to take ba or not to take ba that is the question!

[wee one]

Hi guys,just joined the forum as i really need some help.:confused: Have just got job with ba to start in ten days!However have also just got permanent post with current airline which iam quite happy with. I do not rellish the prospect of living by LHR/LGW especially on the money which BA are surprisingly offering-less than what iam on at the mo. Should i give BA a go for the "prestige"-large scheduled airline or stay where iam quite comfortable (dont want to get bored though)the BA job seems to be all there and back short haul also. Is it worth the risk, given the living costs down there? What would my prospects be like with BA ie long haul,have heard it is a long wait,staff travel etc.
PLEESE help me as i need to decide quick!!:\

[121]

wee one you have a difficult decision to make and not one i envy you.All i can say is i have flown with ba for 20 years and all the time on shorthaul, longhaul has never appealed to me and after 20 years i am still not bored with it.Yes we do there and backs on shorthaul but we also have alot of 2 and 3 day trips and depending on were you go and what sort of trips you get the money can be quite good,in all honesty i don't know what an average month would be for people on the new contract payscales but from talking to other crew who are on it they seem to earn between 1100 and1800 pounds per month,once again i must say this is only what i hear and it all depends what trips you bid for and what trips you actually end up with.As far as longhaul is concerned for as long as i can remember there has always been a list as long as your arm of people waiting to transfer,ofcourse this is done on seniority,as is only fair,so unless you happened to get directly on to longhaul you will have a long wait.As i mentioned earlier we do have a good time on shorthaul we have stopovers in some of the best cities in europe staying in good hotels and we get paid quite well for it.I wish you luck and hope you reach the right decision.

[Ranjha]

wee one which airline you work for now?:confused:

[flyblue]

When confronted with the same problem, I went to the big airline without looking back. No regrets whatsoever. Maybe just that I didn't do that before.

[FLYMATE]

Have to say that I was in your position too but went to BA- I did 7 years there and all in all it was OK. I didn't make as many friends there as with my previous airline, and didn't have half as much fun on-line. Still it paid the mortgage and I got a lovely new car out of it.

[OzzieO]

Not sure who you work for now but my advise to you is quite simple really join BA. BA has a lot of faults but I personally think for cabin crew its the only UK airline worth working for in terms of pay and conditions and job security.

I know the basic may seem like peanuts but remember your extra payments on top of it.

I have worked for BA for nearly 14 years and in that time they have never forced cabin crew to leave. By that I mean no redundancies.

I worked for BMI for 4 years and to compare the two is a joke. In fact there is no comparassion!!!

BA's shorthaul operation is huge and there is plenty of variety plus nightstops to be had. Longhaul is excellent but the way BA now operate every new entrant has to go onto shorthaul to start with and then transfer to longhaul which could take years!

You have to weigh up the pros and cons for yourself but my advise is take BA!!!!

[wee one]

Have finally decided to take a gamble and move to ba.Definitely feel i have made the right decision and ill just have to see how it goes.Looking forward to starting but not too sure about the accomodation,have a few friends down there but they are based at LHR and i have just been informed i will be at LGW(hope thats not bad news!) If anyone has any ideas or info it would be much appreciated.Should i b&b it during my training?
Thanx for all your advice so far guys it really helped x

[Kempus]

hi!

I start with BA on the 10th of November and they are keeping quiet about where i'm gonna be based and what fleet i'm on. The rumour i heard was expansion of the long haul programe out of LGW, apparently they need 400 crew for long haul! How did you find out?

Oh, any of your other friends looking for someone to occupy a room? I'm getting desperate!

kempus

[121]

WEE ONE AND KEMPUS I'VE HEARD THAT NEW ENTRANTS ARE GOING TO EITHER SHORTHAUL LHR OR LONGHAUL LGW.I REMEMBER WHEN I DID MY TRAINING COURSE(LONG TIME AGO NOW)THAT THEY HAD A LIST OF SUITABLE ACCOMODATION THAT YOU COULD LOOK AT,YOU KNOW THE KIND OF THING,B&B'S,ROOMS TO RENT,FLATSHARE ETC.MAYBE SOMEONE WHO'S JOINED MORE RECENTLY WOULD BE ABLE TO POST IF THEY STILL DO.THESE DAYS I THINK ALL THE TRAININGS DONE AT LHR SO IF YOU DO GET TO BE BASED AT LGW YOU WOULD STILL HAVE TO ARRANGE SOMEWHERE TO STAY FOR YOUR TRAINING AT HEATHROW.GOOD LUCK TO BOTH OF YOU, WHEREVER YOU END UP

[wee one]

Think i might stay with friends or b&b it during my training whilst looking for accom.near lgw for when i start.Im sure something will come up,dont really want to live in creepy crawley at all.What are the other names of areas next to lgw that might be a bit nicer?
Ah well ill pack a tent just in case for me and kempus!I start on the 10th also. If anyone has any more tips on the old london life it would be much appreciated. THANX for all the help xxx;)

[Kempus]

Hi!

wee one, nice to meet some starting the same day as me. You'll have to pm me or something so i can send you my number. Nothing worse than moving somewhere you dont know anyone!

Think i'm gonna be B&B ing it till i find out where i'm gonna be based and folk to share with!

As i said, get in touch!

stu

[esportadude]

Is Crawley not posh enough for you wee one ?;)