AA
 

AA,

My understanding from talking to our Performance Managers is that we BACON crew will fly just the Barbie Jet after the 24th March as our RJ's all go then to BA Cityflyer for the LCY operation, with cabin crew based at LCY & EDI.

The current Flybe ladies & gents will continue to operate their current aircraft, Q400 Turbowhizzy thingys and Embraer 95 for example here at Brum.

Sometime after the 24th March we will start to be trained to Flybe SOP's, as I presume will our Pilots (what's left of them!) and after that on a given date we will then be licenced for the flybe aircraft at our bases. Don't know if Flybe crew will fly Barbie though?

Presumably after that point both sets of crew will then be rostered together and the Sun will Shine and the Birdies will Sing Trala! (At least I think that's what she said!)

Also Plan A is for the Flybe crew based here to move down from T1 to T2 to our crew rooms in the dungeon area around the weekend of the 24th/25th March? This is when all the BA logos, desks etc. will be replaced with Flybe ones and the passengers will check in at T2 from start of the summer operation.

Though what happens to all our wonderful BA ground staff, who have no jobs because of all this, at that time we have no idea!:mad:

Does that answer your questions AA? , and thanks for the good wishes. It won't be easy peasy, but I'm sure we will all settle down together as best we can. ;) Mind you , if Flybe have any dishy flight crew, claws will be sharpening in the crew room as some of our BACON lovelies go hunting! ;)

Oldflyboy

Thank you for your reply. It certainly is a interesting time for you guys and flybe. And when you get to operate on the Whizz Pop Bang Sorry :rolleyes: Dash Q4 i think you will like it it's not all that bad.

And BHX T2 becomes flybe aswell, blimey its going to be one MAD 24 hrs during change over. Do you BACON guys go into flybe uniform ready for the 24th or will there be a gap?
And what about BACON's a/c and there logos? how long they going to be in BA colours?

I am excited for you guys.

See Previous
 

AA,

All BACON crew in measuring process, our 'Mr Humphries' at BHX is rounding up everyone to try the red on, intention he says is for us all to be in it by 24th March, WTHOUT EXCEPTION as the dropfiles letter says.:cool:

Rumour control has it that there is a Barbie already stripped God Bless her in the hanger at Exeter (what quaint places flybe operate from!) and re-painted in the flybe colours. Also hear the plan is to 'white tail' the rest of the fleet until all are painted up.

Thanks for your thoughts, myself 'excited' is not the word I would use. Trepidatious, more fits my mood about all this.

Anyone else from cabin crew from either company out there with thoughts on all this?? I know TeaAnyone21 views this, any more lovelies with views out there??

C'mon, you know you want to!!:O

It Will be strange when flying about seeing Flybe barbie jets :}

Oh just thought, what were your training facilities like at BACON?
I am just wondering (If the training facilities at flybe are the same as 2 years ago) what shock you may get from the training facilities at flybe. If it is still the same its on a 3rd floor of a office building down the road from BHX with a sort of 146/dash type thing stimulator built in one of the class rooms. To be honest not the best for training has it is not easy to play out SEP/SOP's in, but its something.

Its All Down Devon Way!
 

Not been as I'm not important enuff, but my spies in training tell me all cabin services training now located at Exeter? Something to do with cost I think, that's why the Brum training school was shut down.

(Strange, centre of country, easily access from all over, or down in Devon which is 2000 miles from everywhere? Hmmm, nice one someone! Now I've got to be driven down there to do my training!) Do they do all recurrents down there? :ugh:

Wonder if it's true what they say about scrumpy? Anyone from Exeter out there, what's the goss about the training school?:confused:

Gosh, there's such a lot about this company I'm joining I don't know!!:confused:

Oh so training has now moved to EXT you lucky lucky bugger :\

When i was at flybe it was in BHX there was rumour then that it was going to EXT but nothing happened when I was there so I dont know what facilities they have now in EXT.

