What is basically happening here is BMI pilots are coming along and saying "Hello, we've just arrived and we'd like to skip the queue for LH, is that ok?". The reply from BA pilots is " sorry, No, that's not going to happen". The result - we're being branded as selfish/childish/unreasonable etc...
Let's be brutally honest. This takeover is only possible because BA is a profitable, successful company. One of the fundamental reasons that is the case is that (through an intelligent, reasonable and realistic BACC) we have taken one cut after another to our T&Cs to ensure OUR company is in a strong position going forward. A significant number of pilots at BA have left good jobs at other companies (BMI included) to enable them contribute and hence be a part of BA's successful future and all that that holds.
What's being proposed here is an opportunistic attempt from BMI pilots to secure career progression that they never could have dreamed of had their company actually been financially viable. I know quite a number of people who have worked for companies that were far more successful than BMI, yet they were made redundant and have ended up scattered all over the globe. BMI pilots work for an absolute financial basket case of a company yet they are being allowed to retain their current T&Cs and career prospects at a London base. I don't begrudge them this but they need to realise that they are very lucky to do so. We have a hold pool full pilots (many with decades of experience) who have busted their asses to try and join BA SH PP1 - yet BMI pilots are going to join ahead of them and potentially see them time-out in the hold pool. There are quite a few people who would see that as unfair.
There will ultimately be new opportunities generated when BA converts some of the ex-BMI slots to longhaul - but those opportunities will have been earned and paid for by BA pilots. Hence BA pilots will have first bite of the cherry.
Sorry to be blunt but this 'hard done by' attitude being portrayed by some of the luckiest pilots in the UK is ridiculous.
P.S. - if given BMI DOJ, 95%+ of ex-BMI pilots would be bidding for 777/747 ASAP. Pretty much fact.
Last edited by BusDriverLHR; 5th Apr 2012 at 00:13.