BA Direct Entry Pilot.

[bringbackthe80s]

Guys, while I find all the imputs very good and useful, to me this thread was to understand wether a pilot with a good (enough) job should consider a move to BA. And I think the answer is quite clear...
Great to live modest, to make the best of it, no fancy watches and cars, but if I'm honest I see this has little to do with joining BA.. 900 hrs is 900 hrs no matter the paint scheme or the type of metal.
If in need of a (good) job though, well that's a whole different story.

All the best

[BAP]

Well I for one prefer the new system. The old system was fine, if it was used as intended - infrequently and only in exceptional circumstances...

However this wasn't the case at all. It was a constant worry every day when leaving work.
Some of us couldn't use the childcare excuse, and therefore were the ones to pick up the work, despite having holidays, anniversaries, partners birthdays etc. planned...

There are some horror stories of people being called when abroad, only to be forced to return to the UK the next day to work, as they answered their phone by "mistake"

The new system is very similar to every other airline that has a random rostering system. You can request a preference for days off, but you can't be certain until the roster is out.
Good airlines normally publish the roster 2 weeks before the end of the month, but some will delay it to a week before.
So if only BA could speed up the process, then our system would be no different to most other airlines.

It is a great shame the bidline is no longer as it used to be, but everybody needs to know that when they are rostered a day off, that it is indeed a day off.

We can only hope that, when BA has recruited enough, that Forced Assign will be less frequent. Otherwise as I have said before, part-time seems to be the only viable option, if you want a decent life outside work.

[Threethirty]

I'm a bit confused by this Forced Assign concept, are they forcing you to work a day off, or is this only the case if you answer the phone by mistake?

[Wirbelsturm]

I'm a bit confused by this Forced Assign concept, are they forcing you to work a day off, or is this only the case if you answer the phone by mistake?

The company 'sells' the months work to the pilot community and we, through bidding, agree to achieve the flying programme.

Some people bid high for high credit months and some people bid low. There are always some uncovered trips for which there are those who don't achieve their selected bid or don't place a bid, otherwise known as 'blindline' holders. The company constructs the blindlines from the remaining trips and then allocates them to the blind line holders after both bidding stages are completed.

The new 'Force Assign' stage takes any uncovered trips after stage 1 and stage 2 and the blind line construction and allocates them to pilots who have not achieved CAP and have the space for the uncovered work on their line. Failing this a given trip line may be wiped for favour of work coverage.

The upshot is that, in days gone past, you could bid for a line and be allocated the trip line thus knowing what you were getting about 3 weeks in advance. You could, with hours of unpaid overtime in your 'bank' bid low for a month using a 'bank' withdrawl to get time off thus leading to flexibility and work life balance.

That has all now disappeared. Even with a CAP line you can be force assigned, a process which appears about 10 days before the end of the month.

Once the rosters are published they are, generally, set in stone and a very lively swapping culture exists leading to you often swapping half the month out for more beneficial trips.

Not an ideal solution in my opinion.

[Jwscud]

If the briefing given at the Gatwick roadshow is correct, there is a lot of fresh blood coming into Shorthaul - 311 hired thus far this year, expected 350-360 total, and the same next year. Extra numbers will surely make a big difference?

[Locked door]

To the BA people whinging about roster assign. Go and work for a gulf carrier for a couple of months for a reality check. You have no idea how good you have it.

[Amigo South]

Locked Door,

Yes, it may be worse elsewhere and BALPA does like to remind us on SH that we could have become Vueling but you are missing the point. BA needs 700+ pilots over the next 2 years. Emirates need 400 pilots this year. Cathay needs 350+ pilots this year. There is finally some competition in the market so the airlines will need to up their game or park aircraft.

[Flap33]

Locked Door,

Although I appreciate your comment I feel it is unfair to make such a statement on this thread. BA have finally admitted to having too few pilots, force draft was horrendous and roster assign isn't much better. The ability to bid for, and achieve, a roster has been taken away from us so is very significant.

With regard to ME comparissons, how about the comparrison of the figure in the bottom right hand corner of your pay slip each month?

You can't have it both ways!

[Locked door]

You might just find there's not much difference to the bottom right corner. The desert isn't what it used to be, poor accommodation, bullying management, 1200+ hours per year, I could go on.

