BA Airbus Rosters

[MR777]

Hi Chaps

Just a quick question. I know there is a long thread on Rosters Mainly longhaul but I would like some info on Airbus LHR Rosters.

I start in Sep and I know it uses Bidline which scientists at Nasa struggle to understand at the best of times, and I know that I will work hard, and I know that I will work weekends, Xmas, Birthdays for the next 10yrs due to being Junior! But I am the happiest man alive at getting into BA!

What I need to know is If I bid on a blind line, how likely am I to get tours? How long do tours last and how many days a month do you work. I live about an hour fron LHR round the M25, so I will be commuting, but I do not want to do it everyday and I really enjoy touring.

So what are my chances, Good, Bad or Better get a Diesel with a 5yr waranty, and my own room at the travel inn LHR?

Any info would be appreciated as this is the only lifestly issue that is bugging me.

Happy Landings :}

M

[ALV2500]

Hi MR,

Sorry that I cannot answer your question as I fly for a US airline.
I was wondering if you wouldn't mind sharing info on your road to employment with BA. I can legally work in the UK once I complete my conversions. If you could include your age, qualifications, flight experience, previous employment and the interview process etc, I would be very grateful.

congrats and good luck.

Regards, AL

[MR777]

Search the PPRUNE under BA DEP SELECTION THE LOWDOWN. One of the Biggest and best threds on the PPRUNE. everything you wanted to know that BA did not want you to know and peoples real experiences including my own.

Happy landings

M

[Artificial Horizon]

Just joined BA airbus fleet myself and have worked a couple of months with blindlines. Both months have mainly consisted of tours, infact I have only had two one day trips over the whole of the two months. So if it is tours that you want then you will get them no problem. Most tours that I have done are three day tours i.e. two nights away.

[ALV2500]

Thanks MR.

AL

[Von Smallhausen]

You don’t exactly ‘bid for a blindine’ – you get one by default if you don’t bid. Don’t worry, it will all make sense in good time, hoho!

Anyway, I’ve been on blindlines for quite a few months now so here are some stats. Talking to contemporaries, they're all getting pretty similar, so I think its fairly representative of what you can expect…

Majority of work (~75%) has been 3-day trips (2 nights away from base). The rest have been mostly 2-day trips (1 night away) and some 4-day trips (3 nights away). There are a few 5-dayers around but they’re pretty rare.

Since completing line training, have only flown one day trip (thats at all, not each month). These are v popular and so are generally snapped up by the more senior folk.

Have been rostered 1-2 ‘Time Assignable’ days each month. This is like a standby except they will call you before 6pm the night before to say what you’re doing (most likely to be a daytrip so as not to disrupt the rest of your roster). If you haven't been called by 6pm you're not going to be and it effectively becomes a day off.

Average 11 nightstops/month away from home.

Average 13 days off/month. Generally in 2 or 4 day blocks.

Have made the return journey from home to work, on average, 6-7 times/month. Not too bad at all if you’ve got a nasty journey. If you do, your biggest headache (not including groundschool/sims!) will most likely be when you are on reserve. As a junior bod, you’ll probably get at least one reserve period each year. It lasts for 4 weeks. One week is off (5 days off at the beginning, 2 at the end). For the other three they’ll call you each night to tell you what you’re doing the next day – it could be five day trips in a row!

Hope this helps and well done - Contrary to what some seem to put about there are many, many worse places to be. Enjoy!
;) VS

[Human Factor]

VS,

I thought "time assignable" meant they had to call you by 8pm.

[expedite_climb]

HF - nope. TA is 5PM to 6PM... OT is 5PM to 8 PM.

[NigelOnDraft]

MR777

If you <<live about an hour fron LHR round the M25, so I will be commuting,>> you are closer than most BA crew to LHR, and are not "commuting". "Commuting" in BA speak means flying to and from work, not using a humble motor car :)

As said above, Day Trips are "popular", so as a junior BL type, don't worry about those... It will be tours covering the weekends. If you are lucky enough to get a Sat night at home it'll be between the Thurs-Sat and Sun-Tue tours...

PM if you are willing to reveal your identity, and want more info. I happen to "know someone" who runs one of the bid programs that will let you see what the rosters are like, and get an idea of bidline <G>

[MR777]

Thanks for the reply chaps!

Look forward to seeing you on the Nightstops!

[oojamaflip]

Hi guys,

just a quick question or two re: von Smallhausen's helpful post.

When on a tour, are the nightstops generally abroad, in the UK away from your home base or a combination of both?

Also, I'm starting training in a couple of months and am going to re-locate but assumed until reading this thread that I would mostly be doing 2 sector there and back type days. To be honest, I'm much happier with the idea of nights away, but with less days spent travelling I'm wondering how far away people live and still maintain a good work/life balance. Can I buy 1 1/2 hours away without shooting myself in the foot or do I need to be living cheek by jowl with the Staines massiv just down the road?

Any advice will be gratefully received.

O;)

[Megaton]

Ooja,

Check your PMs.

HP

[oojamaflip]

Hi HP,

not sure why but nothing received

Probably something to do with my technophobia - any chance of a resend?

Many thanks

O

[Megaton]

Resent as requested. Your mailbox isn't full, is it?

[oojamaflip]

HP,

got the message thanks - as suspected it was finger trouble. Tried to respond but apparently your inbox is full. I'm very interested in anything you can send me.

I'm on the course starting 4 weeks prior to yours so I daresay I'll see you there. I'll try and PM you again tomorrow.

Cheers

O

[Von Smallhausen]

Oojam,

When on a tour, are the nightstops generally abroad, in the UK away from your home base or a combination of both?

Combination of both – I’d say very roughly about 80% abroad, 20% UK.

Can I buy 1 1/2 hours away without shooting myself in the foot?

Sorry, but this is far too subjective for a simple yes or no answer. Its certainly possible to live a long distance away without “shooting yourself in the foot” - there are some commuters from e.g France/Spain, and further.

As for the practicalities though, some people don’t mind travelling long distances regularly whilst others do. You will have to make the return journey into work ~5-8 times/month (+ a fair bit more than that when you’re training or on a reserve period) and a fair proportion of these will be for circa-crack-of-dawn reports! Just have a long think about what this will involve logistically, and the relative merits of being closer (like more :zzz:!) vs your personal circumstances in wanting to be in a particular place further away.

[oojamaflip]

VS,
thanks for that, it helps crystallize my thoughts - looks like I'll have to sack Highgrove and move permanently into Clarence - bang goes the polo season. I'd figured I'd need to be close at hand for the training, but as you say, a dawn start with a long commute in front of it is not appetising.

Much appreciated

O