RJ 100s at BA EOG

[Hand Solo]

Well by your post CLAD it seems we share some fairly similar viewpoints. I do not believe you are second class citizens. I do not believe you should be paid less than BA pilots for operating the same type. To have such a situation merely invites BACE to set up yet another subsidiary on lower pay still and then shaft you with it. Furthermore, I understand BALPA have ambitions to get BACE onto some form of seniority list/ T & Cs with BA mainline, though I suspect that BA management will fight tooth and nail to prevent that. I don't think anyone in BA thinks its wrong to assimilate BACE in the same way CFE were.

I can fully understand the desire not to move on to pastures new if you particularly enjoy being where you are. What does irk me is that some people seem to think BA pilots don't feel the same way. There are many people who've been in the regions for donkeys years and have no desire to move. BAs decision not to allow BA pilots to fly what are still BA (or CFE) aircraft means families are going to be uprooted and vast expenses are going to be incurred moving to the south east, whilst those who can't or won't move will see their quality of life ruined by endless commuting and lonely nights stuck in B&Bs in the LHR area. Unfortunately, this is usually overlooked as greedy nigel obviously only wants to hang on the aircraft for cash/ego purposes. What also irks is the occasional assertion by some people that they have a divine right to take BA work or aircraft as they are 'so much more efficient', a viewpoint which seems to stem more from envy than any actual knowledge.

You also seem to share my cynicism on the companies accounting practices! Its a standard BA technique to lay all failures at the door of the overpaid pilots (representing a huge 4% of all BAs costs as we do), and once again we see this technique being applied in the regions. My suspiscion is that very little of the overall running costs of BAR is attributable to flight crew, and my belief is that management are pulling a fast one in their crusade to reduce pilots pay to zero. It probably is the case that the RJ100 is a more economical aircraft to operate from the regional bases, but the wholesale transfer of these aircraft to BACE is part of a political rather than an economic agenda. Until we can improve your T & Cs to our levels, we are compelled to oppose the transfer to prevent our T&Cs being reduced to your levels because thats a lose - lose situation for both of us.

Brain fade - beware of falling into the BA propaganda trap that all blame rests at pilots salaries. BAs accounting is a nebulous beast. The franchises do pay a franchise fee, but what is that fee, and does it truly represent value for money for BA? We are told that franchises are cheaper, but who is paying for the customer service staff, the advertising and branding, the product development, the customer loyalty programs, the head office staff, the 24 hr telesales centre and website, and so on and so forth. Franchises do work well when you have a thin route that couldn't be operated by a BA aircraft - it provides access to passengers that we would otherwise not have. The problems arise when you suddenly have franchises operating aircraft that BA operate. Examples:

1. BA operates 120 seat A319s at BHX which sometimes have low utilitsation. On the next stand a franchise operates 120 seat 737 to Belfast? Best use of BA resources?

2. BA operates 767 to Baku and Almaty. BA decides it cannot make money so franchise takes over operating A320. One year later BA has burgeoning fleet of A320s that could operate Baku and Almaty but franchise still has route from the same base? Is this the best way to grow our network?

3. BA pulls off LGW-MPL route on a 737 as it can't turn a profit. The very next day franchise begins 737 LGW-MPL route. Said franchise is charged £300 for a 737 turnaround by BA ground handlers, the going rate. BA 737 is charged £1000 by same handlers for same turn around because it is a captive customer. Are inefficiencies in other parts of the company skewing the profitability of BAs flight ops?

These are just three examples of why it is just not possible to believe the figures which the company come out with to justify there franchising/outsourcing, call it what you will. I appreciate we must sound completely paranoid to outsiders, but BA BALPA are fighting a continous rear-guard action to fend off a string of managers who fiddle with flight crew careers while Rome burns around them.

Right well that was a long post, better go and take my pills now.