Don't get too excited about the pay desk-pilot, I can count on the fingers of one hand how many times I've taken home £2500 or more in the years I've worked for BA (but at least I enjoy my work). You may only have 8 days leave per month, but I bet its all on weekends, something which most pilots very rarely achieve. Plus are your 26 days leave all weekdays? I'm only entitled to 30 weekdays of leave all year (I have little say in when I take them either), and I work unsociable hours and public holidays. I've no interest in starting an 'I'm worse off than you' argument, but sweeping generalisations about how a 744 SFO earns sooo much cash just cloud the issue. Not everybody earns that, and I know shorthaul Captains who earn a darn sight less than that. What price do you place on being home for Christmas or family events, not being thousands of miles away when things go wrong, not being constantly jet lagged, not facing the suden end of your career due to a common medical complaint at any time?
I have every personal sympathy for the people at Waterside who face losing their jobs, but to play devils advocate here one could say that as it seems the airline will continue to function without then why were their positions ever necessary? We've employed too many people for too long, thats whats dragged the company down.
Good luck with your endeavours at Oxford, it'll be a long, hard road and you've made a brave decision to go for it. I hope you complete that course and soon find yourself sitting in the RHS of the aircraft of your choice. However once you're there, with a mortgage to pay, family to feed and a big training debt to service, take time out from enjoying the job to assess the financial risks you face, and the relative levels of personal responsibility between your new job and your old one. You may find yourself surprised.
Edited to say I posted this before reading Basils ridiclulous, vitriolic rant. Basil I have no qualm with engineers being paid much more, but its not my job to fight their corner. Furthermore when they can present a case for pay restructuring to the company which represents ZERO NET INCREASE IN THE DEPARTMENTAL BUDGET like ours I'm sure they'll have the full support of flight crew without accusations of greed and self-interest being levelled. Until that happens I suggest you take a valium and do domething to suppress your obvious hatred and prejudices against BA flight crew.
Last edited by Hand Solo; 1st May 2002 at 18:52.