British Airways DEP Selection - THE lowdown Part 1

[Jet setter 01]

Any news or anymore movement? Im more nervous than watching england taking penalties against germany with, southgate, batty, pearce abt to step forward

[Wirbelsturm]

HR are probably enjoying a latte waiting for the appelate court result from BASSA.

[DoctorEcam]

Hi guys

just for clarification....do they reply to our e-application via e mail or mail?

cheers

[sharpclassic]

Dr Ecam,

I'm sure you read all parts of the application site very carefully, so you won't need reminding that...

Please remember to check your email account regularly, as we will notify you of the status of your application via email. Alternatively you can log back onto the website to see the status of your application.

I'm also guessing that you read the bit about submitting your application in French?

[Murray_NN]

It's all gone very quiet for the last few days! Any news guys and gals?

[EXEZY]

I applied last Thursday and I've heard nothing so far, don't know what to think.

[Penworth]

If you haven't heard within 7-10 days you are permitted to continue your posturing!

I applied 7 - 10 days ago and haven't heard anything either, but I know of one person (ex hold-pooler) who's been invited back. Its clearly not just ex hold poolers who have been called as some earlier posters with no previous have got the call. I guess there's at least 20-30 peeps (if not more) quietly preparing for the interview and sim.

Who knows? I guess the rest of us will just have to wait and see what happens.

[south coast]

How does emplyment with BA work?

Does everyone have to start in short haul or can one choose/opt for long haul or short haul?

Basically, I would like to know whether one has to live close to Heathrow/Gatwick in order to work for BA.

[Fiske]

My understanding is that even if you're shorthaul you'll potentially be away from base for several days in a row.

[south coast]

I dont mind that, what I couldn't do is drive to and from Heathrow/Gatwick on a daily basis if that's how short haul would work.

[Wirbelsturm]

My understanding is that even if you're shorthaul you'll potentially be away from base for several days in a row.

You need to do your homework a bit better then!

The maximum length trip on SH is 5 days with 4 night stops. Generally split into 3,2,2,2,3 sectors per day. They will either be 'earlys' (start 0500 finish 1300 ish) or 'lates' (start 1200 ish finish 2200 ish).

Normal work 'blocks' as dictated by bidline (including blindlines) are seperated into blocks of 6 days containing a mixture of day trips and 2,3,4 and 5 day tours. So a 5 day trip would 'normally' be on its own with a few days off either side or a day trip on either end. In exceptional circumstances you might get a 'block' of 7 days with a mixture of day trips and short tours. Very, very rare though.

All pilots are protected by the bidline rules which prevent the company from rostering earlies after lates, excessive weekly or monthly flying rates, insufficient rest etc. etc. etc.

The work required for the month is set by 'CAP' this dictates the required hours per month that the pilot must contractually bid for. If you bid over the hours get 'banked' which means you can bid under when you need a quiet month and the banked hours get used instead of flight hours for that month.

The system is extremely flexible and allows for considerable lifestyle choices with 'commuter' lines being constructed for those wishing to get all their work bashed out in the first two or last two weeks and minimising the UK night stops for tax purposes. Be aware though that as a low seniority pilot many of the options to bid will be sucked up by the more senior pilots within the company thus leaving you with a 'blind line' where the company fits work to your line. You are then 'CAP Protected' which means you might have a very quiet month but can't choose which days you work.

Is that a little better than 'away for several days'?

[south coast]

Thanks Wirbelsturm, but for an idiot like me, does that mean it is managable for a new joiner, obviously with a low seniority to live 1.5 hours away from Heathrow and be on the short haul fleet?

What would not be possible is to have to start at 05.00, do a day's work, then have to drive home, then have to drive back the following morning and do the same and to repeat this for 3,4,5 times a week.

[VJW]

quote(I applied last Thursday and I've heard nothing so far, don't know what to think.)

I think you applied to late- I applied two days after it opened, and they contacted me

[brit bus driver]

South Coast

There are very few trip lines with mostly day trips and those tend to get hoovered up by the senior guys who like that sort of thing. Even on blindlines you can specify a preference for tours (not a guarantee though). Plenty of hotels near Heathrow for about £25 a night once you're in. It works. I'm about the same distance. (And besides, once you're in, better choices for me!!)

[south coast]

Thanks Bus driver.

Can you give me an example of what a roster pattern would look like for you for a month and how often it would require you to stay overnight at a Heathrow Permier Inn with Lenny!

Thanks

[Wirbelsturm]

South Coast,

To be honest most of the day trips and the high credit (trips have a duty hours flown credit and an associated monetary value for your variable pay) low hours trips will be sucked up by those senior to you. Both seats operate the same policy.

Thus it would be very difficult to give an example of a monthly roster for low seniority RHS. The blindline system will place various trips in your line according to 'preferences' dictated by you if the system can. If it can't then it will just dump all the trash no-one else wants onto your line!

There are alot of FO's commuting longer distances than you without any problems and many have been at the bottom of the seniority roster for quite some time now.

[south coast]

Thanks for the info.

One last question, if it was answered earlier, I missed it so apologies, but when one applies to BA, are you automatically allocated to the short haul fleet initially or can one have a preferance between LH and SH.

How does it work, or does one only find out when offered employment.

Thanks.

[Kernow 101]

VJW,

Were you already in the hold pool?? I also applied the day after it opened and have not heard anything? It seems, from those that are posting on here, that only those that were previously in the hold pool have had a call......or am I wrong?

P.S has anyone got a no yet....

[Wirbelsturm]

One last question, if it was answered earlier, I missed it so apologies, but when one applies to BA, are you automatically allocated to the short haul fleet initially or can one have a preferance between LH and SH.

As has been stated a fair few times on here, the current round of recruitment is for SH only. That means either LHR 320 of LGW 737. All transfers to the LH fleets can be met internally hence the requirement to bolster the SH fleet as the Priam bid comes around.

Normally, if the whole of the SH fleet FO's were less than 5 years in AND there was a shortfall on the LH fleets AND you qualified for ZFT onto either the 777 or the 744 then there would be a possibility of direct to LH. I would hazard a guess that that is definitively not the case at the moment. As to choices you get whatever BA want to give you so I am sure you could ask but you would be given what the company needs.

So, SH it is.

[Dan 98]

I applied the day it opened, haven't heard either way. Not previously in the hold pool.

So no news good news????!!!!