Well lets temper a few of these reactionary responses with some facts shall we?
Senior flight crew are taking the ****
Well given that BALPA figures show that many BA senior flight crew are lower paid yet more productive than most other European rivals, both state and privately owned, I dont think they are. Unless you aspire to have all UK flight crew working for nothing.
Most FOs would get a nice little pay rise, too, if on easyJet conditions
True, about a 25% rise in my case, plus fewer 5 sector days, more days off and better overtime. That said, I would have grave reservations about working for that smug, squealing, repugnant little man after watching him gloat over job losses in the last few weeks.
Surely the best thing that could happen to the rest of British aviation is to let BA go bust - no, it's not unthinkable. For years they've unbalanced the whole industry...
Oh I do love this sweeping statement backed up by not a shred of evidence. Precisely how have BA unbalanced the whole industry? By operating succesfully to more destinations than anyone against efficient private and inefficient state owned airlines? Who do you propose should take over? Virgin? They're in an even worse position at the moment! EasyJet? No meals on a twelve hour flight could be fiddly. Simply put, there isn't anyone who could take over, all you're wishing for is to see 50000 people out of a job.
Flight Operations 7% of staffing and 18% of costs......
Well what do you expect? Flight crew aren't cheap (though they are cheaper in BA). I think you'd find that the percentage cost of flight crew in the low cost operators are much higher. They have a greater percantage of flight crew in their staff and pay them more than most BA crews. there are lies, damned lies and statistics!!!
2 pilots @ £50 for 1/2 an hour!
I wish! Try two pilots on NOTHING for two hours, then on one ninth of a days overtime for each COMPLETE hour following that.
Even if they could make that, why should they be ashamed? Its an overtime deal that the company agreed to. Nobody held a gun to their heads.
I, like many other BA pilots, are continually amazed by how many of our so-called profesional colleagues seem to take delight in spouting uninformed, unfounded BS about us, our pay and how lazy we are. The VAST majority of BA pilots are not on huge salaries, and other pilots out there do not have a monopoly on runnning into legal duty time restrictions, be they hours flown per year, or days off in 7,14,28 or 90 days. Its the classic British syndrome off knocking anyone down thats percevieved to be doing well.
[ 11 October 2001: Message edited by: Hand Solo ]