Originally Posted by nuigini
The A319 and A320 have at least 4 crew and the number is actually regulated depending on which trip the aircraft is doing and obviously also the load. For an AMS you would have 6 crew (2 in EC and 4 in ET) due to the short flight time and the service onboard.
Ironically, on the A319 from LGW to AMS, you will have 3 crew,
despite the short flight time and service onboard, unless the club load exceeds 15....
As nuigini says, the crewing level on shorthaul is complicated for both bases and depends on aircraft type/variation, club load and flight time. To those onboard, it may sometimes seem like we are overloaded with crew when there are 5 crew for 40 odd pax, but you can usually guarantee that the other sector would have been chocka block full.
And there, I think, we have part of the crux of the problem. The one word that has kept popping up is complicated. And so far, we have only really covered LGW T&C's in any detail. LHR crew, apart from the lovely nuigini, have been suspiciously quiet. Yet Carnage Matey has correctly pointed out that LGW is the "Simple" fleet, for want of a better description.
I can only imagine that those outside of BA are looking at all this in complete bewilderment. 3 fleets of the same airline with so many differences to their terms and conditions. To outsiders, including our shareholders, it must border on the ridiculous! In my opinion, we must streamline our operation if we are to survive as an airline in the future.
Jsl