
I think what I read earlier is right people aren't moving cos its just as pants everywhere else. Jeese I wish I'd never left Thomas Cook now. Anyone who is thinking of a move think long and hard cos in virtually every case once you've gone you can't go back and slot nicely where you were before. BA told me a pack of lies about pensions and time off cos they knew once they'd got me I couldn't go back unless I wanted to go to the back of the que again and start again on the seniority list I'd just left.
Why did I get into this industry again???
