British Airways Direct Entry Pilot
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 107
Likes: 1
From: Dublin
Yes BA has always had approval to sponsor work visas but only recently have they been in a position to actually need to do it, so it is relatively new still.
DEC at LGW/EF would be above the threshold and now with the latest payrise also FO at LHR.
DEC at LGW/EF would be above the threshold and now with the latest payrise also FO at LHR.
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 22
Likes: 2
From: UK
It might be a good idea here to just give potential joiners a quick rundown of our rostering system, JSS.
Each month the company lists all the trips for a full month. P777 its normally around 1500 or so trips to be shared among the 600ish copilots on the fleet. We then have a few days to put together our bids. This is currently happening now, for March rosters.
You can make up to 15 "bid groups".
In each bid group you have 7 buckets to fill with the trips, using a sequence of commands. Ultimately you can differentiate between the trips however you like... Mondays, report after 11.45am, Caribbean, BA283 on Wednesday, long layovers in Mauritius, anything you like right down to a certain flight number on a certain date.
The 7 buckets range from what JSS will try to give you lots of if it can, down to what it will try to avoid giving you, if it can. You can leave any trips you really dont want outside by not putting them in any bucket at all, and JSS won't even look at those trips for you.
But if it doesn't have enough work to build you a roster, that Bid Group will fail and it'll move onto the next Bid Group.
After it has made a roster for everyone, if it has too many leftover trips, JSS will open up rosters from the bottom up to squeeze more trips onto your month. It'll still try to give you what you've asked for but really all bets are off. This is called Global Constraints and has recently gone all the way to the top of the list causing much frustration.
On a practical level, i find as junior P777 i can't get any particular day off im after, but if i give it 20 destinations i like, it might give me one or two from that list. The rest will be from the lower buckets.
For March, I've tried to get a certain Wed/Thu off for childcare. Then I've tried to get the following weekend off. Then ive tried to avoid JKF EWR ORD. Then I've listed 23 places I like in the top 3 buckets (of approx 45 destinations on the fleet). I'll update here the result if anyone's interested.
Apologies if this post is seen as a bit off piste. But bidding and rostering is such a big part of life at BA I think it probably warrants a discussion...
Each month the company lists all the trips for a full month. P777 its normally around 1500 or so trips to be shared among the 600ish copilots on the fleet. We then have a few days to put together our bids. This is currently happening now, for March rosters.
You can make up to 15 "bid groups".
In each bid group you have 7 buckets to fill with the trips, using a sequence of commands. Ultimately you can differentiate between the trips however you like... Mondays, report after 11.45am, Caribbean, BA283 on Wednesday, long layovers in Mauritius, anything you like right down to a certain flight number on a certain date.
The 7 buckets range from what JSS will try to give you lots of if it can, down to what it will try to avoid giving you, if it can. You can leave any trips you really dont want outside by not putting them in any bucket at all, and JSS won't even look at those trips for you.
But if it doesn't have enough work to build you a roster, that Bid Group will fail and it'll move onto the next Bid Group.
After it has made a roster for everyone, if it has too many leftover trips, JSS will open up rosters from the bottom up to squeeze more trips onto your month. It'll still try to give you what you've asked for but really all bets are off. This is called Global Constraints and has recently gone all the way to the top of the list causing much frustration.
On a practical level, i find as junior P777 i can't get any particular day off im after, but if i give it 20 destinations i like, it might give me one or two from that list. The rest will be from the lower buckets.
For March, I've tried to get a certain Wed/Thu off for childcare. Then I've tried to get the following weekend off. Then ive tried to avoid JKF EWR ORD. Then I've listed 23 places I like in the top 3 buckets (of approx 45 destinations on the fleet). I'll update here the result if anyone's interested.
Apologies if this post is seen as a bit off piste. But bidding and rostering is such a big part of life at BA I think it probably warrants a discussion...
How did it turn out to be? Are you able to get a certain 2 or 3 days off in a row that you want? Even if it’s not weekends.
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 183
Likes: 41
From: UK
I got just one trip from my top 23 destinations. But I successfully avoided JFK ORD EWR.
I ended up swapping two of the trips to awesome places, and had a great time on every single trip.
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 22
Likes: 2
From: UK
Looking back at that roster- I was successful in getting the Wed/Thu off I needed. However I didn't get the weekend off. In fact I didn't get any weekend off!
I got just one trip from my top 23 destinations. But I successfully avoided JFK ORD EWR.
I ended up swapping two of the trips to awesome places, and had a great time on every single trip.
I got just one trip from my top 23 destinations. But I successfully avoided JFK ORD EWR.
I ended up swapping two of the trips to awesome places, and had a great time on every single trip.
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 112
Likes: 7
From: Neverland
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 239
Likes: 0
From: FL370
It's happened in previous years, but as far as I know there hasn't been an offer of a secondment in 2024. I'm an A320 skipper at LHR and we're desperately short up here at the moment.
Joined: Feb 2020
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
From: South
Commuting
Evening,
I am currently considering the move to join direct entry LH.
Does anyone have any experience of the time frame required to get a part time option?
