BA Direct Entry Pilot.
Okay, can't keep quiet any longer.
I was recruited onto the airbus last time round, and I for one, seriously doubt wether coming to BA was the right move for me.
Having worked both in the Middle East and in the UK before, I think I have some idea of how other airlines are to work for.
And although BA is excellent in so many ways, it lacks in so many others.
I think, as it's been said before, unless career progression is far down on your wish list for a new job, and security and stability is the only 2 things you wish for, then I wouldn't apply.
You'll join SH which is a nightmare at the moment. You'll not see LH for years, and when you finally do, you won't have a weekend off again for a decade!
And then there is the whole command issue.
Commuting even from within the UK is no longer a desirable lifestyle. I would advice people to think very carefully before considering even a short commute 2-3 hours drive..
Having said that, the flying is pretty good, although busy. There is a very shallow gradient in the FD even more so than many other airlines.
The pilots normally tend to meet up down route - just a shame that you'll forget all about that person before you see him/her again.
Good hotels down route, but layovers are getting shorter, and increased pressure on SH might mean new hotels in the future...
If I was to sum up BA, I'd say the following.
- lonely place to work
- being senior means everything, if you're not then, well...
- Getting days off for important birthdays/weddings etc, is very difficult when junior. And if you're lucky enough to get the time off, you are in risk of being force drafted, as it's happened to me this weekend.
- management do not care, if you don't like it, leave. This is obviously the same most places, but people do think BA is different, which it isn't.
One guy was recently told when asking a manager about career progression, and what the company thought about it? To which the reply was. 'Guys have already left for EK recently, so if that's what people want to do, that's what people should do' ...
What ever your decision, good luck