British Airways Direct Entry Pilot
Joined: May 1999
Posts: 241
Likes: 47
From: Runcorn,Cheshire,England
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 995
Likes: 100
From: Botswana
BA staff travel is absolutely woeful. Amateurish in the extreme compared to easyJet’s offering and we pay double the price for it too. Not to mention you’re in for a highly stressful experience if you try to travel anywhere from Gatwick where you aren’t allowed airside on a standby or bookable even if there’s a load of empty seats if you haven’t yet been confirmed. The ground crew there have the attitude that they “don’t do jumpseats”. Cue a mad dash through security at close out as you race to avoid being offloaded. Honestly it’s an insult that this is going on down there and not just on euroflyer flights, it’s mainline too.
Joined: Aug 2022
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 240
Likes: 152
From: Edinburgh
Dunno... I prefer my Ryanair roster to that one. 5 on 4 off is a huge draw to a lot of the capts. I sit next to that stay/come in from other airlines.
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 183
Likes: 41
From: UK
On the subject of staff travel, there have been a few improvements over the last year or two... which have had the consequence of making it more accessible to more staff and nominees, which has in turn made it harder for us to get on the flights.
These changes have included a 3rd nominee (up from 2), annual bookable tickets to staff shortly after joining (previously a 5 year wait) and being able to change nominees after just 3 months (down from 6 months).
I use staff travel a lot. Both on BA and other airlines. It's very far from perfect but for me it's still the single biggest perk of the job.
What staff travel at BA is NOT is a gauranteed way to get somewhere on a certain flight in a comfy seat.
What it IS is extremely flexible, fully refundable way of going places for cheap at short notice, so long as you are fine with making plan A, B, C and D and enjoy the chance to spend an unexpected night in a foreign land (ot at home) at your own expense.
Between me and my nominees we've made something like 32 sectors on seven airlines in the past year, nearly all long haul. We've been left behind on 7 of those sectors, and a few more times it's been very close. The level of stress really comes down to your own disposition, expectations, and planning.
Hopefully this gives you a flavour of what it's like.
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 995
Likes: 100
From: Botswana
easyJet staff ticket confirmed fare return to Europe? £37. BA standby? £75. easyjet will automatically confirm standby seats if their software calculates they won’t sell out, very often this happens prior to the day of travel. You can then use the easyjet app as normal and check in online, download your boarding pass etc.
BA has no facility to check in online on staff travel and use your BA app whatsoever, what they will do is leave you standing in a long queue at T5 for the staff travel desk even if there are seats (the use of the self service kiosks they trumpeted with great fanfare - lucky us - will only work if the flight is absolutely wide open) leaving you very often extremely close to missing conformance unless you discourteously push your way to the front of the queue, even if the captain has already authorised a JS for you.
BA at Gatwick will NOT let you airside AT ALL on staff travel unless you’ve had your seat confirmed. Surprise surprise easyJet standbys at the same airport you can proceed airside and wait at the gate. It’s honestly pathetic, please don’t defend the indefensible here, one is a far more professional proposition than the other but the one providing that superior product is a low cost carrier the other an alleged full service flag carrier. The roles are completely reversed here. Ask how often easyJet employees can change their nominees.
If you’re looking to join BA don’t expect much from the staff travel. Indeed many of my colleagues no longer even use it.
BA has no facility to check in online on staff travel and use your BA app whatsoever, what they will do is leave you standing in a long queue at T5 for the staff travel desk even if there are seats (the use of the self service kiosks they trumpeted with great fanfare - lucky us - will only work if the flight is absolutely wide open) leaving you very often extremely close to missing conformance unless you discourteously push your way to the front of the queue, even if the captain has already authorised a JS for you.
BA at Gatwick will NOT let you airside AT ALL on staff travel unless you’ve had your seat confirmed. Surprise surprise easyJet standbys at the same airport you can proceed airside and wait at the gate. It’s honestly pathetic, please don’t defend the indefensible here, one is a far more professional proposition than the other but the one providing that superior product is a low cost carrier the other an alleged full service flag carrier. The roles are completely reversed here. Ask how often easyJet employees can change their nominees.
If you’re looking to join BA don’t expect much from the staff travel. Indeed many of my colleagues no longer even use it.
Last edited by RexBanner; 6th November 2024 at 00:44.
