BA Direct Entry Pilot.
Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
From: Europe
Could someone give me some more information about this requirement? What exactly is it?
5 GCSE’s including Math’s, English and Science (excluding General studies and Critical
Thinking) grade C and above plus 112 UCAS points according to the 2017 UCAS point
system or equivalent.
5 GCSE’s including Math’s, English and Science (excluding General studies and Critical
Thinking) grade C and above plus 112 UCAS points according to the 2017 UCAS point
system or equivalent.
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 138
Likes: 0
From: London
At least JSS produces simular results as the old system then. Looking at the junior SH roster they look very similar as the old blindlines and junior trip lines.
Good thing is on SH your seniority will go up far quicker then as a DEP LH and within BA you only have to be junior once!
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 156
Likes: 42
From: UK
Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 17
Likes: 0
From: UK
Could I ask about reserve months? I read somewhere here that they include 7 days in a row free of duty? Obviously that would include a weekend. Can you bid for reserve or is it just allocated to you from time to time?
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 187
Likes: 0
From: Under the table
LGW doesn't have a lower payscale though, it's identical to LHR SH, just with a cap.
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 954
Likes: 64
From: england
You can bid for reserve, though probably struggle to get it from Sep to Dec, when pilots start strategically bidding for their Christmas roster . To be honest, reserve isn’t a bad gig if you live within 2 hours of the car park and don’t mind being flexible. The last few reserves months I’ve done, I’ve sat at home on call or visited my parents and counted that as a day off if not called. I ended up with an average of 18 days “off” each month. I accept that you don’t know it’s a day free of duty until the end of the standby period, but if you are happy to be flexible and drop what you are doing if the company call, then it’s not a bad gig. I know some junior guys were doing 4 a year on some fleets and gaining another 4 weeks off a year with the 7 day fixed days off block.
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 6,729
Likes: 104
From: The Winchester
You bid for reserve but there's an associated points system and also tier/banding system tied into time in the company so your "time to time" can be fairly often though you can't be "assigned" (i.e. forced) to do two reserves in consecutive months.
As hunterboy has correctly pointed out if you live within 2 hours of the airport Reserve can work to your advantage if you are prepared to live with a bit of uncertainty.
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 6,729
Likes: 104
From: The Winchester
I'm looking right now at some Longhaul (very new) DEP rosters ( middle 4000 seniority) and FWIW there are a few some with single weekend days off (i.e; the Saturday or the Sunday completely clear)..but certainly not many, and there a lot of rosters where every weekend day of the month (April)is touched by work.
There are very very few who can guarantee regularly getting a particular specific weekend day off, to do that on a regular basis you need to be extremely senior (left or right seat). That was certainly the case under Bidline and looks like being the case underJSS.
..and it is tough on family life, hence the attractiveness of the various part time contracts
Last edited by wiggy; 19th March 2019 at 08:37.
Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 17
Likes: 0
From: UK
Does anyone know how accommodating BA are wrt parental leave, not for a new born, but the gov’t allocation of unpaid weeks upto 18yrs old. Thinking using that, along with reserve, leave, and an understanding other half may all make the move manageable re lifestyle.
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 156
Likes: 1
From: London
When I was at BA you had to complete 12 months’ service before parental leave was an option. Then, you could email them and they’d email back with dates available for your fleet / seat. They were accommodating in so far as they have to offer it but not so accommodating with regards to when it was available. Ultimately family life was unmanageable for me as a junior longhaul FO who lived more than 2 hrs from LHR.
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 409
Likes: 3
From: The Home of the Gnomes
We were told at a BA presentation that it takes about 7 years seniority to get at least 1 weekend day of regularly. The first 3-4 years very unlikely to get a full weekend off. The pilots were quite honest showed us loads of rosters.
If you have a young family with partner working as well it won’t be easy.
As mentioned, as a junior bod you should be able to get a Saturday or a Sunday most months. What you won’t be able to guarantee is a specific one. You may be able to be a bit picky about specific midweek days (probably not a Friday) but that’s about it.
