BA Direct Entry Pilot.
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: England
Posts: 342
Hi Paddington,
Personally if you have no interest in LH why join what is predominately a LH airline. The grief of doing multiple sectors out of Heathrow on a day in day out basis for a a 40+ year career doesn’t make sense. If you want to be home every night you would be much better off working for an airline outside London where the cost of housing is more reasonable, the commute quicker, time to command generally quicker with associated better pay.
However, the reasons I enjoy LH is the opportunities to visit places that I would never visit on holiday. To take my son with me to Chile to see the penguins in the Tiera Del Fuego or my family to Tokyo after sector swapping to turn a 4 day trip into a 6 day trip. To go whale watching on a 4 day San Francisco trip or visit the Aztec temples in Mexico.
On LH you only need to commute 4 or 5 times a month with the same number of departures and arrivals from Heathrow. Like all jobs there are downsides and frustrations as well, but as an individual you need to work out what your priorities are and then find a job where you will get the greatest percentage satisfaction to live your life.
Regards
Personally if you have no interest in LH why join what is predominately a LH airline. The grief of doing multiple sectors out of Heathrow on a day in day out basis for a a 40+ year career doesn’t make sense. If you want to be home every night you would be much better off working for an airline outside London where the cost of housing is more reasonable, the commute quicker, time to command generally quicker with associated better pay.
However, the reasons I enjoy LH is the opportunities to visit places that I would never visit on holiday. To take my son with me to Chile to see the penguins in the Tiera Del Fuego or my family to Tokyo after sector swapping to turn a 4 day trip into a 6 day trip. To go whale watching on a 4 day San Francisco trip or visit the Aztec temples in Mexico.
On LH you only need to commute 4 or 5 times a month with the same number of departures and arrivals from Heathrow. Like all jobs there are downsides and frustrations as well, but as an individual you need to work out what your priorities are and then find a job where you will get the greatest percentage satisfaction to live your life.
Regards
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: england
Posts: 668
Good advice above. I know it is obvious to most, but some may need reminding that this is only a way of earning to money to live. If you can make the job work for you and enjoy it at the same time, then you will never work a day in your life.
BA isn’t for everybody. Those that are here seem to enjoy the job, or at least pretend to. The only problem is spending too much time at work enjoying yourself. Hence the old cliché of the BA skipper on his/her third spouse. It can be difficult holding down a home life as the long haul part of the job is great fun, if tiring, staying in pretty decent hotels with like-minded people, especially now legacy crews are on the decline. The danger is it is possible to treat the job as one long holiday, to the detriment of loved ones at home.
BA isn’t for everybody. Those that are here seem to enjoy the job, or at least pretend to. The only problem is spending too much time at work enjoying yourself. Hence the old cliché of the BA skipper on his/her third spouse. It can be difficult holding down a home life as the long haul part of the job is great fun, if tiring, staying in pretty decent hotels with like-minded people, especially now legacy crews are on the decline. The danger is it is possible to treat the job as one long holiday, to the detriment of loved ones at home.
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: The Winchester
Posts: 5,495
Originally Posted by hunterboy
The only problem is spending too much time at work enjoying yourself. Hence the old cliché of the BA skipper on his/her third spouse. It can be difficult holding down a home life as the long haul part of the job is great fun, if tiring, staying in pretty decent hotels with like-minded people, especially now legacy crews are on the decline. The danger is it is possible to treat the job as one long holiday, to the detriment of loved ones at home.
..well if it is who I am thinking of they can be a breath of fresh air but they can also sometimes produce some real "duty of care" issues for the senior managers on the crew, who have been known to end up sorting out problems with management and/or medics and/or others at oh’dark thirty in the morning...I would however agree on balance Long Haul is isn’t a bad gig, and certainly better than SH at BA but it’s not all a bed of roses, and BTW top tip - the trick to being a BA skipper on their first marriage after 30 plus years (and despite rumours and stereotyping there are a lot of us about) is not doing anything stupid and not going home and telling the other half what a fantastic time you just had.. .
Last edited by wiggy; 12th Aug 2018 at 16:35. Reason: TLC > TIC..
