Life at BA is what you make of it. The most frustrating thing by far, and I mean even above the operational hastles at LHR, is the interdepartmental politics. Most of which contribute a large proportion of the aforementioned aggrevation.
I've been in over a decade now, and I can't remember a time when we haven't been on the brink of war about something. That however is how the scribblies like to have things, their lives are much less interesting without constantly fighting with the staff.
Keeping that in proportion, which can be difficult I admit, you will still have a rich variety of flying in all kinds of theatres of operation. The equipment is some of the newest, and some of the oldest in the industry. I still find it interesting and engaging, and there's enough choice in the rostering system for a work life balance to be struck.
My advice, yes, come and join Aunty for all her faults. Make learning the industrial agreement your first priority so that you're nobody's fool. Be patient, seniority will ooze for the next few years, but you will have years to make it up in the future. Some of our pilots have a potential 35 year career with us. (If the industry lasts that long
). The pension is not what it was euphamistically speaking, but it is still a pension.
But the thing that makes me happiest is the huge range of people I fly with. A rich vein of experiences, talents, and warstories. With 3300 pilots, you will rarely come across the very few Jodrell bankers, and they are clearly marked if you want to swap the trip.
Snapshot perhaps, but please don't believe everything you read here about BA. Come on in and make your own mind up.We're big enough for everyone to find a niche. Some pilots come here for five minutes just to get BA on the CV, screw everything up and then poke off with wads of cash - WHOOPS! What am I saying