Talk to any DEP (as I do) and you'll find the grass isn't greener on the other side. I for one prefer RA to DA, as I suspect do the silent majority. The personal attacks on our reps is beneath contempt, and not appropriate for this thread (or anywhere).

LD

[Threethirty]

Thanks Wilberstrum

[toro]

Gs-alpha, narrow runway et al......

There are NO BALPA reps commuting from Canada just by constantly referring to them doesn't make it true and neither can I envisage any of the reps EVER going into Management.....

I am NOT a rep and have no personal connection to any of them but sick and tired of anonymous trolling trying to push their own agenda.

I have 20 years in BA out of 37 years in the Airline industry. It still the best gig there is but it will never be the same as even in recent years. The majority of those I work with are still happy to be working for BA but it's definitely changed and you will have to accept that. The BALPA reps I genuinely believe do their very best to slow the tide of bad changes not for their own personal agendas but for the common good. How they continue with the barrage of ignorant vitriol amazes me.

Working life isn't anywhere near as bad as you read on here and it's a natural selection to have those most miserable to be on a forum such as this where they can bitch and moan anonymously without any come back.

BA is most definitely not what it was I agree..... But look at the alternatives.?

ATB Toro.

NOT management or BALPA REP just a regular line pilot....

[Megaton]

Toro,

At least one BALPA rep is currently commuting from Canada unless his phone number and contact details are out of date. Another rep commutes from the U.S.

[TopBunk]

Megaton

At least one BALPA rep is currently commuting from Canada unless his phone number and contact details are out of date. Another rep commutes from the U.S

No matter where they commute from, I don't think anyone in BALPA doubts their dedication to the cause. The time and effort expended by the reps in general, and by the Head Office Team of the BACC in particular, is immense, and not worthy of the snide remarks being made. Without them and their efforts the lot of the BA pilot would doubtless be much worse.

The very fact that the pilot strength in BA is 4000 and growing is testament in no small part to the way that they have picked a path through the minefield of the last decade.

[Callsign Kilo]

Sounds like the tables have turned completely at mainline. Sad to see in many respects. Those ex Hamble type characters who were able to chuck it all in at 55 must be sighing a great sigh of relief. What an industry!

[sidtheesexist]

I see some of the 'Ra Ra' girls have migrated over from the Ba company forum give me strength.....it was bad enough over there trying to post a point of view contary to that of Jo and the rest of the polit bureau. Please don't for one minute think you can come over here and start silencing criticism of and discontent with, the current bidding process/work coverage measures...

[hunterboy]

I think the backlash against the BALPA reps is more to do with the realisation that many of them aren't sharing the pain of the many recent changes to Bidline.
Added to that is the suspicion that some are making serious amounts of money in overtime through "clash and protect". I don't doubt that some of the reps are in the job for the right reasons,however, I think it is recognised that some are merely the other side of the coin to our flight ops managers, and have more in common with them than they do the line pilots.
Personally, I only see this all ending in tears, whether a company falling apart under the strain, or a big smoking hole in the ground.

[Right Engine]

Whilst anonymity does increase the snarkiness on here, what the majority of ordinary BALPA members are struggling to understand is how, in this period of such unrivalled profitability, with a quite evident shortfall in the supply of experienced pilots globally, there has been such a downward trend in T's & C's?
They are also confused by the fact that should any member dare mention this 'disconnect' on the Union forum, they are publicly vilified for it by both reps and a small handful of supporters. The resignations are many. BALPA is in disarray.

[RHINO]

Nicely put 'Right Engine'

[BitMoreRightRudder]

The resignations are many. BALPA is in disarray.

I get why so many feel disenchanted, but what exactly does resigning from the union achieve?

Apart from the predictable response of a "1% pay rise"

[Right Engine]

Originally Posted by BitMoreRightRudder

I get why so many feel disenchanted, but what exactly does resigning from the union achieve?

Apart from the predictable response of a "1% pay rise"

Admittedly very little, but those who did, often say it is the only way of making the Reps appreciate the level of dismay. BALPA appears to represent the demographic that most matches the BACC. In other words, if you're on long haul and you commute, your opinion is most valid and your lifestyle, most protected.

It is also not helped by reps who fail to get re-elected yet are continuing in their role (when their low-vote was a consequence of their perceived failings)