In short, if you need specific weekend days off - especially if it’s every month - you will not be able to achieve them at BA, irrespective of fleet, until you have been in for several years.
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 1,226
Likes: 114
From: UK
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 1,095
Likes: 0
From: UK
I’ve been in 8 years. I regularly get at least one of the weekend days off a month. Either by landing early on a Saturday and subsequently having the Sunday off, or departing on a Sunday, therefore getting the Saturday off. I honestly don’t specifically bit for that, it’s just how it seems to work out. Don’t forget a lot of guys don’t care about working weekends. Everyone has different ideas of what is good or not. Spending a Saturday night in Accra could be for you!
Dont forget we we do have our six golden days per year. These are days on a first come first served basis where you bid for a specific 1-2 days off. Seniority doesn’t come into it.
I am LH, and I can’t speak for SH, as I left that a few years ago. I don’t recall it being too bad though. No ideas under JSS.
At LGW there are other ways of getting out of duties and swapping stuff with those in charge in the office, as long as you were reasonable and flexible.
Dont forget we we do have our six golden days per year. These are days on a first come first served basis where you bid for a specific 1-2 days off. Seniority doesn’t come into it.
I am LH, and I can’t speak for SH, as I left that a few years ago. I don’t recall it being too bad though. No ideas under JSS.
At LGW there are other ways of getting out of duties and swapping stuff with those in charge in the office, as long as you were reasonable and flexible.
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 6,729
Likes: 104
From: The Winchester
I get the impression that the issue that might be raising eyebrows for some at the moment is the difficulty (or not) in getting a specific day off on a regular basis, perhaps to tie in with domestic issues such as a partner's working arrangements or children's activities..
I'm inclined to say it can't be done without going part time, but as you say the newly introduced Golden Days might provide a solution 6 days of the year.
I'm inclined to say it can't be done without going part time, but as you say the newly introduced Golden Days might provide a solution 6 days of the year.
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 473
Likes: 0
From: Uk
JSS is terrible at the bottom. I essentially bid for all work, anything, everything but please limit my day trip to 4 or less. Result.....fall back and 14, possibly 15 reports to LHR. I live well within the required 90 minutes but that is more than 1 and a half days driving!
There are some benefits to JSS but the protections and inhibitors need adjusting. As has been mentioned weekend work is not a issue. Has anyone actually tried to go anywhere at the weekend? Nightmare! Give me a week day off most of the time thanks
There are some benefits to JSS but the protections and inhibitors need adjusting. As has been mentioned weekend work is not a issue. Has anyone actually tried to go anywhere at the weekend? Nightmare! Give me a week day off most of the time thanks
Junior trash
Joined: Nov 1999
Posts: 1,025
Likes: 0
From: UK
The vast majority of the most junior Capts and FOs are doing plenty of 2 - 5 day tours though, so its something in your bid that's putting you in fallback not a fundamental result of JSS.
By limiting JSS even in your lowest BG to 4 day trips in a month on a short haul fleet you are seriously harming JSSs ability to create a roster. Surely it would be better gradually relaxing that limit and not going into fallback and at least getting some of what you want?
By limiting JSS even in your lowest BG to 4 day trips in a month on a short haul fleet you are seriously harming JSSs ability to create a roster. Surely it would be better gradually relaxing that limit and not going into fallback and at least getting some of what you want?
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 90
Likes: 0
From: WILTSHIRE
I wouldnt have thought that requesting a maximum of 4 day trips in a month to be unreasonable ?, especially for some one who is perhaps a commuter or someone who just prefers night stops and doesnt mind where / when / with whom ? I agree JSS just doesnt work when your near the bottom ( by near I mean less than 50%)
Junior trash
Joined: Nov 1999
Posts: 1,025
Likes: 0
From: UK
I wouldnt have thought that requesting a maximum of 4 day trips in a month to be unreasonable ?, especially for some one who is perhaps a commuter or someone who just prefers night stops and doesnt mind where / when / with whom ? I agree JSS just doesnt work when your near the bottom ( by near I mean less than 50%)
