BA Crews caught stealing booze (merged)
Join Date: May 2003
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Going back a little bit, doing walk around & spotted baggage loader with his hand in bag. (actually whole arm and a pile of stuff he's already removed). Eye contact is made so both parties know what the other saw. Unfortunately he's best mates with a checker who's doing my annual the following day.
To tell or not to tell. Ever wished you were somewhere else?
To tell or not to tell. Ever wished you were somewhere else?
Join Date: Mar 2000
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THEFT (and does anyone here call it anything else?) needs to be stamped out, pronto.
Walk off with company goods, prepare to pay the price.
And....the picture may not be pretty.
Walk off with company goods, prepare to pay the price.
And....the picture may not be pretty.
Some US cabin crew were arrested years ago after selling many of those tiny bottles for a nice profit in a major upper midwestern city.
Another major mistake was when they decided to use their illegal profits to buy a boat.
Another stupid employee decided to sell some buddy passes, which allowed friends to finally fly alone (no longer needing to fly with the companion), on E-Bay. The airline, in its typical wisdom, then revoked this privilege for any other buddies of the airlines' employees. The buddy and companion passes had only existed for a few years until some Einstein realized how smart he was.
Another major mistake was when they decided to use their illegal profits to buy a boat.
Another stupid employee decided to sell some buddy passes, which allowed friends to finally fly alone (no longer needing to fly with the companion), on E-Bay. The airline, in its typical wisdom, then revoked this privilege for any other buddies of the airlines' employees. The buddy and companion passes had only existed for a few years until some Einstein realized how smart he was.
Join Date: Feb 2000
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Related Incident
A funny thing happened a few years ago.
The London based Cabin Crew and Ground Ops staff were all well known to one another. Many of the Ground Ops staff frequently travelled home and it was quite normal for these folks to be handed a small bag of goodies (minatures) as they got off from the friendly Cabin Crew. One day one of the senior ops guys made a joke about the fact that he had only being given 2 small bottles of wine....well below the norm. Anyway the next time he flew back into London the crew handed him a bag so full that he nearly did himself a mischief carrying the swag to the landside office. Upon arrival he bragged about the contents at which point he opened up the bag. It contained 20 empty snipes of Champagne. The look on his face still makes me laugh.
The London based Cabin Crew and Ground Ops staff were all well known to one another. Many of the Ground Ops staff frequently travelled home and it was quite normal for these folks to be handed a small bag of goodies (minatures) as they got off from the friendly Cabin Crew. One day one of the senior ops guys made a joke about the fact that he had only being given 2 small bottles of wine....well below the norm. Anyway the next time he flew back into London the crew handed him a bag so full that he nearly did himself a mischief carrying the swag to the landside office. Upon arrival he bragged about the contents at which point he opened up the bag. It contained 20 empty snipes of Champagne. The look on his face still makes me laugh.
Join Date: May 2001
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Can some one clarify a point of law.
Does a customs officer like the police have a warrant (and the authority) to arrest for theft, or are they solely empowered to uphold the law of customs and excise.
Over to the part time lawyers on this forum
Does a customs officer like the police have a warrant (and the authority) to arrest for theft, or are they solely empowered to uphold the law of customs and excise.
Over to the part time lawyers on this forum
Join Date: Mar 2003
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Customs have incredible powers, much greater than the police. They don't need a warrant to search your house for example and you are considered guilty until proven otherwise. This has come to the attention of the European Courts but thats a long story. Basically you have no choice but to do what a customs officer tells you.
I think the 767 at MAN is still under the BA AOC. BACX staff can't operate it at the moment, still being crewed by ex- BAR staff and LHR flight crew.
I think the 767 at MAN is still under the BA AOC. BACX staff can't operate it at the moment, still being crewed by ex- BAR staff and LHR flight crew.
Youwererobbed
It's more complicated than that. The aircraft (G-BNWH) is a BA mainline 767 permanently based at MAN with unique config of no First seating and "old style" Club world seats and a large World traveller cabin. The flight crew are BA mainline 75/76 fleet who pick up MAN-JFK tours in the normal bid process. The cabin crew used to be BAR and were dual rated 737/767 with mixed rosters that included some transatlantics with european back the same day trips. Since the demise of BAR all the cabin crew are seconded to BACitiexpress and have now been converted to Avro146/RJ and 767 for those that want it, so the crew involved here are likely to be ex BAR.....
It's more complicated than that. The aircraft (G-BNWH) is a BA mainline 767 permanently based at MAN with unique config of no First seating and "old style" Club world seats and a large World traveller cabin. The flight crew are BA mainline 75/76 fleet who pick up MAN-JFK tours in the normal bid process. The cabin crew used to be BAR and were dual rated 737/767 with mixed rosters that included some transatlantics with european back the same day trips. Since the demise of BAR all the cabin crew are seconded to BACitiexpress and have now been converted to Avro146/RJ and 767 for those that want it, so the crew involved here are likely to be ex BAR.....
Join Date: Oct 2001
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I suspect the problem is basically one of cash handling. In my limited experience if you allow any group of people to handle cash then some, or all will steal it.
I have spent a few hours positioning on a bus and listened, gobsmacked, to the cunning which was deployed in pilfering. A random selection of these disclosures are as follows:-
Hot chocolate - packet opened and split ebtween two or three cups. One packet's worth of receipts in till, the other two in pocket (ever wondered why your hot chocolate tastes so weak?)
