It's funny reading all the BA middle managers signing up pretending to be passengers and sending messages of support to WW.
I've sat through all these threads, but it's taken until now for me to want to comment.
Firstly, I'd like to thank all those putting both sides of the argument in such detail so I'm now, frankly, more informed than several of my BASSA friends about what this dispute and, in particular, the ballot for IA is about. The most common response I get from them is "But they want to drastically cut my pay and push me out when New Fleet comes in..."
I'm not BA crew, I'm not BA staff, but I am a BA frequent flyer. This board has been linked left, right, and centre on the internet - is it so incomprehensible that Joe Public might come here to read and also post support for BA? It's honestly a great deal tamer than much reaction on the newspaper articles/blogs that are allowing commenting, and the volume of that really makes me doubt that staff at WS have the time to sit and post all of it.
I'm booked on half a dozen flights with BA over the next few months -including March - that is my choice as I've personally always had good experiences flying with the airline. I'm going to continue flying with them. And given half a chance, I'd train as crew and break any strike with those staff that seem utterly fed up that every other part of the company took a hit in the economic climate but that CC are holding out for something that, in the eyes of many, just seems utterly unreasonable.
I left my job at a major airline a few years back and the career progression I chose means, in all likelihood, that next year I may be out of work. That was my choice to take that path, although I never saw this hellish economy coming - but I will work my backside off trying to make ends meet if things go pear-shaped. There are plenty in worse situations than I am, and the reason we're so motivated to comment is seeing the attitudes being expressed by some crew, which honestly does come across as selfish and greedy. The comment from one poster a few pages back regarding one who's attitude was "Don't care" about fellow colleagues rang true based on the responses I'm getting from my CC friends - well, this is a bitter pill to swallow for those of us who are customers and who put our hard earned money into tickets with BA regularly. Is it really beyond the realm of possibility that some of us are so frustrated with this that we just might express that here?
The other thing I have to say, and this probably means nothing in the greater scheme of things as it may not be reflected at all by others, but on waking up today and reading through all the usual social networking guff I'm on - several CC are posting statuses that they're very, very ill. I'm guessing that the people I used to work with might be starting to worry and are trying to get signed off work.
I've been lurking around pprune since '99ish and I can categorically state I'm not BA management, Willie Walsh, his dog, or anyone else to do with BA. There *are* pax here who are concerned and, whilst appreciating this is a CC subforum, really welcome the opportunity to share their views as well.