BA Direct Entry Pilot.

[GS-Alpha]

Originally Posted by kookiesandkreme

So final salary pension is dead and gone for new joiners? Sorry I know nothing about the pension scheme!

Final salary pension has been dead and gone for new joiners for well over a decade!

[kookiesandkreme]

Originally Posted by GS-Alpha

Final salary pension has been dead and gone for new joiners for well over a decade!

haha I thought as much but saw it mentioned and I had a faint hope!

[Float15]

Originally Posted by GS-Alpha

The closure of the NAPS final salary pension scheme a couple of years back, came with a transition period within which FOs could move to the equivalent captain pay scale for pension purposes. Commands must be obtained by the end of 2023 for this to happen. Many will have initially held out hope for a long haul command, but as 2023 draws closer the more junior ex NAPS FOs will likely give more consideration to taking short haul commands in order to lock in the NAPS pension uplift.

Roughly how many people are in that situation? It could have quite a dramatic effect at pushing out the time for SH command?

[thetimesreader84]

I don’t know the numbers, but I’ve heard anecdotally that a fair few of the Long Haul SFOs affected are looking at the type of SH roster they could get if they swapped seats and are deciding to take the pension hit.

Lowest LHR command this year was 3700-ish, which is what, 3 years in? Maybe 4? Gatwick went down to 4000 which is 18 months service. I think if the NAPS people were serious about going to SH those numbers would be higher - but maybe they will be next year.

All rumour & supposition, but that’s what this websites about isn’t it?

[GS-Alpha]

Please do not quote me on this but if memory serves me correctly, the figure was approximately 550 NAPS SFOs at the time of the scheme closure. If I had to guess what people are planning, I would say the bottom 100-150 NAPS SFOs will start including short haul commands in their bids for 2021 and 2022.

I know of several more senior non-NAPS SFOs who bid for short haul commands this year because they did not want to be blocked from doing so for the next three years during the predicted NAPS SFO rush.

[wiggy]

Originally Posted by thetimesreader84

I don’t know the numbers, but I’ve heard anecdotally that a fair few of the Long Haul SFOs affected are looking at the type of SH roster they could get if they swapped seats and are deciding to take the pension hit.

Yep, "they" exist, I've flown with a couple of quite senior SFOs recently who have told me that they are staying put in the RHS until retirement and also explained the logic behind the decision - funnily in both cases it wasn't SH rosters that was the problem, it was the rosters that they would have moving RHS to LHS on Long haul that was the issue..

That said I have absolutely no idea how many more have the same plan across all the fleets.

[johnnyflyer]

If anyone has an upcoming Sim assessment booked and would be interested in pairing up for practice sim then please send me a PM! Cheers.

[Kibathepilot]

Hi everyone I am in the middle of the assesments at the moment, Just a random question that I was hoping someone may be able to shed a bit of light on.
I have a few holidays booked with family and friends for later this year that my current company has approved already.If I was to be succesful with the BA assesments
would they honor these holidays at all? I am willing to give up the holidays of course for the chance at the job and the type rating and all that but was just wondering
if there was any chance they would slot the initial training around it and just deduct the holiday days off me as usual. bit of a random one but hope I have explained it well.
thanks

[GS-Alpha]

Originally Posted by Kibathepilot

Hi everyone I am in the middle of the assesments at the moment, Just a random question that I was hoping someone may be able to shed a bit of light on.
I have a few holidays booked with family and friends for later this year that my current company has approved already.If I was to be succesful with the BA assesments
would they honor these holidays at all? I am willing to give up the holidays of course for the chance at the job and the type rating and all that but was just wondering
if there was any chance they would slot the initial training around it and just deduct the holiday days off me as usual. bit of a random one but hope I have explained it well.
thanks

Hmm, I think you might need to lower your expectations of what employment by BA looks like.

[Kibathepilot]

Like I said not expecting them to honour it and would gladly drop the holiday to work for them.I only ask as where I live and work currently it is something that happens. thanks for the reply though....

[wiggy]

Originally Posted by GS-Alpha

Hmm, I think you might need to lower your expectations of what employment by BA looks like.

Cruel but fair...

[MaverickPrime]

Does anyone know if there is a plan, or likelihood, that BA will run the scheme for newly qualified pilots this year?

[GS-Alpha]

Originally Posted by MaverickPrime

Does anyone know if there is a plan, or likelihood, that BA will run the scheme for newly qualified pilots this year?

This is purely my opinion, but I suspect the recruitment plans for this year are gong to reduce significantly once the world realises this Coronavirus is already out of control. So I think that is unlikely MaverickPrime. I am expecting a severe cut in capacity with 747s leaving earlier than currently scheduled.

[VinRouge]

Originally Posted by MaverickPrime

Does anyone know if there is a plan, or likelihood, that BA will run the scheme for newly qualified pilots this year?

Imho, yes, and a fair few of them too.

[RexBanner]

Originally Posted by GS-Alpha

I suspect the recruitment plans for this year are gong to reduce significantly once the world realises this Coronavirus is already out of control..

back in the real world where more people die of flu than the Coronavirus I would imagine recruitment won’t alter much if at all.

[anson harris]

Originally Posted by RexBanner

back in the real world where more people CURRENTLY die of flu than the Coronavirus I would imagine recruitment won’t alter much if at all.

There, I fixed it for you.

[wiggy]

The only given in all this is that retirements will continue at a decent rate. On one hand that might mean recruitment continues throughout the year, OTOH if this gets really nasty and the flying plan takes a big hit that attrition might simply mean those pilots already in BA get to keep their jobs.

As someone who is old enough to have has seen up close how BA responded to the impact of Gulf War 1, GW 2, 9/11 etc I will offer one bit of advice:

If you really want to leave wherever you are currently , and you really want to join BA then now is really really is not the time to finesse a joining date....... grab the first start date that BA put on the table.

[Phantom4]

Wiggy spot on as usual and has seen it all.
Take first offer and do not ruffle their feathers as they will just ring next person on the list.
’when can you start?’ 8.00am tomorrow is the response,not that hard.
FWIW BA May be shying away from MPL licences due lack of SA and teamwork skill set.

[Sleepybhudda]

Originally Posted by Phantom4

Wiggy spot on as usual and has seen it all.
Take first offer and do not ruffle their feathers as they will just ring next person on the list.
’when can you start?’ 8.00am tomorrow is the response,not that hard.
FWIW BA May be shying away from MPL licences due lack of SA and teamwork skill set.

Surely thats their training providers fault for not teaching it properly. MPLs are bespoke courses to the sponsoring airlines needs. I would expect BA to tell the relevant ATO to rectify the deficiencies in training rather than just giving up on a chunky investment of time and money. No guarantees taking cadets from elsewhere will result in anything better.

[BaronVonBarnstormer]

Have the first of the BA MPL cadets started on the A320 yet? I thought the scheme opened in 2018. I know BA city flyer have had MPL cadets for a few years now.