British Airways Direct Entry Pilot
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 22
Likes: 1
From: UK
SH you have the added advantage of being able to bid for GLA/EDI night stops for an extra night at home, or the occasional trip originating/terminating there (which would ordinarily have a deadhead sector to LHR).
Joined: Dec 2021
Posts: 41
Likes: 0
From: earth
Based on what was said at a recent assessment day, a lot of type ratings are being done with L3 at Gatwick with some conversion sims back at BA afterwards.
Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 123
Likes: 9
From: UK
Possibly although I notice they’ve just extended both LH & SH recruitment for another month. They clearly aren’t getting the numbers they need.
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 233
Likes: 13
From: Somewhere
Many, many commute from Scotland, especially given the frequency of flights from GLA/EDI and even NCL. Very common on both SH and LH.
SH you have the added advantage of being able to bid for GLA/EDI night stops for an extra night at home, or the occasional trip originating/terminating there (which would ordinarily have a deadhead sector to LHR).
SH you have the added advantage of being able to bid for GLA/EDI night stops for an extra night at home, or the occasional trip originating/terminating there (which would ordinarily have a deadhead sector to LHR).
I would treat any potential pay negotiations with a huge dollop of salt. BA still has a huge industrial relations problem with its pilots it just doesn’t see the need to fix. They don’t want to pay us, simple as that. Our laughable bonus system negotiated this time around has the company needing to make something like a 16% margin just for us to get a measley couple of grand. As long as we have people doing overtime trips just for the allowances (yes this happens) they will not feel any need to remunerate more.
Joined: Apr 2024
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
From: UK
Hi everyone. Can anybody give me an indication on what a typical roster is like for a low seniority FO on the 777? Also in terms of annual leave, are there any months that are quite hard to get leave in? Is it possible to get a long block of leave in a row? 2-3 weeks for example. Many thanks in advance.
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 183
Likes: 41
From: UK
Hi everyone. Can anybody give me an indication on what a typical roster is like for a low seniority FO on the 777? Also in terms of annual leave, are there any months that are quite hard to get leave in? Is it possible to get a long block of leave in a row? 2-3 weeks for example. Many thanks in advance.
Leave yes you can put your annual leave together to make a 2 week block which becomes 21 days with wrap days. Even longer is possible with duty free week or other tricks.
Joined: Apr 2024
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
From: UK
Have a look at my old posts on this thread but briefly an average full time month would be around 3x 3day trips plus 2x 4day trips. With either 2 or 3 days off between. Working most weekends.
Leave yes you can put your annual leave together to make a 2 week block which becomes 21 days with wrap days. Even longer is possible with duty free week or other tricks.
Leave yes you can put your annual leave together to make a 2 week block which becomes 21 days with wrap days. Even longer is possible with duty free week or other tricks.
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 183
Likes: 41
From: UK
Joined: Apr 2024
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
From: UK
Leave is allocated by a points system. Low points for popular times (xmas, summer holidays) through to high points for unpopular periods (eg november). Iirc the points aggregate over a rolling 8 years so in your first few years you'll not get much in peak times but after a while you've got just as much a shot as anyone else.
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 233
Likes: 13
From: Somewhere
Definitely true for long haul where the demographic is a bit different but during my time on short haul I never failed to get peak summer leave right from the very beginning. I’m guessing because it was generally younger pilots without families in the main who were motivated to avoid going on leave when it’s school holidays or were trying to build points etc. Christmas was another story though.
Two words. Absolutely brutal. I’d try to sugarcoat it but anyone would tell you the exact same (as evidenced above). Best bet if you can afford it would be trying to get 75% straight off the bat.
Two words. Absolutely brutal. I’d try to sugarcoat it but anyone would tell you the exact same (as evidenced above). Best bet if you can afford it would be trying to get 75% straight off the bat.
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 954
Likes: 64
From: england
There is also the ability to ask for parental leave during the year if you can’t get the leave that you wanted. As long as you get in early, or are prepared to be waitlisted until CAP set the month before, you usually get it. Normally, BA are more than happy to get a pesky pilot off the books for a few weeks , even during peak holiday months. I usually managed 2 weeks parental leave in July or Aug .
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 183
Likes: 41
From: UK
It used to be really difficult to drop a trip over a weekend though I've managed it. The system has recently improved a bit though, which should make it easier to drop trips.