Go Back  PPRuNe Forums > Flight Deck Forums > Terms and Endearment
Reload this Page >

BA Direct Entry Pilot.

Terms and Endearment The forum the bean counters hoped would never happen. Your news on pay, rostering, allowances, extras and negotiations where you work - scheduled, charter or contract.

BA Direct Entry Pilot.

Old 12th Apr 2019, 09:31
  #6121 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Botswana
Posts: 887
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by Freehills
True, but without a housing permit, your options on what property you can buy or rent in CI are severely restricted/ more expensive...
precisely. You can’t buy property in Jersey unless you are residentially qualified. That takes over ten years nowadays. Renting a non qualified property for ten years commensurate with the standard in which you want to live is extremely difficult and going to severely set you back and (together with commuting costs) negate any saving you would make in tax. So theoretically possibly yes but practically pointless.

Anyway sincere apologies for the immense thread drift for which I am again partially responsible!
RexBanner is offline  
Old 12th Apr 2019, 14:05
  #6122 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: somewhere between Miami and Havana
Posts: 123
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
All correct. You actually left out the fact that the commute itself sucks.

Therefore, Portugal is a far better option for weather, commuting and tax avoidance (avoidance is perfectly legal, evasion is what gets you in trouble).

Are people still trying to join BA...?

B
Buter is offline  
Old 13th Apr 2019, 09:57
  #6123 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: On the side of the pitch!
Age: 47
Posts: 495
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by Buter
All correct. You actually left out the fact that the commute itself sucks.

Therefore, Portugal is a far better option for weather, commuting and tax avoidance (avoidance is perfectly legal, evasion is what gets you in trouble).

Are people still trying to join BA...?

B
Apparently!
SinBin is offline  
Old 18th Apr 2019, 16:06
  #6124 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Europe
Posts: 9
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Part Time

Hi All,

I'm joining BA soon on LH and I've got a fair amount of information about how stuff works, but I haven't got any info on part time. Could anyone shed some light on what part time options are available and what hoops need to be jumped through before I'd be eligible?

Cheers
HL
HardLanding1 is offline  
Old 18th Apr 2019, 23:59
  #6125 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: London
Posts: 145
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I can't be too specific - someone else will be along with the exact options. What I can tell you is that it will probably be quite a long wait. As far as I'm aware, no part time has been granted whatsoever in 2019.
Northern Monkey is offline  
Old 19th Apr 2019, 06:27
  #6126 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: uk
Posts: 32
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by Northern Monkey
I can't be too specific - someone else will be along with the exact options. What I can tell you is that it will probably be quite a long wait. As far as I'm aware, no part time has been granted whatsoever in 2019.
Maybe no “aspirational” part time has been granted. “Right to request” part time has I believe.
P0tt3r is offline  
Old 19th Apr 2019, 08:24
  #6127 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Europe
Posts: 9
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Thanks for getting back to me, I'm sorry for being completely clueless, but is aspirational just like attaching it to a bid? the same way you would indicate what fleet/rank you would like to be?

As for right of request, I thought it was now a statutory right to request part time under flexi-working rules, although the company has a million and one easy ways to reject it as per the usual UK employment laws... Do BA have a different (improved?) system to this?

My main reason for asking is I'm going to be commuting from mainland Europe (not to tax dodge as seems to be the main motivation according to this thread!), and ideally I'd like to get onto something like a 75% contract as soon as possible to ease some of the burden of commuting off. Is this something I could expect within say the first 5 years, or something that will have to wait until further in my career? And do factors like having newly born children effect the likelihood of getting accepted?

Thanks in advance everyone and hope to see you on the line soon!
HardLanding1 is offline  
Old 19th Apr 2019, 12:14
  #6128 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Botswana
Posts: 887
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by HardLanding1
Thanks for getting back to me, I'm sorry for being completely clueless, but is aspirational just like attaching it to a bid? the same way you would indicate what fleet/rank you would like to be?

As for right of request, I thought it was now a statutory right to request part time under flexi-working rules, although the company has a million and one easy ways to reject it as per the usual UK employment laws... Do BA have a different (improved?) system to this?

