BA Citiexpress terms & conditions
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BA Citiexpress terms & conditions
Hi all!
Dunno if this is the right forum, but I just got an interview with BA C.Ex. and here's a few questions:
How's the...
Rostering?
Pay? (how much to take home, all-inclusive)
Time to command?
Links with "big" BA?
Thanks!
Dunno if this is the right forum, but I just got an interview with BA C.Ex. and here's a few questions:
How's the...
Rostering?
Pay? (how much to take home, all-inclusive)
Time to command?
Links with "big" BA?
Thanks!
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Crossunder
Sorry you haven't had a better response!
Difficult for me to be too specific, since it depends on what fleet/base you join, but it's not a bad outfit. Rosters seem reasonably stable, pay is probably about average, routes, and types available are interesting enough, and you will fly with some very good people. Time to command is variable (if not rapid!) and will depend on which fleet you want a LHS in.
As far as links to mainline are concerned, there appears to be no 'fast track', the only concession being continuous date of joining for staff travel, and redundancy purposes.
Sorry I can't be more helpful.
Sorry you haven't had a better response!
Difficult for me to be too specific, since it depends on what fleet/base you join, but it's not a bad outfit. Rosters seem reasonably stable, pay is probably about average, routes, and types available are interesting enough, and you will fly with some very good people. Time to command is variable (if not rapid!) and will depend on which fleet you want a LHS in.
As far as links to mainline are concerned, there appears to be no 'fast track', the only concession being continuous date of joining for staff travel, and redundancy purposes.
Sorry I can't be more helpful.
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What are the most likely fleets that you would join as a newhire? Embraer jet, ATP or Avro? What are some of the senior and junior bases?
The EMB-145 looks like a great airplane to fly...
The EMB-145 looks like a great airplane to fly...
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New hires usually start on the Dash-8 or ATP, but as both are being phased out, it won't be long before you're on the -145.
Manchester & Birmingham are your most likely bases & offer the best chance to command without moving. Bristol & Southampton are popular but have far fewer aircraft, so command can take a while.
Roster visibility & stability is pretty good now. Pay nowhere near mainline, but compares quite well to others. Expect long days, but not 900 hours/year. Travel benefits as mainline - really good. Good people with a few whingers.
An excellent first job. Good career job if you want to stay in the regions & see your family. Bad if you want heavy jets & long haul.
Manchester & Birmingham are your most likely bases & offer the best chance to command without moving. Bristol & Southampton are popular but have far fewer aircraft, so command can take a while.
Roster visibility & stability is pretty good now. Pay nowhere near mainline, but compares quite well to others. Expect long days, but not 900 hours/year. Travel benefits as mainline - really good. Good people with a few whingers.
An excellent first job. Good career job if you want to stay in the regions & see your family. Bad if you want heavy jets & long haul.
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How would BACX crews at BHX describe thier rosters?
Are they stable, do you expect to be called off every Standby? Also what is the average block of duties i.e. 6/3 5/2 etc and would you normally start a block on earlies and finish on lates? also how many hours would you on average expect each month and the number of night-stops? finally are most days 4 sectors or can you expect a mixture?
lots of questions but a reply would be greatly appreciated.Tks
Are they stable, do you expect to be called off every Standby? Also what is the average block of duties i.e. 6/3 5/2 etc and would you normally start a block on earlies and finish on lates? also how many hours would you on average expect each month and the number of night-stops? finally are most days 4 sectors or can you expect a mixture?
lots of questions but a reply would be greatly appreciated.Tks
Last edited by ALTSEL; 28th Sep 2004 at 11:17.
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Unless you are 145 or RJ type rated all new pilots start on the Dash 8 and more than likely at Manchester. There are no Dash 8s at BHX and no plans to base any there. There are 8s at SOU but being a popular base I'm not sure how often vacancies arrise there. Expect to be on the 8 for at least a year, possibly longer, although that may change (there are little or no command prospects in the company for the foreseeable future many jet FOs are trying their luck elsewhere).
Despite potential BA will not allow BACX to expand fleet so no prospects for promotion for a very long time if you are in the second half of the seniority list. Promotion at BACX is now almost always strictly on seniority. Again this might change.
Pay is average for Turboprops (mid to low 20ks initially)and workload is what you would expect for an airline these days. I can't answer what the roster mix is for the Dash 8 and how stable the rosters are. All I can tell you is what life is like at BHX on the RJ. The RJ rosters have stabilised of late but have been very heavy over the summer. Lots of max hour days follwed by minimum rest and lots of nightstops / tours. Unlikely to keep any standbys and generally work 5/2 with occassional 6/3 but there is no defined pattern.