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Uk
Age: 38
Posts: 403
I have been pretty negative on BA SH and there are good reasons for that. I then asked myself what is it that I do not like? Is it that I don’t like my job or is it that I just have a really good home life? The problems here are little more than delays due to ATC in Europe, workload and rostering due to a error in manpower planning and BALPA selling out SH to protect LH. A quote from a friend of mine on LH. “Nobody gives a sh&t about SH, it’s never even talked about other than to say they are never going back”. Something has to change. I know a number of captains who are considering going RHS LH to escape. If you only desire SH and being at home BA is not it, if you want options then that’s very different.
It’s easy to piss and moan from a privileged position but on balance there are jobs I have had which I would love to go back too, but BA whilst not perfect is not bad enough to leave either and if JSS destroys my home life (probable) then there are options such as part time.......which I understand Klaus hates and wants to stamp out, or ditching the 4th stripe for RHS LH.
Applications closed? Probably......remember how keen we all used to be.
It’s easy to piss and moan from a privileged position but on balance there are jobs I have had which I would love to go back too, but BA whilst not perfect is not bad enough to leave either and if JSS destroys my home life (probable) then there are options such as part time.......which I understand Klaus hates and wants to stamp out, or ditching the 4th stripe for RHS LH.
Applications closed? Probably......remember how keen we all used to be.
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Botswana
Posts: 740
Originally Posted by bex88
there are options such as part time.......which I understand Klaus hates and wants to stamp out
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: england
Posts: 668
I gather the rumours about restricting part time were to restrict the current numbers. This would mean new part timers having to wait until an existing part timer retired or gave it up. Apparently some other countries run it that way?
Wiggy....it was slightly tongue in cheek.....I was having a good day....usually I’m the guy that retires early to bed to “chill and watch some Netflix”....I manage to avoid the duty of care stuff as I’m nowhere to be seen......
Wiggy....it was slightly tongue in cheek.....I was having a good day....usually I’m the guy that retires early to bed to “chill and watch some Netflix”....I manage to avoid the duty of care stuff as I’m nowhere to be seen......
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Botswana
Posts: 740
Originally Posted by hunterboy
I gather the rumours about restricting part time were to restrict the current numbers. This would mean new part timers having to wait until an existing part timer retired or gave it up.
On a temporary basis whilst the crew numbers are low it’s probably the current score until they’ve got more people in but as a permanent long term policy they’d be on an extremely sticky wicket trying that. I’d guess that rumour will remain unrealised.
Last edited by RexBanner; 12th Aug 2018 at 19:11.
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: The Dirty South
Posts: 389
Originally Posted by RexBanner
Klaus can go screw himself. By law BA has to provide part time options. Rather than bitch and moan about it he should consider why so many people (including myself, a soon to be PP4 SH FO and about to put the RTR request in as soon as some home renovations are made) feel they have to go part time in order to make life work..
The name ‘Klaus’ is very familiar. I thought that it couldn’t possibly be the same one. It is. And the same trail spreads itself across three countries, and four airlines.
It’s an ill wind that blows.
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: England
Posts: 81
Originally Posted by SandwichOfficer
Another email today from BA asking me to book my interview, but still no slots - I checked 1 hour after the email was sent. Were there any available today?
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: London
Posts: 70
Originally Posted by SandwichOfficer
Another email today from BA asking me to book my interview, but still no slots - I checked 1 hour after the email was sent. Were there any available today?
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Tw
Posts: 7
Originally Posted by clvf88
Did stage II at the beginning of July. I've logged in to check literally hundreds of times between now and then but no sim slots available.
Join Date: May 2006
Location: London
Age: 33
Posts: 4
Stage 2 interview
Hi all,
i have passed stage 1 and will be hopefully booking stage 2 very soon. Has anyone passed/gone through stage 2 and could offer some insight, particularly on the personal interview?
much appreciated.
i have passed stage 1 and will be hopefully booking stage 2 very soon. Has anyone passed/gone through stage 2 and could offer some insight, particularly on the personal interview?
much appreciated.
Last edited by Raven86; 21st Aug 2018 at 01:49.