It would require commuting on a short flight for each trip therefore not achievable on a full time 777 roster for a prolonged period.
Many thanks
I am currently considering the move to join direct entry LH.
Does anyone have any experience of the time frame required to get a part time option?
It would require commuting on a short flight for each trip therefore not achievable on a full time 777 roster for a prolonged period.
Many thanks
Joined: Mar 2018
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 544
Likes: 110
From: U.K.
Evening,
I am currently considering the move to join direct entry LH.
Does anyone have any experience of the time frame required to get a part time option?
It would require commuting on a short flight for each trip therefore not achievable on a full time 777 roster for a prolonged period.
Many thanks
I am currently considering the move to join direct entry LH.
Does anyone have any experience of the time frame required to get a part time option?
It would require commuting on a short flight for each trip therefore not achievable on a full time 777 roster for a prolonged period.
Many thanks
Joined: Mar 2010
Aviation Qualifications: ATP+Mil
Posts: 343
Likes: 65
From: St. John's Wood
Joined: Apr 2024
Posts: 13
Likes: 2
From: Italy
Hello everyone,
sorry if the topic has been discussed.
Has any non UK citizen have experience on how it works applying outside the UK and get a working visa?
Is it possible as EU member? Does BA help you at the moment?
Thank you
sorry if the topic has been discussed.
Has any non UK citizen have experience on how it works applying outside the UK and get a working visa?
Is it possible as EU member? Does BA help you at the moment?
Thank you
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 995
Likes: 100
From: Botswana
99.9% of Captains are absolutely onside when it comes to authorising jumpseats, however despite the pain that the new(ish) jumpseat authorisation form causes and undoubtedly is. Alternatively book your hotlines far enough in advance and tactically and most of the time you won’t even have to worry about contacting them as you’ll be confirmed anyway. Let’s not make commuting into more of an issue here than it really is in practicality. At least MAN has a Cat III ILS!!
If only. Standbys are at cost and double the price of an easyJet confirmed staff travel fare. Is it any wonder most BA Pilots don’t feel valued when a LCC has a far better staff travel proposition? (Amongst many, many other issues).
If only. Standbys are at cost and double the price of an easyJet confirmed staff travel fare. Is it any wonder most BA Pilots don’t feel valued when a LCC has a far better staff travel proposition? (Amongst many, many other issues).
Last edited by RexBanner; 5th August 2024 at 08:15.
Joined: Jan 2020
Posts: 63
Likes: 3
From: Here and there
a page or two above this topic was discussed and I was given some link to check the possibilities and rumors.
Joined: Jan 2020
Posts: 63
Likes: 3
From: Here and there
Commuting and Staff travel
Normally I am considering to move my life completely to LHR if get the SH position but in long term 5-10 years with seniority plus maybe LH combined with 75% I was going to move to a warmer climate. If jumpseats and/or staff travel is a pain well it will be very difficult for me to consider living until retirement under English weather.
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 107
Likes: 1
From: Dublin
So yes it should be possible, but I believe you have to be in the process of converting your licence to UK CAA (if you don’t already hold one).
Lifted from job description below:
hold a current UK issued CAA ATPL(A) Flight Crew Licence with Class 1 medical or have already initiated the process to convert licence to a UK issued CAA ATPL(A) and will have before joining
Joined: Apr 2024
Posts: 13
Likes: 2
From: Italy
BA have said they’re willing to arrange working visas (believe EU/non-EU doesn’t really make a difference post-brexit) however I haven’t actually seen or heard of anyone who’s gone through the process yet - may be as it’s a recent change and it likely takes longer.
So yes it should be possible, but I believe you have to be in the process of converting your licence to UK CAA (if you don’t already hold one).
Lifted from job description below:
hold a current UK issued CAA ATPL(A) Flight Crew Licence with Class 1 medical or have already initiated the process to convert licence to a UK issued CAA ATPL(A) and will have before joining
So yes it should be possible, but I believe you have to be in the process of converting your licence to UK CAA (if you don’t already hold one).
Lifted from job description below:
hold a current UK issued CAA ATPL(A) Flight Crew Licence with Class 1 medical or have already initiated the process to convert licence to a UK issued CAA ATPL(A) and will have before joining
Thank you again for the info
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 22
Likes: 2
From: UK
If given a choice nowadays I would not be touching the 777 with the biggest bargepole known to man. The benefit of joining SH is your relative seniority will rise much faster than it will on the triple and you won’t have to watch yourself stagnate (and in some cases go backwards) in five to six years time when all the unfrozen people who joined the company on the Airbus ahead of you all slot into your seat.
I would definitely choose your example over six night Atlantic crossings a month coming home to be a complete zombie for your minimum days off. Workload is high on all fleets but the 777 is particularly bad and not glamorous at all at that end of the status list.
I would definitely choose your example over six night Atlantic crossings a month coming home to be a complete zombie for your minimum days off. Workload is high on all fleets but the 777 is particularly bad and not glamorous at all at that end of the status list.
And a general question. Would choosing to take up options such as training co-pilot or recruitment pilot reduce the number of trips?