BA Direct Entry Pilot.
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: England
Posts: 53
“If you haven’t already seen, we launched a cadet recruitment programme this week. The cadets won’t start in the business until late 2019, early 2020. We have always managed the two entry streams separately and will continue to do so.”
Sciolist (look it up) of the first order
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: UK
Posts: 759
Yes well done you’ve answered your question by pasting their most recent email in October to us.
You asked what’s changed- it’s that!
July’s email said, ‘Further to our update in May. At the moment based on our current forecasting for 2018 we are not expecting to be able to offer anyone a start date in 2018 from the DEP holdpool.’ Is that a bumper year?
Why might these newly acquired slots not allow the BA pool to be drained? Possibly because now they will fill the seats they need with FPP cadet and when they’re ready white tail cadets.
You asked what’s changed- it’s that!
July’s email said, ‘Further to our update in May. At the moment based on our current forecasting for 2018 we are not expecting to be able to offer anyone a start date in 2018 from the DEP holdpool.’ Is that a bumper year?
Why might these newly acquired slots not allow the BA pool to be drained? Possibly because now they will fill the seats they need with FPP cadet and when they’re ready white tail cadets.
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: England
Posts: 6
I’m in the same boat as you PTT,
Been in the pool for ages, not TR’d, not especially hopeful and (I promise this isn't sour grapes) not overly bothered about getting a call anymore.
It’s not a small amount of effort to prepare and “audition” etc and, grateful as I am for the extensions in the meantime, I don't feel like I really achieved anything by getting into the pool anymore.
I’m sure it's a great company to work for, but it’s not the only one. From now on I think I will apply for companies who recruit when they actually need people. The whole process has made BA seem a little bit arrogant to me unfortunately.
To say this is an empty gesture, because I won’t get a call, but if I did I would politely decline the offer.
Good news for everyone else; one fewer in the pool!
Cheers
Been in the pool for ages, not TR’d, not especially hopeful and (I promise this isn't sour grapes) not overly bothered about getting a call anymore.
It’s not a small amount of effort to prepare and “audition” etc and, grateful as I am for the extensions in the meantime, I don't feel like I really achieved anything by getting into the pool anymore.
I’m sure it's a great company to work for, but it’s not the only one. From now on I think I will apply for companies who recruit when they actually need people. The whole process has made BA seem a little bit arrogant to me unfortunately.
To say this is an empty gesture, because I won’t get a call, but if I did I would politely decline the offer.
Good news for everyone else; one fewer in the pool!
Cheers
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: London
Posts: 39
Dont despair yet guys and girls! We don’t know what’s going to happen yet.....just read on other forums....
“I have on good authority that senior members of BA staff are currently on a shopping trip for more Boeing airframes, and they don't want to repeat picking up some more dogs like the 2nd hand Gatter A320's.”
.flyertalk.com/forum/british-airways-executive-club/1476013-ba-fleet-new-aircraft-arrivals-retirements-master-tracker-124.
So there is still hope for Airbus and Boeing and even nonTRd guys and girls....all we can do is watch this space....
“I have on good authority that senior members of BA staff are currently on a shopping trip for more Boeing airframes, and they don't want to repeat picking up some more dogs like the 2nd hand Gatter A320's.”
.flyertalk.com/forum/british-airways-executive-club/1476013-ba-fleet-new-aircraft-arrivals-retirements-master-tracker-124.
So there is still hope for Airbus and Boeing and even nonTRd guys and girls....all we can do is watch this space....
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: North London at last
Posts: 88
Originally Posted by Rhymenocerous
Good news for everyone else; one fewer in the pool!
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Manchester
Posts: 64
Originally Posted by monkey.tennis
40 slot pairs equals about 6 aircraft (based on each one doing 6 sector days). That will only need 50-60 pilots to operate (if used entirely on SH routes). That’s not going to make much of a dent in a 300 strong hold pool. That number could increase towards 100-120 if used on long haul.
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Germany
Posts: 1,909
Originally Posted by flightglobal
. He adds that BA will be adding new international routes from Gatwick as a result of the purchase.
BA is the second-biggest carrier at Gatwick and recent expansion has included new long-haul destinations such as Oakland and Fort Lauderdale, both of which put it in competition with Norwegian. Next summer, BA will add Gatwick flights to Las Vegas and Toronto.
IAG agreed to buy Monarch's slots late last month for an undisclosed sum following a UK High Court ruling that administrators KPMG could sell them.
BA is the second-biggest carrier at Gatwick and recent expansion has included new long-haul destinations such as Oakland and Fort Lauderdale, both of which put it in competition with Norwegian. Next summer, BA will add Gatwick flights to Las Vegas and Toronto.
IAG agreed to buy Monarch's slots late last month for an undisclosed sum following a UK High Court ruling that administrators KPMG could sell them.
Join Date: May 2009
Location: somewhere in the middle
Posts: 194
In the nicest possible way, I’ve been hearing “good news”, “looking good”, “cautiously optimistic” since I stumbled into the pool 14 odd months ago, and it’s wearing a bit thin.
Yes, I agree there’s an expansion into LGW planned, which will require a number of new pilots. I’m expecting those pilots to come from CTC “White Tail”, and an email to those of us in the pool setting out exactly why it’s good news for us all, and have another 18 month extension, starting from some indeterminate point.
Yes, I agree there’s an expansion into LGW planned, which will require a number of new pilots. I’m expecting those pilots to come from CTC “White Tail”, and an email to those of us in the pool setting out exactly why it’s good news for us all, and have another 18 month extension, starting from some indeterminate point.
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: UK
Posts: 1
Here’s a thought guys/gals....
