Just a two peneth
Hi Guys,
AMS - LHR glad your enjoying your EF course - bet you can't wait to be online!!!
In other news - I noticed A LOT of speculation about the offering of LHR EF courses, now I'm not sayign it won't happen - the company have said that before and it still did happen as there was operational need for it and LGW has yet to finalise a transfer agreement for LHR with the TU's but I thought I'd offer some information - This is not rumour but information from an IR day I had recently with managers - they call it face to face.
New Entrants at LGW - we are still short of crew and will need them to cover the gaps covered currently by Titan Airlines Sub Flights and Rest Day Working, however summer is nearly at an end (thank the lord) so I imagine the strain will start to wear off soon anyway.
IAH/DFW move to LHR - at this point we will likely have some 250 - 300 crew more than we need (yes 3 777's on daily flights need this many crew!) At LHR more crew are needed to cover these flights as 1. they get higher crewing levels anyway and 2. they have to have more days off than us. This will result in open spaces at LHR WW and I'd imagine these will be filled by LHR EF. This then leaves a gap at LHR EF and a surplus at Gatwick Fleet, however by March when this all happens, the Ops & Choice framework will be finalised at LGW and (if we all read out contracts correctly) the Senior Crew at LGW should have first dibs on those spaces (EF) before externals - indeed the manager we had said as much and she expected 250 crew at least to move "up the road" at that time.
New 777's arrive at BA in 2009 - Now there is much talk of slot space at LHR and the room it has but the more pressing fact is that LHR terminals are saturated - T5 alone will already not accomodate our entire operation (757 fleet and some Aussie routes will depart T3). Fleet Managers at LGW expect new "leisure" long haul routes to arrive at LGW at this point consolidating the leesure routes there and more business/profitable routes at LHR.
At this point we'll recruit to LGW again I would imagine (if it does happen)
Open Skies - point to point Europe to the states - how will it be operated and who will - if It's UK based crew you can bet your bottom dollar that the company would pick the cheaper crew.
OPS & Choice to be finalised at LGW during winter 07 - at this point we gain the right to transfer, moreover our seniority will be higher than anyone joining after us (after october 06 when we joined NSP) so in actuality if the list for transfers is seniority based, as everything at BA is, you may be better joing LGW now than LHR EF later if your ultimate goal is LHR WW as your seniority will be higher.
EF was only offered externally due to no OPS & Choice at LGW - if they bypassed us when it is in place then the company would have A LOT of angry people on their hands.
The gist of my very long post is this - if you want to Join BA - take what they offer you straight away - I applied for EF got it then things changed and I ended up at LGW - don't cling onto that application as a right to go to EF.
I'm sure at some point some courses may well open up for external LHR - but do you risk waiting to fall off the end of your year? or losing the seniority of an entire year if you are planning on LHR WW?
Both bases are great to work at (I've done them both with BA) and yes the money is less at LGW but this for thought - I net the same ammount each month now as I have learned to live within my means, and at LGW we are a bit "tighter" when it comes to money - but we still have a very very good time - just for less money (got to Holister instead of A&F for example when your in the mall).
The wages are not appaling; my bottom line (ie what I put in the bank) is always around 1500 a month and I am very Junior.
Take the job don't hold out and regret it and don't let people put you off - it's an exciting time at the company right now!