Again: BA 777, is it worth it????

[cornet]

Hi guys,
the following questions are mainly for BA Longhaul Pilots (esp. B777).
I'm able to start soon with BA on the B777, and would therefore leave the national carrier of my home country. I have (so far) a very good contract with that employer, but the company is from an international point of view way too small to compete with global players like BA, LH or KLM&AF. Also our longhaul network is very small, and there is not even a chance to get there whitin a certain time (2 years +) after already 6 years on shorthaul . Also the management is knocking all the time on the door for some percent of our salery for the big "turnaround". And the company is still loosing a lot of money every year while others make it :-( I wont work for them for less money and worse T&C's. Upgrading earliest in 10+ years from for SH and 17+ for LH . I'm also not willing to move to the gulfregion, india or china to work there .
So I would be very happy if you can help me with some questions. Although there a lot of bad things with my present employer I'm not quite sure if I should join BA, and give up some good things here.
1.) How much money do you average take home (longhaul fleet) after taxes etc. (I think my salery is in the beginning 44k)?
2.) How many days do you have off a month? Can you send me some rosters maybe?
3.) Is flying relaxed (reading newspaper, legs up on the legrest etc.) How i the atmoshere in the cockpit, with the cabin and on the stops?
4.) is the roster diverified or just eastcoast in the beginning? Do you get your requests?
5.) Do (Can) you commute?
Thank you very much in advance!!!!!!!
Bye
cornet

[mr ripley]

A few answers

1 About 3500, initially, it depends on how much flying you do.

2 4-5 trips a month. Most 3 or 4 day with the occasional 2 or 5 day. About 10 nights away. When you get good at bidding (as well as senior), you can be creative with your roster.

3 Odd question. If you mean is BA a stuffy formal airline then no.

4 Mmm. Been in about 10 months and done:
Orlando, Dhaka, Harare, Chicago, Houston, Denver, Dallas, Islamabad, Cairo, Lagos, Antigua, St Lucia, Barbados, New York, Washington, Atlanta, Bermuda, Philidelphia, Newark, Abu Dhabi, Abuja, Tampa, Beijing, Bangalore, Mumbai, Bahrain, Muscat, Doha, Dubai, Montreal, Toronto. I usually get one of my top 10 requests.

5 No (Very much so). However no staff travel for 6 months.

Regards

[Riker]

A lot of people would kill for that job. Don't be a wheenie - just do it.........

[cornet]

Can anybody send me some BA777 rosters to [email protected]?

[Rainboe]

Like pilots everywhere, they grumble and complain, but very few actually leave the company. It is not easy to get the oortunity to join a company with so much diversified and varied flying, where you can chose longhaul or shorthaul with such a wide network, eventually having the choice from B747-400 to A319.

[Mr R Sole]

It is by no means every person's cup of tea but it is down to personal preference - you have to decide!!! The fact that you won't see a long haul command for 20 or so years is one major reason why it does not appeal for me personally.

Write up a list of pros and cons and it is up to you to decide personally!

[False Capture]

By the very nature, if you have to ask us: "is it worth it" then in the words of Jackie Mason "it's not for you".

Good bye.

[Lost For Words]

It's as much fun as you want it to be. If you're willing to be chatty in the flight deck and go out for a beer, even when you're tired - Then you'll find the other pilots are fun too. If all you want to do is read a novel in the cruise and go to bed for as much sleep as possible, then you'll find the job is depressing.

Big points are:
Good:
Lots of variety on the B777 and getting even better.
Company treat you well because BALPA have negociated some good agreements for us.
Well paid by industry standard but always need to defend T's & C's.
Company doing well for the moment.
Looking forward to T5 and more B777's.

Not So Good:
Hard work but not as bad as RYR or EZY.
Long time to command.
Captains only have limited decision making, everything goes back through Ops or Cabin Crew Unions for maximum a*se-covering.
Rubbish pension.

I agree that if you're even asking yourself whether to come or not, this might not be for you.

LFW

[B737NG]

If you do not like that offer you have now from BA.....Look what is in the pipeline in 6 onths from now: B777 F/O commuting contract for anywhere in Europe and fly about 12 to 15 days per month. Money competetive and not 10 years to a possible command. There coming about 25 to 30 slots only on a first come first serve basis. The expansion is planned solid and the rest is classified for now.
I know there are people complaining about the 15 days per month in the Cockpit, is too much. You ask for serious money and condition then you must be able to track the pace and work serious. Nothing is for free in life, everything has a price.