My main reason for asking is I'm going to be commuting from mainland Europe (not to tax dodge as seems to be the main motivation according to this thread!), and ideally I'd like to get onto something like a 75% contract as soon as possible to ease some of the burden of commuting off. Is this something I could expect within say the first 5 years, or something that will have to wait until further in my career? And do factors like having newly born children effect the likelihood of getting accepted?

Thanks in advance everyone and hope to see you on the line soon!

Right to Request is exactly as it says on the tin, you have the right to request part time working (for whatever reason you like nowadays, having children is not a prerequisite). The company cannot simply refuse/reject it, you’ll be put on a waiting list and eventually it’ll be granted. How long is anyone’s guess, it seems to be roughly a year at the moment but I know some who’ve had it granted more quickly than that (also longer too).

Aspirational part time is a different pattern of working and part of the annual Priam bid whereas right to request can be done at any time of year by going through the official application channels with HR.

Theres plenty of pilots who’ve had RTR granted within the first five years (some within the first two years!) as there’s no minimum time stipulation.
RexBanner is offline  
Old 20th Apr 2019, 06:59
  #6129 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: UK
Posts: 201
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Recruitment is in a death spiral at the moment, because not only are their usual supply lines running dry, there are increasing numbers of pilots in their first year just upping sticks and leaving.
Recruitment are either being really clever and resourcing the line to be fighting fit for a downturn OR really stupid and racing towards a mass cancellation Summer (similar to Ryanair in 2018?)

It’s not pretty at the moment. Bidding via JSS has gone to ratsh*t on some fleets due to not enough pilots.

Not one pilot got awarded part time this year.

It’s going to be a very uncomfortable Summer.

But…Totally predictable too. Yet ‘Finance’ insisted on keeping their boot on the throat of all other departments. And the guy who created this mess. The guy who said ‘NO’ on repeated loop for the last 4 years?

They promoted him to IAG CFO!



Last edited by Right Engine; 20th Apr 2019 at 07:55.
Right Engine is offline  
Old 20th Apr 2019, 12:57
  #6130 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: UK
Posts: 726
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Not one pilot got awarded part time this year.
I presume you are referring to aspirational part time only? I know for a fact that at least one pilot has been given RTR part time in 2019.
GS-Alpha is offline  
Old 20th Apr 2019, 13:20
  #6131 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: UK
Posts: 26
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by AIMINGHIGH123


No way!!! What is the bond at BA?
There is no bond per-se at BA (though SSP Pilot’s do pay circa £18K for an Airbus type rating I believe.

The only part-time contracts that have been awarded this year are for compassionate reasons under the RTR scheme. No aspirational contracts have been awarded, and none that have applied for increased PT either (72% moving to 58%).

BA is massively under-resourced at the moment, in practically every department. A toxic management environment keeps everybody just about working through threats of disciplinary procedures if one dares to be too sick in any annual period.

if you’re enjoying short haul somewhere else, my advice would be to stay where you are. It is only the attraction, for some, of long haul that continues to lure people to our airline of faded glory.

As long as you can put up with never having a weekend off for the next few years, working to EASA limits, and a company that will try to give you a self funded pay cut year after year then come on in, the waters lovely!

Plenty of recent joiners are finding that where they’ve come from is actually a better gig than BA and head back - EZ, RYR, VS et al - even some from the sand pit have returned!
Underdog is offline  
Old 20th Apr 2019, 20:37
  #6132 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 1998
Location: UK
Posts: 289
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Recruitment is going flat out at the moment, the problem is too little too late. Unfortunately those previously in charge of pilot resources ran down pilot numbers to save money and it's coming back to bite now. I'm sure when the next recession hits they'll be biting the hands off those that want to go part time.....
Propellerhead is offline  
Old 2nd May 2019, 21:03
  #6133 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: The North
Posts: 53
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Anyone know how often they recruit experienced crew or when they're likely to re-open recruitment? Not BACF, mainline.

Cheers!
geardown1 is offline  
Old 2nd May 2019, 21:37
  #6134 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: TBC
Posts: 714
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Is it possible to have rough timeframes for being able to achieve a couple of weekends off each month, for each seat in each fleet? I know it’s a big ask and not very representative without knowing how much future recruitment there would be, but it would be useful to guesstimate the sort of choices you’d have to make for your lifestyle.

