GB Airways

[x GB Chick x]

Hi
does anyone start their training at the Beehive on Monday 1st May? Would be great to hear from you
Lou x:rolleyes:

[Gatwick07]

I don't start training, I've been online flying for a month but good luck and if there's anything you need to know, send me a message. Hope to fly with you soon :O

[prat_eegle]

Hi there,
just a question for any of you already flying for GBAw.
I read in an advert for cabin crew in www.aviationjobsearch.com that you are paid 16K salary. Is that the total including allowances that you can expect or is it the basic? What about allowances in the latter case?
Also do you know if allowances are tax payable normally, or only the basic salary is?
Thanks a lot.
Regards

[Turroncin]

I don't know where they got that figure from. On average its about £1100 a month. Maybe if you added pension and if you were lucky and got lots of commission then it could get to £16000 but I work there and have no idea how I am supposed to earn that much.

[Flying Fairy]

Just wondered if GB Airways do any night stops and if so where and usual duration? Thanks!

[prat_eegle]

Turroncin,
hello
are you by any chance from a place called Xixona (Jijona)? Cause that name seems familiar.
I am from LPA.
Have you been long in GB? How is it? Lots of nightstops or mainly turn arounds?
Re the salary, the amount you mention is it after tax? or gross? Have you any idea how much tax is then deducted? What about working there and being "resident" and taxable in Spain, for example, do you know if that is possible?

[Turroncin]

Hola

to answer your questions

It's mainly a there and back company, you might get one or two nightstops a month but don't count on it. Averages out at £1200 a month although can be a bit less or more (after tax). You are taxed as a UK resident (which, if you work here, you will be) which is the same as everyone else. It would be physically impossible to keep down a full time (or indeed part time) job in Spain so any thoughts of avoiding UK tax should be now got rid of!

It's not the worse job in the business, by far not the best. It's GB airways!

[prat_eegle]

I believe at BA mainline you also earn about that much (around 1200 after tax)?

[Cirrus_Clouds]

Hey all, I'm currently looking into the possibility of joining GB Airways crew, while looking at other jobs.As part of research that I have already obtained, I was wondering if you could answer some questions for me (I'm sure some GB crew visit this forum)?Describe a typical week...How many hours per shift?Many 0300 starts? lolWhat's the max number of working hours per week?How many flights/sectors per shift?The normal wage? (research tells me that is a low figure)Number of crew on a/c?Through looking at the routes, it seems most flights last 1-2 hrs each.Many thanks, much appreciated.

[ILS26L]

Hi there,
with regards to early starts, GB sticks to the limit of Fatigue Avoidance (CAP371) of no more than 3 early starts in a row. To be honest though, they see this more as a target than a limit :ugh:
This is mostly due to a lack of cabin crew. For this summer schedule, over 20 flights are still not crewed, so the current crew are being used on most of their stand bys.
Basically, GB crew is very friendly, and you'll almost always have a very nice day out. Cabin Services team is really bad though, their management skills are almost inexistant. Bottomline is that the treatment you receive is not the one you'd expect ...
Paywise... well, with one or two night stops, you clear approx £1,200 max.
IMHO, GB is great for gaining experience, but wouldn't consider it as a lifetime career.
If you do join, you'll have a great time with the crew, but do be aware of the FTL and CAP371 rules, as these are often bent in order to be able to crew all the flights.
Hope this info helped.

[Turroncin]

Hey all, I'm currently looking into the possibility of joining GB Airways crew, while looking at other jobs.As part of research that I have already obtained, I was wondering if you could answer some questions for me (I'm sure some GB crew visit this forum)?Describe a typical week...How many hours per shift?Many 0300 starts? lolWhat's the max number of working hours per week?How many flights/sectors per shift?The normal wage? (research tells me that is a low figure)Number of crew on a/c?Through looking at the routes, it seems most flights last 1-2 hrs each.Many thanks, much appreciated.

A typical week: 5 days on 2 off. If you're a new starter most of these will be long flights (Canaries, Greece - 3.5ish hrs each way, Paphos - 4.5 hrs) with a couple of shorter ones like Spain at around 2-2.5 hours each way. Red Sea is 5.5 hours each way but you get a non-op the following day.

There are no 3am starts, the earliest stby is 4am the earliest check in is 5am.

There are some night flights (arriving back around 6ish am) e.g. Paphos, Ibiza, Palma.

If you get a nightstop, its 3 sectors each day. Most other days its just 2 sectors but the entire shift can be 11 -13 hours long.

Crew. Min is 4 on 320, 6 on 321, but you get 5 on 320 if club load is high or its 3+ sector day or a long flight. 7 on the 321 likewise.

You need to do a bit more research if you think GB flights last 1-2 hours! The only destination you can get to in 1 hour is Nantes, and I've only ever been there as part of a 4 sector day that took 13 hours to complete!!

