I:ve spoken to a BA 777 f/o driver at the school gates and he gets 3/4 days away but with time diff gets no more rest than us. no mention of swimming pools either.
It was a glib comment, but underlines my wifes perception of what I do now do compared with what i had to put up with in my 5 years at a previous airline and 13 years in a 'proper' career.
I get 13-14 days off per month. Time zones makes no diference to that, a day off is a day off. I get guaranteed 2 days (3 nights) off after every long haul trip - no more home for 12 hours and then slogging off somewhere else half asleep. In reality I get alot more time off than that. my last 3 day trip reported at 9pm and cleared at 11am. They don't count as days off but in reality theres almost 1 1/2 whole days at home in those 3 days of work. I can plan that too, as a trip rostered at 9pm WILL start at 9pm, I won't get a duty change the day before moving me to a 6 day trip starting at 6am (which happened frequently in my previous life). I get more leave than i know what to do with, so much so that I've picked up an overtime trip in my duty free week next month as I really don't want antother week off!
I cannot see a problem with the BA salary. as stated i'm more than happy with a starting salary thats in the 95th percentile of ALL earners in the UK, and with a payscale (wether its 25 or 35) that takes it well in to 6 figures, and a union that has a good history of getting cost of living rises every year.
But even if you do have a problem with the salary - its about lifestyle, and that is far more important to me, and most other people too.