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 1,832
Likes: 313
From: UK
I gave up on most staff travel years ago. But the BA offer is just woeful. EasyJet is far better. Even Loganair now switch you to firm 24 hours before if they don’t expect to be full, so you can check-in online and go to gate. So much less hassle for everyone - you can still be offloaded if something happens. Why BA can’t sort this is so poor.
Joined: Mar 2018
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 544
Likes: 110
From: U.K.
This isn't a problem for easyJet or Loganair.
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 182
Likes: 29
From: where I lay my hat
Still could create app boarding passes/QR codes to get to the gate (including if the seat isn't yet assigned). That's the way Ryanair ST works - and family have never not got on in about 50 flights, including full ones.
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 250
Likes: 14
From: UK
I gave up on most staff travel years ago. But the BA offer is just woeful. EasyJet is far better. Even Loganair now switch you to firm 24 hours before if they don’t expect to be full, so you can check-in online and go to gate. So much less hassle for everyone - you can still be offloaded if something happens. Why BA can’t sort this is so poor.
As mentioned I had back up plans. I wouldn’t staff travel to a destination with 1 flight every couple of days.
EasyJet is cheaper yes but I wouldn’t say way better. I used Easy for commuting for a month and got offloaded twice.
Joined: Jun 2014
Posts: 44
Likes: 0
From: Brasil
Hello guys,
just a quick question. Once you are hired to WB fleet, after some hoy many years came your upgrade? I mean, I go down to 320 as a captain at city flyer? What are the sequence and time approximately ? Thank you
just a quick question. Once you are hired to WB fleet, after some hoy many years came your upgrade? I mean, I go down to 320 as a captain at city flyer? What are the sequence and time approximately ? Thank you
Joined: Mar 2024
Posts: 7
Likes: 8
From: UK
I gave up on most staff travel years ago. But the BA offer is just woeful. EasyJet is far better. Even Loganair now switch you to firm 24 hours before if they don’t expect to be full, so you can check-in online and go to gate. So much less hassle for everyone - you can still be offloaded if something happens. Why BA can’t sort this is so poor.
If you need to go Riga to Ohrid then I bet Ryanair staff travel can’t be beaten! Go for it!
But last time I checked Ryanair slots in Hong Kong were limited and therein lies the problem.
If you are junior and want to go to Cape Town or Barbados in the school holidays to top up your Instagram it is simply not going to happen. If you have time on your side and are flexible with dates then you can probably enjoy checking into Club World or First 24 hours before departure and enjoying your body weight in booze before you push back.
Just be realistic. Do your time and the results will come. But don’t join for staff travel alone because you’ll be disappointed.
Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 183
Likes: 41
From: UK
If you want the A320 command faster it is best to get hired onto the A320 fleet not widebody.
City flyer is a different company flying embraers out of LCY airport. Their pilots aren't mixed in with BA and BAEF.
Guest
Joined: Jul 2018
Posts: 83
Likes: 10
From: Madrid
Hello all!
Looking to kick off my assessment for Direct Entry FO long haul, I've just been invited to do the video assessment. I see above there were a few DMs doing the rounds with all the gen, is anyone kind enough to share these?
Anything is helpful. I have bought LPJ etc but honestly they don't seem to match what I've read some of the guys here got.
Cheers!
Looking to kick off my assessment for Direct Entry FO long haul, I've just been invited to do the video assessment. I see above there were a few DMs doing the rounds with all the gen, is anyone kind enough to share these?
Anything is helpful. I have bought LPJ etc but honestly they don't seem to match what I've read some of the guys here got.
Cheers!
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 670
Likes: 11
From: Here and there
Hello all!
Looking to kick off my assessment for Direct Entry FO long haul, I've just been invited to do the video assessment. I see above there were a few DMs doing the rounds with all the gen, is anyone kind enough to share these?
Anything is helpful. I have bought LPJ etc but honestly they don't seem to match what I've read some of the guys here got.
Cheers!
Looking to kick off my assessment for Direct Entry FO long haul, I've just been invited to do the video assessment. I see above there were a few DMs doing the rounds with all the gen, is anyone kind enough to share these?
Anything is helpful. I have bought LPJ etc but honestly they don't seem to match what I've read some of the guys here got.
Cheers!
info please.
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 387
Likes: 1
From: Centre of Universe
It should be obvious. the way the BA network works any delays/cancelations from LH or SH flights connecting to SH or LH flights with transiting PAX might need to be rebooked last minute so why would they voluntarily confirm seats for staff travelers?
This isn't a problem for easyJet or Loganair.
This isn't a problem for easyJet or Loganair.