British Airways Direct Entry Pilot
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If you work overtime (more than 85 hours) in a month, are those hours banked so you can essentially drop trips in future months? How easy is it to drop a weekend shift for example?
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.
They are pretty popular especially with the pilots near Gatwick. I've had my share of MCO, DOH and JFK all from gatwick without even bidding for them though. Anything nicer like UVF MRU PUJ though youll not see unless you swap or get called on reserve.
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Depending on the type of overtime it is either banked hours to drop trips later (this is if you are rostered above cap or swap for a higher credit trip with another pilot). Or it can be payable as cash (if you take a trip that the company needs someone for in your days off, or trade up to a longer trip then the difference is payable).
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.
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.
Judging by May 777 rosters the first person I’ve seen on iBid who has got more than one full weekend off (excluding Part Time weeks or leave/duty free week) sits at just over 2700 on the MSL. That’s getting on for ten years of service and even then, it seems to be a bit of an anomaly. The first sniffs of a full weekend clear of work start appearing at my sort of seniority which is about a year after that sort of date of joining (or roughly 60% on the P77L list). Manage your expectations with achieving a full weekend, if you clear early on a Saturday that basically counts as far as I’m concerned. Likewise if you report late on a Sunday.
Ever so sorry just seen you said SH. Based on my unscientific eyeball method I would say roughly the same sort of point on P32L so between 60-70% on the list. Obviously that will happen way faster on SH, if it carries on like it is at the moment that might only be 18 months or less.
Ever so sorry just seen you said SH. Based on my unscientific eyeball method I would say roughly the same sort of point on P32L so between 60-70% on the list. Obviously that will happen way faster on SH, if it carries on like it is at the moment that might only be 18 months or less.
Last edited by Plastic787; 10th Apr 2024 at 12:57.
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Judging by May 777 rosters the first person I’ve seen on ibid who has got more than one full weekend off (excluding Part Time weeks or leave/duty free week) sits at just over 2700 on the MSL. That’s getting on for ten years of service and even then, it seems to be a bit of an anomaly. The first sniffs of a full weekend clear of work start appearing at my sort of seniority which is about a year after that sort of date of joining. Manage your expectations with achieving a full weekend, if you clear early on a Saturday that basically counts as far as I’m concerned. Likewise if you report late on a Sunday.
Bit of a contentious issue actually - SH recently saw the introduction of 2 weekend days clear for all pilots in a full month, reduced to 1 or 0 if you have less available days on your roster (leave, part time etc) days are not necessarily together, just two individual days, so even at the bottom of the list in a fully available month you'll get those two days. a move in a good direction, however it does seem to have resulted in everyone in the bottom c.70% of the status working 3 weekends i.e even at 30% on the list, people are only getting one weekend off each month. which is way less good for obvious reasons. used to be able to get more weekend time off way lower on the list than that.
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Bit of a contentious issue actually - SH recently saw the introduction of 2 weekend days clear for all pilots in a full month, reduced to 1 or 0 if you have less available days on your roster (leave, part time etc) days are not necessarily together, just two individual days, so even at the bottom of the list in a fully available month you'll get those two days. a move in a good direction, however it does seem to have resulted in everyone in the bottom c.70% of the status working 3 weekends i.e even at 30% on the list, people are only getting one weekend off each month. which is way less good for obvious reasons. used to be able to get more weekend time off way lower on the list than that.
I think the bigger issue is that getting to 40% is fairly quick relatively speaking but the next section is far slower because those at the top of the airbus have often chosen to stay put, so there aren't as many going off to LH from that group. Not quite sure how you fix it but you'd think generally speaking those in the middle section should be able to get 2 weekends off, but it doesnt seem to be happening.
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I think the bigger issue is that getting to 40% is fairly quick relatively speaking but the next section is far slower because those at the top of the airbus have often chosen to stay put, so there aren't as many going off to LH from that group. Not quite sure how you fix it but you'd think generally speaking those in the middle section should be able to get 2 weekends off, but it doesnt seem to be happening.
also to clarify, I assume when we talk about at 40% seniority we mean 60% off the top?
1% = top of the list, been here the longest, 100% = newest person on the fleet bottom of the list. so 40% has been here a good while - probably c.5 years on SH airbus?
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May not be exactly 30% and there will be exceptions (if you bid for reserve that may get you an extra weekend) but yes, those roughly 30-40% are very often getting just 1 weekend off still
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An example, a Captain on the A320 who joined 20 years ago is probably still only 40-45% on the list. If they then move to a LH fleet, they very likely drop back to the bottom of the list, or there abouts.
The biggest drop off is the guys near the top of the P77L list taking their command and going from their pick of five day Punta Canas and Cape Towns etc to then slogging it out to the east coast five times a month, with some carry out. Friend of mine is about to do this and I continually ask him if it’s worth it, you can certainly see why some people choose to stay put.
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