[Cirrus_Clouds]

Interesting...

£1200 is after tax I would assume?


So assuming one does a 13hr trip within one day, then 2 hrs driving (return) in order to get to and from home, how much time are you given as rest period between flights? (I can see this being a job where you get tired fast!)

Are the hours fixed sometimes like say 2 days at 0600 starts after 13 hr trips, or do crewing department compensate the later you arrive back at base?

[Turroncin]

Interesting...

£1200 is after tax I would assume?


So assuming one does a 13hr trip within one day, then 2 hrs driving (return) in order to get to and from home, how much time are you given as rest period between flights? (I can see this being a job where you get tired fast!)

Are the hours fixed sometimes like say 2 days at 0600 starts after 13 hr trips, or do crewing department compensate the later you arrive back at base?

In summer you can expect min rest between days, regardless of how long it takes you to get home. People are usually knackered by the end of the week. Rostering doesn't have any pattern, you can get a number of earlies, or a mixture during the week, but if that happens you end up getting a day with a very short standby or it would be impossible to continue rostering you. If your flight is delayed your next day would be changed e.g. altering start time of standby or taking you off a flight if this would mean you didn't get a min rest.

[ILS26L]

yes, £1200 after tax that is.
Turroncin is right, minimum rest applies between duty shifts, especially during the busy summer where this is a norm. You must live within 90 minutes commuting time from the Beehive (GB Main office next to Gatwick airport). So basically, you can do a 12 hour day, followed by 12 hours rest, then another 12 hour duty, and so on... (this often happens, and many crew moan about the fact that they have 2 or 3 long flights in a row, i.e. TFS, PFO, HER, ACE, etc...)
so obviously, if your commuting time is 90 mins, this would mean you'd get 9 hours at your home. Once again, this often happens, but isn't a daily occurrence.
As Turroncin has previously mentioned, you are lumbered with all the long flights when you join as most of the crew there are reaching their 900 hours anual limit.
There is definately a strong need for crew at GB, as there are certain flights this summer which remain uncrewed. It's a shame there's such a high turnover, good elements leave monthly, but then again, this is mostly due to poor management which leads to low morale of the staff within the company.

[Cirrus_Clouds]

With weighing up this information, the life style isn't exactly going to be pleasant in my mind. Minimum rest would be even less than 9hrs after cooking a meal, then it's straight to bed, ready for round 2, 3, 4, etc!

I'm really not sure on this. The money isn't great as well. Something tells me it's not worth it for that life style it brings, on that amount of cash - basically not a good deal.

Is there any future development in cabin crew, Senior Cabin Crew?? :D


I do have my PPL and love flying/travelling, but I'm beginning to wonder if this is such a wise move whilst discovering these facts as I'm not exactly desperate wanabee crew, but rather the pilot aspect of it all lol!

[deanair84]

With weighing up this information, the life style isn't exactly going to be pleasant in my mind. Minimum rest would be even less than 9hrs after cooking a meal, then it's straight to bed, ready for round 2, 3, 4, etc!
I'm really not sure on this. The money isn't great as well. Something tells me it's not worth it for that life style it brings, on that amount of cash - basically not a good deal.
Is there any future development in cabin crew, Senior Cabin Crew?? :D
I do have my PPL and love flying/travelling, but I'm beginning to wonder if this is such a wise move whilst discovering these facts as I'm not exactly desperate wanabee crew, but rather the pilot aspect of it all lol!
Then go apply to CTC ect. or get a job thats gona pay a ATPL:hmm:

[Turroncin]

With weighing up this information, the life style isn't exactly going to be pleasant in my mind. Minimum rest would be even less than 9hrs after cooking a meal, then it's straight to bed, ready for round 2, 3, 4, etc!

I'm really not sure on this. The money isn't great as well. Something tells me it's not worth it for that life style it brings, on that amount of cash - basically not a good deal.

Is there any future development in cabin crew, Senior Cabin Crew?? :D


I do have my PPL and love flying/travelling, but I'm beginning to wonder if this is such a wise move whilst discovering these facts as I'm not exactly desperate wanabee crew, but rather the pilot aspect of it all lol!

If you want to get quick promotion its a doddle, they did summer promotions for assistant purser and purser and 2 months later...they're doing recruitment again as lots of them have resigned already! You need 6 months with the company if you have flown before to get AP. Having said that BA mainline cabin crew earn more than a GB purser!

It's certainly not everyone's cup of tea....although quite a few crew hang on in GB for a while. My opinion is if you have a choice and don't mind trips, go somewhere else.

[Cirrus_Clouds]

"Then go apply to CTC ect. or get a job thats gona pay a ATPL:hmm:"

Already doing it.