I look at a fixed pattern roster and see how many weekends there are off, and then think how tempting BA is that with time served, you can bid to not work any... until your next move! I can’t work out which is preferable; having some off, but having that pattern forever, or the snakes & ladders situation of a seniority list with fleet/seat moves. I was pretty staggered to read on here, and hear from friends how rare a weekend off is in the early days. Obvious when you think about it, but still. A close friend who joined at the start of the latest recruitment wave gets nearly every weekend off on SH. But if he wants to upgrade, or go LH...

Gingerbread Man is online now  
Old 3rd May 2019, 07:38
  #6135 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: The Winchester
Posts: 6,545
Received 5 Likes on 5 Posts
Weekend working and the whole rostering/bidding system is a very controversial issue at the moment.

Whilst you may get best guesses from some on whereabouts on a seniority list you need to be to get a chance of getting a certain number of weekends off e.g. - "A3XX, 25% from the top, get every other W/E off" I'm not sure anyone can give you a definitive timescales in terms of “X months" or “Y years" simply because your rate of movement up a list depends on all sorts of unknowns.

Just for the sake of overview I'll offer that there are lots of grumbles from the Junior and not so junior on both Longhaul and Shorthaul that getting weekends off under JSS is difficult, and guaranteeing specific weekends free is problematic for almost everybody, regardless of seniority, unless they resort to using Golden days ( 6 per year) qnd/or leave or Duty Free Weeks.

Last edited by wiggy; 3rd May 2019 at 11:39.
wiggy is offline  
Old 3rd May 2019, 15:45
  #6136 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: TBC
Posts: 714
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Thanks for the reply. I appreciate it and understand the difficulties.

I don’t have an offer or anything, but wanted to be as informed as possible should one come my way in the future.

Last edited by Gingerbread Man; 3rd May 2019 at 22:19.
Gingerbread Man is online now  
Old 3rd May 2019, 16:59
  #6137 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Botswana
Posts: 887
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Your seniority will increase more rapidly on short haul (having said that I’ve been in nearly 3 and a half years now and still haven’t quite cracked the top 50% on the Airbus (LHR) despite the 700+ pilot feast of recruitment behind). Stated before here but 50% is the rough watershed moment on any status list. You may well get the odd weekend below that figure but they’ll be rare. Otherwise if you’re bottom 50% on any list expect to work every weekend. On Long Haul fleets where it’s going to take you at least 10 years to crack the top 50% that means you’ll be working every weekend outside of leave for over ten years. If you have a young family at home that’s going to be a major stressor. IMHO it’s an untenable situation. When one of the former Balpa P&P reps has already conceded privately that seniority is ripe for legal challenge it’s surely only a matter of time?

(BTW I stress I’m not advocating that course of action but it would not surprise me one little bit the way things are going).
RexBanner is offline  
Old 3rd May 2019, 17:01
  #6138 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: The Winchester
Posts: 6,545
Received 5 Likes on 5 Posts
Originally Posted by Gingerbread Man
Thanks for the reply.

You're welcome, not sure how much use the advice really was but as Rex B has said rostering under JSS seems to be a major stressor for many at the moment, most especially for many at the bottom.
wiggy is offline  
Old 3rd May 2019, 18:31
  #6139 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: U.K.
Posts: 401
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Whats the situation with the BA BALPA pilots that hit the news with the racism email stuff?
TheAirMission is online now  
Old 3rd May 2019, 19:48
  #6140 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: London
Posts: 145
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by RexBanner
Stated before here but 50% is the rough watershed moment on any status list. You may well get the odd weekend below that figure but they’ll be rare. Otherwise if you’re bottom 50% on any list expect to work every weekend. On Long Haul fleets where it’s going to take you at least 10 years to crack the top 50% that means you’ll be working every weekend outside of leave for over ten years.
While acknowledging that JSS is FAR from perfect this isn't entirely accurate. I'm 60% ish on the 787 and I have been getting weekends off no problem. And going to the places I want to go to. I've been in 8 years so I guess your 10 to 50% is about right though.

That said, the bottom of some fleets (certainly 777/320) looks pretty unpleasant. What remains to be seen is what, if any, effect the tripling of weekend points has on the availability of weekends off. Personally, I will definitely try to work at least a couple of weekends a month because I absolutely don't want to do more reserve.
Northern Monkey is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.