BA Direct Entry Pilot.
Joined: Feb 2013
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 154
Likes: 7
From: London
The truth is, no one will really know what JSS is like until we have a few months of live bidding where everyone is regularly participating. If it turns out to be as bad as some people expect, BA will have a massive problem in terms of recruitment and retention and will have to address it.
I mourn the loss of bidline as much as anyone else, but I can't believe its going to be as apocalyptic as some suggest.
I mourn the loss of bidline as much as anyone else, but I can't believe its going to be as apocalyptic as some suggest.
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 409
Likes: 3
From: The Home of the Gnomes
To all who want to join, keep a close eye on this thread over the next few months. It will be extremely telling.
If if things go as I expect, these are my predictions. Call it an educated guess.
Practically no-one will leave a command anywhere else to go to BA in either SH or LH.
No FO from the usual suspects will even entertain joining BA short haul (future “cadets”, your time may have come).
No FO from the usual suspects aged much over 30 will want to come to longhaul as the junior lifestyle will not be compatible with young family life (not sure it is currently either to be fair).
There will always be exceptions, I appreciate that. My bet is most of those exceptions will have become fed up with opening the curtains in the morning and seeing beige. They’ll be the ones who’ve made their money.
I think BA’s day of reckoning is close.
If if things go as I expect, these are my predictions. Call it an educated guess.
Practically no-one will leave a command anywhere else to go to BA in either SH or LH.
No FO from the usual suspects will even entertain joining BA short haul (future “cadets”, your time may have come).
No FO from the usual suspects aged much over 30 will want to come to longhaul as the junior lifestyle will not be compatible with young family life (not sure it is currently either to be fair).
There will always be exceptions, I appreciate that. My bet is most of those exceptions will have become fed up with opening the curtains in the morning and seeing beige. They’ll be the ones who’ve made their money.
I think BA’s day of reckoning is close.
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 19
Likes: 7
From: Somewhere sunny
Thank you
Yes, Captain within 18 months is possible. Latest rumours are everyone who has bid for a LGW command in 2019 will get it. LHR transfer as a FO is no problem, in fact you can probably tell them you’d prefer LHR and start there. LHR Captain is harder as you will need the seniority for a LHR command. Latest rumours for LHR command is ~3500 on a ~4350 pilot workforce.
Disclaimer: it’s rumour and appearantly very fluid at the moment.
I've tried to read this long thread as far back as I could looking for the most accurate and complete disclosable information any of us can get. BA seems like a good (but not great) gig. I guess life is not perfect.
One concern I see people getting is the holy pound vs days off. I guess it would help if the airline could guarantee some 15 consecutive days off plus commuting option to our front door and a million in the bank every month for our wives to spend in shoes and handbags. Don't get me wrong this is my kind of employer too, but it would bankrupt soon.
Last edited by sun shines every day; 30th October 2018 at 02:42. Reason: Ethical reasons
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 954
Likes: 64
From: england
I would leave it a couple of months after Jan though, as I think there will be more than a few disgruntled pilots upset with their rosters in the first few months of JSS bidding until we learn how the system works. Once things bed down and the union tweaks a few parameters as necessary, we will know whether BA will be seen as a long term gig or not.
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 6,729
Likes: 104
From: The Winchester
Yep, Easter will have given people four bids under JSS, most will be some way up the learning curve and an overall picture of senority vs. rosters will be emerging.
It is only then that we will have a handle on how much control the new system makes it possible for individuals to really have vs. how many are going to be on blindlines in all but name due to the consequences of Global Constraints/crew repair and the unlocking of rosters.
TBH I’m sceptical as to how much significant tweaking BALPA will be able to do once JSS is in place, so it’s a case of fingers crossed.
It is only then that we will have a handle on how much control the new system makes it possible for individuals to really have vs. how many are going to be on blindlines in all but name due to the consequences of Global Constraints/crew repair and the unlocking of rosters.
TBH I’m sceptical as to how much significant tweaking BALPA will be able to do once JSS is in place, so it’s a case of fingers crossed.
Last edited by wiggy; 30th October 2018 at 06:59.
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 1,226
Likes: 114
From: UK
You can message BA and have them forward your info onto your sim partner. That's what mine did to get hold of me a few years back.
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
From: UK
Dutchflyer if you havent received feedback from the sim you aren't in the holdpool (just yet!) when you get a yes from the sim then you are. When I went through it took me almost a month to get my response from the sim, which was bloody annoying!
all the best
all the best
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 124
Likes: 8
From: london
That's not really the case at all. You can have a yes from the sim, not receive your sim performance feedback, and very much be in the holdpool (as I assume is exactly the case here)
Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
From: The Hague
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 995
Likes: 103
From: Botswana
Some rare optimism from me, I have to say I was very pleasantly surprised by the results of dry run 3 with JSS however they have to be treated with caution as global constraints and crew repair were not in play. My line was very similar to those unobtainable commuter friendly ones in Stage 1, the ones that always go to the same 6/7 people. Will be interesting to see how it all pans out though, especially for Long Haul.
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 291
Likes: 26
From: Hundred Acre Wood
Dutchflyer, have you considered KLM? I ask because the word is that an unspecified number of Orange “Nigels” are leaving (or are about to leave) to go back home. Might be worth thinking about.
Last edited by Doug E Style; 2nd November 2018 at 21:45.
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 409
Likes: 3
From: The Home of the Gnomes
Some rare optimism from me, I have to say I was very pleasantly surprised by the results of dry run 3 with JSS however they have to be treated with caution as global constraints and crew repair were not in play. My line was very similar to those unobtainable commuter friendly ones in Stage 1, the ones that always go to the same 6/7 people. Will be interesting to see how it all pans out though, especially for Long Haul.
Unless you are towards the top of the pile, I would take the result with a large pinch of salt. The accepted wisdom is that Global Constraint and Crew Repair will go quite a way north, meaning what you’ve seen (bearing in mind there were a proportion of “fake” trips there) is going to be quite different to what you actually get.
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 995
Likes: 103
From: Botswana
Tay Cough I did say treat it with caution but I’m 60% off the top at the moment of the P32L status list. I’d imagine I’ll be north of 50% at the very, very least by 2019 end if recruitment is as forecast. There’s enough tours going around to grab enough of them at that seniority and crew repair isn’t getting that far up. My point is it will be possible to gain access to “commuter lines” far easier than it is now with bidline, which is a good thing for some. If anything else it shows I’m doing the right things with my bid, even if I may be shafted with the real thing.