So doesn’t anyone think that the recent round of recruitment that BA done to acquire this latest batch of pilots for its hols pool only to discard and recruit “White Tails” instead feel like that is blatant discrimination.
I reckon it could come under the Equality Act 2010. Would it not be very hard for BA to justify advertising vacancies and still filling those vacancies with let’s call it what it is, the cheaper option i.e. White Tails which not always I admit but basically means age discrimination as I would argue most in the hold pool are older than the White Tails with more experience and more expensive. Hence not now the required option under Mr Cruz
The guidance notes for employers on ACAS is interesting reading if anyone isn’t familiar and it does state that if there is a discriminatory effect with the sole aim of reducing costs it is likely to be unlawful.
Wasn’t that the reason stated on a yammer post somewhere in the forums of BA?
I see there are a few candidates already mentioning that should they even get and offer now they would likely turn it down. Is no one else sitting in this hold pool with a bad taste in their mouth having probably had a number of attempts to pass the selection over the years at no small cost every time to finally have been successful and placed into a hold pool only to be passed over by the younger less experienced cheaper option!
I doubt anyone dare take them to court for fear it would immediately rule them out of the privaledge to work for them.
So doesn’t anyone think that the recent round of recruitment that BA done to acquire this latest batch of pilots for its hols pool only to discard and recruit “White Tails” instead feel like that is blatant discrimination.
I reckon it could come under the Equality Act 2010. Would it not be very hard for BA to justify advertising vacancies and still filling those vacancies with let’s call it what it is, the cheaper option i.e. White Tails which not always I admit but basically means age discrimination as I would argue most in the hold pool are older than the White Tails with more experience and more expensive. Hence not now the required option under Mr Cruz
The guidance notes for employers on ACAS is interesting reading if anyone isn’t familiar and it does state that if there is a discriminatory effect with the sole aim of reducing costs it is likely to be unlawful.
Wasn’t that the reason stated on a yammer post somewhere in the forums of BA?
I see there are a few candidates already mentioning that should they even get and offer now they would likely turn it down. Is no one else sitting in this hold pool with a bad taste in their mouth having probably had a number of attempts to pass the selection over the years at no small cost every time to finally have been successful and placed into a hold pool only to be passed over by the younger less experienced cheaper option!
I doubt anyone dare take them to court for fear it would immediately rule them out of the privaledge to work for them.
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: London
Age: 32
Posts: 28
I personally am with times reader on this one, however they have never extended the pool beyond 18 months before as far as I am aware. With the need for more pilots with the gatwick slots the question is can the training department cope with training so many white tail cadets short notice?
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Right of the Middle
Posts: 254
Originally Posted by polepilot
The question is can the training department cope with training so many white tail cadets short notice?
If they can’t, then some rated guys/gal floating near the top of the pool may be in with a chance.
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: UK
Posts: 549
2017 was always going to be a year of little or no recruitment. This was known and talked about on here from at least the middle of 2016. Recruitment was predicted to pickup again in 2018 but again, it has been known for quite some time that there are a fair number of FPP pilots at the front of the queue. It is also known that BA’s training department struggled with the requirement before this lull, and so they were highly likely to try to avoid a similar scenario. So recruitment was always unlikely to be of such a high volume as last time around.
I appreciate it is frustrating waiting for your recruitment date to come along, but I personally think these Gatwick slots are the first real opportunity for DEP holdpool recruitment in well over a year. It will not empty the entire pool for sure, but I predict some of you will be getting a call fairly soon after the plan for the slots is finalised. Determining who is needed, when and where, is a complex task because the PRIAM result just released is likely now largely obsolete, and it will have to be rerun internally before the precise nature of extra recruitment can be determined. That cannot happen until they have established what they are doing with the slots, which is determined by where they can source planes etc.. It took several months to get a result last time around, and I suspect getting their ducks in a row in preparation to run it this time will be even more complex. I would expect several months yet, and the actual document will unlikely be made public this time, other than perhaps approximate seniorities for various positions, and maybe numbers of new pilots required. These extra slots were not even a slight possibility a couple of months back. It is bound to take a little time to determine the best course of action.
Will some of you turn the offer down when it comes? Of course you will, because a lot changes in eighteen months.
I appreciate it is frustrating waiting for your recruitment date to come along, but I personally think these Gatwick slots are the first real opportunity for DEP holdpool recruitment in well over a year. It will not empty the entire pool for sure, but I predict some of you will be getting a call fairly soon after the plan for the slots is finalised. Determining who is needed, when and where, is a complex task because the PRIAM result just released is likely now largely obsolete, and it will have to be rerun internally before the precise nature of extra recruitment can be determined. That cannot happen until they have established what they are doing with the slots, which is determined by where they can source planes etc.. It took several months to get a result last time around, and I suspect getting their ducks in a row in preparation to run it this time will be even more complex. I would expect several months yet, and the actual document will unlikely be made public this time, other than perhaps approximate seniorities for various positions, and maybe numbers of new pilots required. These extra slots were not even a slight possibility a couple of months back. It is bound to take a little time to determine the best course of action.
Will some of you turn the offer down when it comes? Of course you will, because a lot changes in eighteen months.
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Right of the Middle
Posts: 254
Originally Posted by GS-Alpha
2017 was always going to be a year of little or no recruitment. This was known and talked about on here from at least the middle of 2016.
What changed is that someone had a bright idea to recruit whitetails directly from CTC, in addition to the FPP cadets, as a cost saving exercise.
Originally Posted by GS-Alpha
As for whitetails; do any of you seriously think they will even be out of flight school in 2018?
