Thoughts from someone on the 320 (LHR) who joined BA 18 months ago.
I am thoroughly enjoying my time at BA, this is after 16 years military flying and 8 years in a low cost airline.
I am nowhere near the 900 hrs, in the last 12 months (July to July) I have flown 675hrs.
Like Rex above I am taking home on average £4100 after tax and max pension contribution, better than I was earning as a skipper at my previous airline.
Having a say on my roster is invaluable, I am already 40% off the bottom of the seniority list and got my third choice of tripline for September, how will JSS affect it? Who really knows but if (and it's a big if) it works as advertised then it should also allow us the ability to influence our rosters, certainly something most airlines don't allow.
I commute form Scotland and so far this year have averaged 10 days at home a month, when working I bid for trips which means little or no time in Heathrow hotels.
E-maestro allows us to use our bank to swop trips, drop trips and pick up overtime - again something most places don't allow.
Leave is generous and split evenly across the year so summer holidays with kids are possible if that's your thing - again in some airlines it's not possible to take leave over the summer period.
Crew food, crew hotels and time down route are good (there are some min rest trips but these are few and far between).
Staff travel is superb, as someone who not only commutes but also travels extensively it's saving me a fortune, we get concessions, hotline and standby travel not only on BA but most of the world airlines.
Yes there are issues, if the south east doesn't suit then commuting is possible, certainly from within Europe, is BA what it was 10, 20 or 30 years ago, of course not but show me a company in any line of business that is.
How is Alex Cruz going to affect the airline, who knows but from what I have been told he understands the brand and obviously wants to make it a success, that said it is a business and he is responsible to the shareholders, I don't believe we will be too affected at the sharp end (unlike those in the back rooms).
BA is a huge company with fantastic opportunities (fleet changes, training, management, recruiting etc) with a huge route network, like I said at the top I am enjoying it thoroughly that said its horses for courses and wouldn't suit everyone.