If I remember right you need a passport for that far out part of the country :} , just kidding thats is not meant to offened any EXT guys.

But i would be also interested in know what flybe training facilities is now like.

Slightly veering off course but when I started at easyjet I was speechless at theirs. Highly impressive.

Yes training is in loveley EXT now. All courses take place there and we hire car down from BHX.

It is definately better than the old centre. Lots more classrooms and although the old mock up is still there we have a loveley new embraer door and slide trainer.

Still not quite cranebank so may surprise some Bacon guys but it does the job quite well.

They all find out on Thursday 1st March what company taken over !

I believe that some (all) of the ground staff (at BHX at least) have been given the option to change jobs and fly on EF at LHR.

I have a couple of friends that work there, I will try and find out.

reply
 

NOT TRUE OFF STAND!

Have just spoken with several in customer services, no-one has had any indication that option to fly is available to them. They will be told tomorrow they expect that the 90 days notice kicks in!

Not True Off Stand!
 

Manchester ground staff are in the same position, no options (as yet) for job change and expecting 90 days notice tomorrow....:confused:

Does anybody know if the deal has been signed ??:ugh:

like hitting a bick wall nothing we will be last to know

That's funny as I was in the back office of the ticket desk at the end of Jan and there was a list of those that would be interested in a move to flying.

Yes, A list was put up in all areas where ground crew who had a desire to fly could list an interest. The list was not offical, neverthess I do know it gained an interest of 150 BAR ground crew. It was passed on to the Unions. I am not sure what happen after that, as the signing was holding alot of things back. So lets keeps thumbs crossed that BA gives the option to fly, even if the path to this is through Career Link. As many of the names listed were a good bunch of people. People are going to loose their jobs, as not all can go to London. So it's going to be a difficult period for all.

What about the INV / IOM Routes to LGW !

Hi!

From what I can gather, the dealings are going on right now and if they do sign tonight, then news will be announced to the LSE and then to us at 0700. There should be a PM or manager in every crewroom at that time to pass on the news, most likely from a text on their company mobile phone.

As to INV/and IOM. Same old for now. We have been told absolutely nothing so far. a size 12 and a size 14 Flybe uniform turned up, not sure if they'd been washed a few times too many, but the sizes were weird and the colur quite a faded red/orange! Given the weather prevalent at both the IOM and INV, I certainly hope a pair of Trousers becomes added soon! Us bald old pilots will dearly miss our hats too!

We are expecting to move our LGW turnarounds to the South Terminal at the end of March too, when we get our old knackered old 146's painted I don't know. The INV ship is not bad, similar in age to the JEBs, though it's front end nav kit is laughably bad! The IOM aircraft is like a museum piece. The interior is pathetic, the whole aircraft is worn out and decrepid and too small to carry the loads that want to travel with us. First thing you notice when you get on board is the back row, because it's right next to you! -100 model don't forget!

The INV/IOM cabin crews are really nice and friendly though, top people and make my work worthwhile.You'll enjoy working with them hopefully sometime. If we get more IOM based Q400s in, you'll probably get a few nightstops too, as recruitment here is a nightmare!

does it really matter when the deal is signed in 12 months time it will be irrelevant after all how long ago was it that BACX became BAConnect. And as for the IOM routes flybe are not interested they just want the slots

I can have ' some belife ' in that. When I was strutting my stuff at flybe many moons ago, flybe had quite an operation in IOM, ground staff increased there to. Then suddenly IOM routes seemed to disappear from many bases.
Flybe did many things when I was there, Open this base but we will close that one, oh now we will close the one we just opened and so on and so.
Not saying that is going to happen with the ' Merger ' as i am sure flybe have matured and learnt from those days.

P.S I do hope something will be sorted for the ground staff, best off luck to them.

Well I can only speak about the BHX situation and from what we know Swissport are continuing to handle Flybe and will move over to T2 when we do. Hopefully they will try and keep the majority of BA ground staff on but I couldn't say for sure what they will do.