Tea:- plastic cups retained and washed in galley, refilled with crew tea bags and re-sold over and over again.
The classic - selling crew water to pax.
Replacing crisps, munchies, flap ajcks with your own. For example flapjacks sold on board for £1.50 are bought from supermarkets for 30p each.
And on duty free trolleys - the absolute classic whcih I believe caused BA a huge head ache a number of years ago - replacing expensive brand named goods with cheap copies i.e. Gucci sunglasses for the cheap ones you can get for a couple of quid at market.
Generally these seem small time, but they are clever in that the stock sold tallies with the receipts. Well done all, here is your commission.
Only way round it is no cash purchases. Only done on a card.
I have spent a few hours positioning on a bus and listened, gobsmacked, to the cunning which was deployed in pilfering. A random selection of these disclosures are as follows:-
Hot chocolate - packet opened and split ebtween two or three cups. One packet's worth of receipts in till, the other two in pocket (ever wondered why your hot chocolate tastes so weak?)
Tea:- plastic cups retained and washed in galley, refilled with crew tea bags and re-sold over and over again.
The classic - selling crew water to pax.
Replacing crisps, munchies, flap ajcks with your own. For example flapjacks sold on board for £1.50 are bought from supermarkets for 30p each.
And on duty free trolleys - the absolute classic whcih I believe caused BA a huge head ache a number of years ago - replacing expensive brand named goods with cheap copies i.e. Gucci sunglasses for the cheap ones you can get for a couple of quid at market.
Generally these seem small time, but they are clever in that the stock sold tallies with the receipts. Well done all, here is your commission.
Only way round it is no cash purchases. Only done on a card.
I'matightbastard
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For example flapjacks sold on board for £1.50 are bought from supermarkets for 30p each.
Newark - don't think it was you as you seem to limit yourself to the consumables. Whoever it was was could have opened up in Vegas as David Copperfield's successor, considering the amount of stuff he made vanish.
There was a long rally between him and someone whose family owned hotels and who therfore took it personally. The miscreant stuck to his position that the towels were his because the room rates were so high and the most surprising thing was that the central theme didn't become "Well, why do you think those rates ARE so high?"
Must've been two threads.
I think soap and shampoo lie below the mythical bar of theft.
Join Date: Jun 2001
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I well remember a few years ago when I was a young Loady on the introductory Merchantman, we were give galley items, Juices, Meals, Cheese Boards Tea Bags etc. It was the custom, on nightstops to take these items as refreshment later. A returning crew were stopped one day by BEA Security and searched, and they found the said orange juice and nice cheese etc, and were suspended for theft. The union successfully argued that these items were given to the crew and therefore was their property.
Nothing in the regs said that they had to consume these items on the aircraft, but it was tightened up afterwards damn quick.
Were these guys thieves.??........never in a million years.
Nothing in the regs said that they had to consume these items on the aircraft, but it was tightened up afterwards damn quick.
Were these guys thieves.??........never in a million years.
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In BA, crew are only allowed to be in possession of catering items off the aircraft if they are loaded specifically and only for the crew's consumption. On a freighter, all catering items are obviously only for the crew therefore it is categorically allowed to have those items in your possession. Only touble is BA doesn't have any freighters anymo'!
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Taildragger, sorry but the "Merchantman" was a "Cargo Only" Vanguard..as far as I know
On t'other hand, the ex's Uncle ran a Pub, and [bought and] sold "bought in Booze". When the Brewery found out, ...... he was too. It wasn't called theft though, they had another name for it which I can't remember
we aim to please, it keeps the cleaners happy
On t'other hand, the ex's Uncle ran a Pub, and [bought and] sold "bought in Booze". When the Brewery found out, ...... he was too. It wasn't called theft though, they had another name for it which I can't remember
we aim to please, it keeps the cleaners happy
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So, what happens when you are as positioning crew dead heading home, aircraft delayed due tech reasons for lets say 2+ hours and there is a "Free Bar"?
You can't partake of a small libation as you are in uniform (company regs etc, about drinking in uniform)
So you except said offer, of lets say a couple of miniture brandys and place them in your flight bag for later.
Are you now in breach of any law ?
Theft or Duty and Excise ?
You can't partake of a small libation as you are in uniform (company regs etc, about drinking in uniform)
So you except said offer, of lets say a couple of miniture brandys and place them in your flight bag for later.
Are you now in breach of any law ?
Theft or Duty and Excise ?
Join Date: May 2003
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flightrider. your silverspooned colleuge is not representative of the cabin staff employed by the majority of '3rd world' charter carriers. what's it like in BA first class. most of my positioning is in 'pilgrim' the emphasis on the second syllabul. come to think of it,not much pillfering in JEDDAH !!!
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"pay your employees a living wage. they wont need to steal from you".
Er no. If you don't like the job and rate, either like it, lump it or leave. It's theft pure and simple, irrespective of the size, quantity and value of the item taken.
Er no. If you don't like the job and rate, either like it, lump it or leave. It's theft pure and simple, irrespective of the size, quantity and value of the item taken.
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It's just greed by well paid spoilt brats at BA. They deserve it. I know for a fact that 2 of my friends at BA earn over 20k a year, and yet they still moan about BA. Spoilt, spoilt, spoilt. They have the best jobs in aviation and yet feel that they need to steal a few miniatures from the aircraft. We all know how much they earn and how good they have it. They should be ashamed of themselves, no sympathy here if they are sacked.
Last edited by FLYMATE; 22nd Sep 2003 at 00:57.