British Airways Direct Entry Pilot


Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 14
Likes: 3
From: N/A
5.5k net as a y1 FO? That doesn't stack up with ppjn?
Joined: Dec 2023
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
From: London
5.5 K net seems on the high side - I'm year 10 in the company (380 SFO) and make on average about 6.5 K to 7 K a month, full time.
5.5 K net when you start is achieavable I guess but that's probably with quite a heavy roster
5.5 K net when you start is achieavable I guess but that's probably with quite a heavy roster

Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 250
Likes: 14
From: UK
Year 2 FO SH here.
Lowest take home after tax for me has been £3800 after tax. That was a month sat at home waiting for training to start.
Many variables in take home so hard to give a definitive answer.
First year at BA I was clearing around £5k a month.
Second year I have picked up a fair amount of overtime and with the increases throughout the year £6k after tax has been pretty much every month with some months closer to £7k after tax.
LH unsure on take home I will let someone else fill that gap in.
Lowest take home after tax for me has been £3800 after tax. That was a month sat at home waiting for training to start.
Many variables in take home so hard to give a definitive answer.
First year at BA I was clearing around £5k a month.
Second year I have picked up a fair amount of overtime and with the increases throughout the year £6k after tax has been pretty much every month with some months closer to £7k after tax.
LH unsure on take home I will let someone else fill that gap in.
I posted 10 pages ago what my take home has been for SH. LH add maybe £300-£500 more in take home.

Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 183
Likes: 41
From: UK
Basic (Y1 DEP) 73k
Pension @ 6% -4.5k
800hrs flight pay 15k
time away from base allowance between 6k (SH all daytrips) to 12.5k (LH)
Totals 89.5k to 96k gross
Plug that into a paye calculator and it spits out 5200 to 5500 a month.
Pension @ 6% -4.5k
800hrs flight pay 15k
time away from base allowance between 6k (SH all daytrips) to 12.5k (LH)
Totals 89.5k to 96k gross
Plug that into a paye calculator and it spits out 5200 to 5500 a month.

Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 183
Likes: 41
From: UK
If anyone could kindly share to me in PM a 777 roster and a 787 roster as a new FO? Maybe even year 1 total pay per month? Trying to work out if I should jump ship from my current airline... basic salary alone looks like I'm taking a payout, but not sure how the rest factors in... thank you all in advance
Something like 3x3day trips with 2 pilots (East coast USA, middle east, africa) and 2x4 day trips with 3 pilots somewhere a bit further like India or West Coast usa.
Working nearly every weekend.
2 days off between trips with 3 days off occasionally.
Work on that basis and you won't be too far off reality.
As alluded to above, 8-10 years to start to get some control is realistic.


Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 14
Likes: 3
From: N/A
Does anyone have anything to say about EF? Y1 FO earnings and roster?

Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 183
Likes: 41
From: UK
Basic 65.5k
Less 6% pension -3.5k
800hrs 11k
subsistance 3.5k
total 76.5k
Pop that into a paye calculator tells me £4600/m net

Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 183
Likes: 41
From: UK

Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 995
Likes: 100
From: Botswana
which are not going to be real terms pay rises. The last pay deal was excruciatingly bad. The most important thing surveyed prior to negotiations was consolidated pay, what did we get? A scheduling bonanza and the vast majority of any payrise being applied to the non consolidated and non guaranteed variable elements. FML.

Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 183
Likes: 41
From: UK
which are not going to be real terms pay rises. The last pay deal was excruciatingly bad. The most important thing surveyed prior to negotiations was consolidated pay, what did we get? A scheduling bonanza and the vast majority of any payrise being applied to the non consolidated and non guaranteed variable elements. FML.

Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 995
Likes: 100
From: Botswana
No absolutely but my comment was designed to give full disclosure at just what pathetic pay deals the poster is likely to expect with as weak a union as Balpa in BA and as stingy an employer as BA/IAG.

Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 183
Likes: 41
From: UK

Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 898
Likes: 73
From: UK
In my opinion. BALPA reps always aim to negotiate what they think they can sell - nothing more and nothing less. If they can’t sell it, it’s bad for the business, but if they can easily sell it, it is also bad for the business. That’s BA’s thinking and therefore it is also BALPA’s thinking every time. In fact this is the reason they don’t especially mind when people leave the union - fewer remaining members to vote against their deals, which makes them even easier to sell.
So how did they sell such a bad pay deal this time, at a period in time which was clearly going to be BA’s most profitable in its entire history? They applied a clever tactic by saying they know it is bad but we’re helping out the junior folk with the increased flying pay supplement, so if you don’t vote for it, you are hurting your junior colleagues. The funny thing is, many of the junior pilots saw how bad it was and didn’t want it either, but they were out voted by people who were told they were being altruistic, and who generally vote as recommended by the union regardless of the deal.
We will never have strong union representation. The pilots pay a huge amount of money to have the illusion of union representation. It makes the majority feel better somehow - like they have some control over their destiny, but in reality they do not.
So how did they sell such a bad pay deal this time, at a period in time which was clearly going to be BA’s most profitable in its entire history? They applied a clever tactic by saying they know it is bad but we’re helping out the junior folk with the increased flying pay supplement, so if you don’t vote for it, you are hurting your junior colleagues. The funny thing is, many of the junior pilots saw how bad it was and didn’t want it either, but they were out voted by people who were told they were being altruistic, and who generally vote as recommended by the union regardless of the deal.
We will never have strong union representation. The pilots pay a huge amount of money to have the illusion of union representation. It makes the majority feel better somehow - like they have some control over their destiny, but in reality they do not.

Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 6,726
Likes: 103
From: The Winchester
Busdriver01:
“Those same junior pilots who were disproportionately 'advantaged' by a higher overall % in pay increase are disproportionately *disadvantaged* if they ever need to take time off work to call sick, unfit, fatigued, compassionate leave, bereavement leave, heck even annual leave weeks make a SERIOUS hit in take home pay for that month”
Interesting to hear that.
I’m only watching from the sidelines these days but as I recall it for many years the BA BALPA line was to try and get as much as possible into fixed pay and avoid too much going into the variable side of the pay packet.
The philosophy has obviously changed.
“Those same junior pilots who were disproportionately 'advantaged' by a higher overall % in pay increase are disproportionately *disadvantaged* if they ever need to take time off work to call sick, unfit, fatigued, compassionate leave, bereavement leave, heck even annual leave weeks make a SERIOUS hit in take home pay for that month”
Interesting to hear that.
I’m only watching from the sidelines these days but as I recall it for many years the BA BALPA line was to try and get as much as possible into fixed pay and avoid too much going into the variable side of the pay packet.
The philosophy has obviously changed.



