BA Direct Entry Pilot.
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 995
Likes: 103
From: Botswana
Check your junk folder diligently. The email that went out in October/November 2015 asking people to confirm their hours I never received as it had been filtered straight to junk. Think it cost me a long haul offer.
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 251
Likes: 0
From: Here, there, everywhere
You never know... Alex might have just put one bo*"ock on the chopping block, could result in changes at the top - which could go either way.
Edit: in his defence, he's standing firm while apologising profusely. He's not hiding, strong positive leadership is exactly what's needed.
Edit: in his defence, he's standing firm while apologising profusely. He's not hiding, strong positive leadership is exactly what's needed.
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 219
Likes: 17
From: Ask crewing
You are joking aren't you? The man is hated by 99% of BA staff and was missing in action most of the weekend apart from bizarre youtube videos dressed like Bob the Builder, or Yammer rants peeving even more people off..
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 336
Likes: 3
From: somewhere in the middle
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 6,729
Likes: 104
From: The Winchester
It may well be at the moment and that might keep some in jobs and enable bonus payments for some for a year or two. OTOH regardless of the current balance sheet/share price the reputational damage has been done.....and that's probably of more concern for stakeholders and potential stakeholders.
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 336
Likes: 3
From: somewhere in the middle
BA under Cruz have taken the decision to cut as much cost as they can - Buy On Board, outsourcing of IT, and probably more that we on the outside aren't party to. (Minimising) Cost is King, and any department head that can cut their area's bottom line will be encouraged to do so. Strategically the growth of Norwegian and other Lo-Cos seem to have thoroughly spooked them, and it seems they are trying to compete on cost - whether that's the right way of doing things I've no idea. I've got my opinion, but I'll save that for the spotters forums.
What does this mean for aircrew? I've been saying it for a while, sweating the assets. No more recruitment until BA are on the verge of a schedule collapse, or outsource some routes at a lower "cost" via a bit of creative accounting. Those currently employed will be asked to work longer, for less, and probably a raid on Ts & Cs also. It wouldn't surprise me if an Irish Subsidiary gets set up too, like SAS are planning.
But, I've been called out for being too negative before.
What does this mean for aircrew? I've been saying it for a while, sweating the assets. No more recruitment until BA are on the verge of a schedule collapse, or outsource some routes at a lower "cost" via a bit of creative accounting. Those currently employed will be asked to work longer, for less, and probably a raid on Ts & Cs also. It wouldn't surprise me if an Irish Subsidiary gets set up too, like SAS are planning.
But, I've been called out for being too negative before.
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 565
Likes: 0
From: N/A
I do not think it's going to happen for any of you.
I do not see the company in the same light as it once was.
The changing scene is not going to bode well for life time employment.
The idea of them being a top tier company will seem ludicrous in years to come.
What you thought of them is about to change.
What you once thought of them will never return.
I do not see them creating another low cost, low service company.
They are that already.
They already have another ultra low cost, ultra low pay company in Vuling/Level.
What I think will happen is BA City will expand to compete with Easy/Ryan/J2.
First at Stansted, then Gatwick with 320s/73s.
Soon enough it will encroach on Heathrow, first with little ERJ, then big ones.
Then come the baby 'buses', then the big B-s and big buses..
No one is safe.
Don't spend your money on anything.
Invest and save everything.
For no longer will you be able to work till 65.
You won't want to do it past 55.
All jobs will be short term contracts from now on.
Sorry for being so pessimistic, I'm just trying to be a realist.
I do not see the company in the same light as it once was.
The changing scene is not going to bode well for life time employment.
The idea of them being a top tier company will seem ludicrous in years to come.
What you thought of them is about to change.
What you once thought of them will never return.
I do not see them creating another low cost, low service company.
They are that already.
They already have another ultra low cost, ultra low pay company in Vuling/Level.
What I think will happen is BA City will expand to compete with Easy/Ryan/J2.
First at Stansted, then Gatwick with 320s/73s.
Soon enough it will encroach on Heathrow, first with little ERJ, then big ones.
Then come the baby 'buses', then the big B-s and big buses..
No one is safe.
Don't spend your money on anything.
Invest and save everything.
For no longer will you be able to work till 65.
You won't want to do it past 55.
All jobs will be short term contracts from now on.
Sorry for being so pessimistic, I'm just trying to be a realist.
Last edited by button push ignored; 5th June 2017 at 00:25.
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 204
Likes: 13
From: UK
BA have got a pilot surplus. Not a big one, but certainly on SH Airbus they've over-cooked recruitment. Some say they did this because late 2017 was the provisional delivery date for the the A350. But someone with a beard and a tabard cancelled that plan at what seems, very short notice. So BA have now got too many A320 pilots at LHR. So they're allowing some to leave during engagement freezes (first 5 years) as FPP's arrive.
Hence the slowdown.
Watching the vultures on the carcass here, I'd like to add : we're good. Find us a new CEO and we are better. But your armchair hypotheses are to be honest, a load of b......
Hence the slowdown.
Watching the vultures on the carcass here, I'd like to add : we're good. Find us a new CEO and we are better. But your armchair hypotheses are to be honest, a load of b......
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 995
Likes: 103
From: Botswana
As regards to the future, well we're talking momentary blips here in terms of pilot numbers. The overall trend is for people needed, regardless of a big compensation bill in the short term. For starters there's an 18 month waitlist for Right to Request Part Time, plus a potentially big take up of the new Aspirational options. Further on 2019/2020 sees a "big" bulge of retirements (in whichever context you take big to mean I don't know but this came from the pilot training manager). More new Long Haul aircraft arriving from next year as more Short Haul slots continually get converted to Long Haul. It will be moving in the right direction again. This year was always going to be comparatively slow, I don't know how many more times that needs to be emphasised. Perhaps not as slow as it has turned out to be once Cruz renegotiated the A350 deliveries (as stated above) and chopped the SH flying programme but 2017 was never the big recruitment year.
The future need in the light of recent events perhaps may not be as full on as 2015/2016 but there's still people needed, make no mistake. Although the accountants and management may not like it, you still need pilots to run an airline (for now).
Last edited by RexBanner; 5th June 2017 at 07:36.
Joined: Nov 2006
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 243
Likes: 11
From: Top Bunk
Interesting to see the optimists v pessimists here.
Somewhat understandable when one is trying to get a foot on any ladder.
Problem is BA is trying to be Premium and Loco at the same time.
Crazy strategy. All it has done is destroy the Premium brand.
The day I was offered a "bacon buttie" for breakfast having paid over 3000 stg
for a one way Business ticket PHX-LHR was the day it became clear there is no direction.
No surprise the ME carriers are destroying the legacy airlines
Somewhat understandable when one is trying to get a foot on any ladder.
Problem is BA is trying to be Premium and Loco at the same time.
Crazy strategy. All it has done is destroy the Premium brand.
The day I was offered a "bacon buttie" for breakfast having paid over 3000 stg
for a one way Business ticket PHX-LHR was the day it became clear there is no direction.
No surprise the ME carriers are destroying the legacy airlines
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 134
Likes: 0
From: London
It's a shame really , BA to me was always the aspiration, the place you really wanted to be for security and a career.
But now guys and gals prefer there lifestyle at locos , watching BA slowly crumble under its confusion of what it wants to become.
Mr Cruz should never have made so many cuts !
But now guys and gals prefer there lifestyle at locos , watching BA slowly crumble under its confusion of what it wants to become.
Mr Cruz should never have made so many cuts !