Openskies pilots to crew LCY A318 operation
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Openskies pilots to crew LCY A318 operation
When Openskies is merged with L'avion there will be an excess of pilots. Since the planned expansion has been cancelled rumour has it they are planned to crew the new LCY JFK service on the A318.
Any truth in this?
Any truth in this?
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Sadly the crews for Openskies were all warned about the tenuous nature of the work during the run up to the BA/BALPA spat.
The genuine concerns for pilots of most of the BA line pilots were drowned out by a minority of doom sayers preaching that it was about time BA pilots got what was coming to them. The main target of the pilots venom was the irresponsible management who felt they were in a position to waste vast amounts of money setting up a rival to the mainline.
Bad news for anyone losing a job but all of the LCY jobs have, indeed, now been filled from the mainline.
Good luck to all.
The genuine concerns for pilots of most of the BA line pilots were drowned out by a minority of doom sayers preaching that it was about time BA pilots got what was coming to them. The main target of the pilots venom was the irresponsible management who felt they were in a position to waste vast amounts of money setting up a rival to the mainline.
Bad news for anyone losing a job but all of the LCY jobs have, indeed, now been filled from the mainline.
Good luck to all.
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Ah my mate tandem This is a rumour i heard from an Openskies pilot, after all this is a rumour network nes pas?
My question has been answered, (thanks overstress) there is no truth in this rumour.
My question has been answered, (thanks overstress) there is no truth in this rumour.
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bluepilot: a pleasure, all BA pilots have access to our bid results (a transparent system where everyone sees who bid for, and got what seat/aircraft)
The 318 operation was always forecast to be very senior and that's what has happened, BALPA did a great job in negotiating the conditions.
I saw an Open Skies crew in JFK recently , I happened to know one of them, on asked 'how's it going' he started to tell me about the load factor, I interrupted him and said no, I meant how are you doing. Not that they're sensitive about these things at all then...
The 318 operation was always forecast to be very senior and that's what has happened, BALPA did a great job in negotiating the conditions.
I saw an Open Skies crew in JFK recently , I happened to know one of them, on asked 'how's it going' he started to tell me about the load factor, I interrupted him and said no, I meant how are you doing. Not that they're sensitive about these things at all then...
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Ah my mate bluepilot.
Openskies pilots are an endangered species. I am subsidising them heavily. (But they will have to stand on their own two feet soon - Why do you think the managers are returnint to LHR?)
Nice to see they are being fed even more BS than me for a change!
Openskies pilots are an endangered species. I am subsidising them heavily. (But they will have to stand on their own two feet soon - Why do you think the managers are returnint to LHR?)
Nice to see they are being fed even more BS than me for a change!
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The 318 operation was always forecast to be very senior and that's what has happened.
I take it that some incentives were offered to attract those who are at the top end of the seniority list?
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Not really, that's not how it works. The same deal is offered to everyone. There were a certain number of places, and they are filled in seniority order. Perhaps the mix of trips was just right? Each individual would have had his reasons for bidding, or not, as the case may be.
Edited to add - not all trips by 318 pilots will be on the 318 from LCY. The balance of the month's work will be at LHR or LGW on the 320. You can guess at the payscale given that it has gone very senior...
Also, BA has 'backers' for the route - even in these impoverished times.
Pity they didn't get a few backers before wasting millions on OpenLies....
Edited to add - not all trips by 318 pilots will be on the 318 from LCY. The balance of the month's work will be at LHR or LGW on the 320. You can guess at the payscale given that it has gone very senior...
Also, BA has 'backers' for the route - even in these impoverished times.
Pity they didn't get a few backers before wasting millions on OpenLies....
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I only mentioned 'incentives' since I read in a earlier post that BALPA had been involved in 'negotiating the conditions'. The only perk to doing a this trip, would have to be more days off around such a trip, when compared to a European tour? I would have thought the hassle of getting to and from LCY, along with the potentially interesting LCY approach after one has been up all night, would turn many away!
I suspect it will be skippers only landings at LCY? However if an F/O can land at LCY, I would be surprised if F/Os with less experience would be allowed to bid for such a trip.
I suspect it will be skippers only landings at LCY? However if an F/O can land at LCY, I would be surprised if F/Os with less experience would be allowed to bid for such a trip.
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Those are exactly my sentiments, which is why I am amazed that the crews for this operation will be so senior. Perhaps they might change their bidding preference after they have experienced the curse of Mr Tate and Mr Lyle after being up all night crossing the pond!
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It will be interesting to see how this LCY operations do/last/start ?
The Bean Counters, Market Analysts and very expensive Management Consultants are all getting fat fees for directing airlines to a market segment that is vastly over-estimated at best, and highly transient at worst.
LCY is already rapidly losing the very qualities that made it a comparative pleasure to fly from, and becoming as much of a pain as LHR. Add all the hassle that comes with flying to the USA to the already creaking infrastructure there, and pax will soon start deserting LCY too.
I give it 1 year max!