Access to "BIG" BA. Over Big BALPA's dead body. Minor deal done recently but effectively have to apply to BA as an external candidate and until the very last minute you will be treated as such. Only advantage is a BACX person will be employed before any "similarly qualified" candidate. Read into that what you will. If you aren't Boeing Airbus which you won't be at BACX you are not equally qualified with most other candidates. Not saying I agree or disagree with position just stating the facts.
All in all BACX is not the Utopia of aviation but is a good place to start. It has a good reputation for standards and training which is important if you eventually wish to move on.
If you decide to go for it good luck.
Despite potential BA will not allow BACX to expand fleet so no prospects for promotion for a very long time if you are in the second half of the seniority list. Promotion at BACX is now almost always strictly on seniority. Again this might change.
Pay is average for Turboprops (mid to low 20ks initially)and workload is what you would expect for an airline these days. I can't answer what the roster mix is for the Dash 8 and how stable the rosters are. All I can tell you is what life is like at BHX on the RJ. The RJ rosters have stabilised of late but have been very heavy over the summer. Lots of max hour days follwed by minimum rest and lots of nightstops / tours. Unlikely to keep any standbys and generally work 5/2 with occassional 6/3 but there is no defined pattern.
Access to "BIG" BA. Over Big BALPA's dead body. Minor deal done recently but effectively have to apply to BA as an external candidate and until the very last minute you will be treated as such. Only advantage is a BACX person will be employed before any "similarly qualified" candidate. Read into that what you will. If you aren't Boeing Airbus which you won't be at BACX you are not equally qualified with most other candidates. Not saying I agree or disagree with position just stating the facts.
All in all BACX is not the Utopia of aviation but is a good place to start. It has a good reputation for standards and training which is important if you eventually wish to move on.
If you decide to go for it good luck.
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Just a quick point:
Not at all sure it is 'Big BALPA' that is resisting movement into mainline. I suspect you should be looking elsewhere! (Why WOULD they resist it?)
Don't be too hard on me 'CheekyVisual', I think we know each other!
Not at all sure it is 'Big BALPA' that is resisting movement into mainline. I suspect you should be looking elsewhere! (Why WOULD they resist it?)
Don't be too hard on me 'CheekyVisual', I think we know each other!
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Thanks guys for the above posts, very informative.
As another interested party, would some of you care to SPECULATE on the future of the company vis a vis the following:
1) How will the fleet evolve? If and when the 8s go what do you think will they be replaced with?
2) The lack of commercial expansion is being inhibited by big brother, why? scope etc?
3) For Cheeky Visual is your busy schedule these days a function of crew shortages/ guys leaving etc.
Once again, thanks for the informative replies to the original posters questions.
Leviathan
As another interested party, would some of you care to SPECULATE on the future of the company vis a vis the following:
1) How will the fleet evolve? If and when the 8s go what do you think will they be replaced with?
2) The lack of commercial expansion is being inhibited by big brother, why? scope etc?
3) For Cheeky Visual is your busy schedule these days a function of crew shortages/ guys leaving etc.
Once again, thanks for the informative replies to the original posters questions.
Leviathan
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Hard to say what's happening re. expansion. New jet routes seem to be offset by giving up smaller turboprop routes.
Company line has been to move to an all-jet fleet for several years. The Dash-8 & ATP aircraft have been due to go for a while, but then there always seems to be a good reason to keep them a bit longer - cost, probably. The -145 is popular & looks like it'll be around for quite a while. Its major problem is the lack of a proper business class product. The 146s are a bit long in the tooth now & RJs aren't being made any more, so something new in 100 seat range has to be on the cards - we've read rumours of the Embraer 190/195 on these pages. Don't know what scope allows but assume a 318/9 is not on the agenda, more's the pity.
We always seem to be short of crews, even when we're not, but some people are leaving as the market picks up & new hires are already in the pool & on courses. It's unusual not to get called out on standby - but I wasn't yesterday!
Company line has been to move to an all-jet fleet for several years. The Dash-8 & ATP aircraft have been due to go for a while, but then there always seems to be a good reason to keep them a bit longer - cost, probably. The -145 is popular & looks like it'll be around for quite a while. Its major problem is the lack of a proper business class product. The 146s are a bit long in the tooth now & RJs aren't being made any more, so something new in 100 seat range has to be on the cards - we've read rumours of the Embraer 190/195 on these pages. Don't know what scope allows but assume a 318/9 is not on the agenda, more's the pity.