Fly safe and land happy

NG

[Lost For Words]

NG,

I don't 100% understand your post but are you talking about developments you think are going to happen at BA?

Are you saying that it would be better for a prospective candidate to wait for a 'new contract'?

Do you have a reliable source?

Please enlighten us...

LFW

[MrBernoulli]

B737NG,

I,too, am having trouble understanding your post. I realise that you are based in Europe and perhaps English is not your first language (but your English is vastly superior to my second language abilities). Consequently, your post is a little difficult to read.

As suggested by Lost For Words, could you explain a bit more about what you are trying to say?


Cornet,

I fly the 777 for BA. I am relatively new to the company (13 months+) and most of my aviation career has been military. I think it is a GREAT job. I have commanded 4-jets before and if I don't get a command again it is not the be-all or end-all for me. Pay is good, allowances are good. Sure pension is not the greatest but there are extremely few places ANYWHERE now where pensions are worth shouting about (for new starters to a company). Important point - BA has absolutely no bond scheme, a very big plus in my view, and I don't see that lasting forever. Particularly within the current economical environment. Come on down and join in the fun!

[cornet]

Hi guys,

maybe my first thread and the main question "Is it worth it?" seemed to be a little provocative to some, but that was intended to attract attention. I would have cut my arm off to get that job, and now after a succsessful assessment I'm afraid of the big step and complete change of my life. As I already said, I have a good contract right now, but th questions for how long? I guess BA is still compared to others a worldleading top airline to work for! But it is still a big big decision for me, what to do. It's not only the company that changes for me, I'll also have to leave my homecountry and move to UK or commute for the rest of my life. I'm also not used to the social network in UK. It's completly different compared to my country. What will happen if I'll loose my job, do I get a pension from UK and how much, can I see every doctor I want to?
I guess now some of you can better understand my question(s)!
Still hoping, that some of you can send me their rosters and answere some of my questions!
C U there

[Rainboe]

Cornet, you are showing classic jitters of "I've got what I wanted....but did I really want it in the first place?" I completed 34 years with BA last year. If you want to fly first class equipment on top routes, for good comparable rates, then it's the place to be. BA has never made a pilot redundant. You probably would have better job security than anywhere else. The Bidline system, whilst rather hard on junior people, gives fairness and stability like no other rostering system over a career. The Pension scheme has been badly affected, but that book is not completely closed yet. If you have got an offer, onto equipment you wanted, then take it. There is a saying, 'a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush'. If you are foreign, there will be absolutely no discrimination against you- your social life will be what you make it. Nobody gives a damn where you are from. Would I do it again? Yes, I think so, but I might chose Virgin next time! But if you haven't got an offer from Virgin, don't turn this one down! Give it 2 years- what have you to lose? If you don't like it, take a look at what is on offer. As for commuting, lots do it. It is harder, and makes a social life difficult. Be ready for hard work. I think you would probably find it best to buy an apartment (call it 'flat' from now on) for short breaks, and live between 2 places. It is what I am doing in my new airline and it is OK.

Who knows, you might even start liking tea, and rooting for the good guys in the movie Battle of Britain!

[BYMONEK]

Rainbow

Quote " BA has never made a Pilot redundant"

Correct, just made them offers of working as Cabin crew / schedulers / ramp agents / tea boys etc etc.............and NOT on Pilot salaries either.

And not just once but on several occassions throughout turbulent times!

I suppose it's a bit like saying Qantas has never had an accident. aka BKK

P.S As for Dan Air..........

[Waka Rider]

Just had one of those guys ( that worked as Cabin Crew ) as my Capt the other day on the B777. Great to be in a company that has the flexibilty to keep you employed.

[BusyB]

Bymonek,

I kept my aircrew pay when I was redeployed as cabin crew!

[Strepsils]

Correct, just made them offers of working as Cabin crew / schedulers / ramp agents / tea boys etc etc.............and NOT on Pilot salaries either.
And not just once but on several occassions throughout turbulent times!

Uncaring, thoughtless b*ggers! Should have done the kind thing and sacked them on the spot
Honestly, some people are never satisfied. Did any of those you mentioned never make it back onto the flight deck when times improved?

[Rainboe]

Strepsil- only one I recall. A certain Hector P who found as a longhaul purser he was having such a good time with the girls and the trips he couldn't bear the thought (and loss of income) of coming back to work as a pilot in BA, and politely declined!