We always seem to be short of crews, even when we're not, but some people are leaving as the market picks up & new hires are already in the pool & on courses. It's unusual not to get called out on standby - but I wasn't yesterday!
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Hand
A number of things that "scope won't allow", seem to be developing a habit of happening anyway!
Who would have thought BA coloured airbuses would be going to Manchester after all?
Now you see 'em, now you don't!
A number of things that "scope won't allow", seem to be developing a habit of happening anyway!
Who would have thought BA coloured airbuses would be going to Manchester after all?
Now you see 'em, now you don't!
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Riddle me this.....
Hi Tandem Rotor, Red Snake riddle me this, intrigued by your last posts, the whole scope issue (here and elsewhere) interests me, could you expand on how it all works, I get the basics but am interested in the finer points................
Leviathan
Leviathan
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I don't really know much about scope - it's a mainline agreement about who gets to fly the larger aircraft, but that's about where my knowledge ends. I suspect a trawl through these pages may give some info. although the subject never seems to get raised without rivets being spat in both directions, so beware!
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In answer to the question raised we are busy at the moment because there has been a lot of movement of TP captains who have initially been flying in the RHS of the RJ back to the LHS. There is a small shortage of crews which was exsasperated over the summer by too many people being given leave at the same time. However, a little bird tells me there is one resignation a week going in at the moment which may increase as the results of ongoing interviews become known. Maybe a good time to get in. But this will mean a buisier time for those like me too lazy and comfortable to move on ! The main problem from my point of view isn't the hard work. Everyone everywhere works hard bu the touring system employed on the RJ in particular. Three or four days away for not much flying (1/2/3 sectors) = lots of hanging around wasting your life !
Tademrotor is right in correcting me about BA BALPA it is not really their position to be for or against us going into Mainline. We all accept that the best we could hope for would be to get in at the bottom of the seniority list so it shouldn't make any difference to them whether we join or not. It is more of a lack of interest in BACX from anyone in BA. They can recruit airbus and boeing type rated people so why take us ? A fair point unfortunately. BUT unfortunately the BA group as a whole is going to lose a lot of good people as a result. With GB starting to throw airbus's around the regions can't be long before they arrive in brum too. Gets round the problem of the RJs without BA having to solve it.
The RJ is not really a bad aircraft it just ain't as good as what the oposition have got ! BA won't let us expand or replace not because of any underhand keep BACX down policy but because any new lease or purchase goes straight down as more debt on their balance sheet. Not acceptable. It's the no win situation we find ourselves in. We just all try to do our best with what we've got.
If we ever do get to replace our fleet it will almost certainly be the new EMB 170s. These could replace the 145s Dash 8s and RJs in one single fleet. Probably a more economic choice than the airbus and both BRAL and Brymon had a good relationship with EMB. However the quote that "an aircraft designed to carry 100 or more" maybe used to block this because the largest of the family the 195 can carry 110. Even if we never bought one ! Hope that's not true because that's what we need to move forward when the finances are right.
Tademrotor is right in correcting me about BA BALPA it is not really their position to be for or against us going into Mainline. We all accept that the best we could hope for would be to get in at the bottom of the seniority list so it shouldn't make any difference to them whether we join or not. It is more of a lack of interest in BACX from anyone in BA. They can recruit airbus and boeing type rated people so why take us ? A fair point unfortunately. BUT unfortunately the BA group as a whole is going to lose a lot of good people as a result. With GB starting to throw airbus's around the regions can't be long before they arrive in brum too. Gets round the problem of the RJs without BA having to solve it.
The RJ is not really a bad aircraft it just ain't as good as what the oposition have got ! BA won't let us expand or replace not because of any underhand keep BACX down policy but because any new lease or purchase goes straight down as more debt on their balance sheet. Not acceptable. It's the no win situation we find ourselves in. We just all try to do our best with what we've got.
If we ever do get to replace our fleet it will almost certainly be the new EMB 170s. These could replace the 145s Dash 8s and RJs in one single fleet. Probably a more economic choice than the airbus and both BRAL and Brymon had a good relationship with EMB. However the quote that "an aircraft designed to carry 100 or more" maybe used to block this because the largest of the family the 195 can carry 110. Even if we never bought one ! Hope that's not true because that's what we need to move forward when the finances are right.
