How about the current A320 recruitment drive?! Any news?

I am led to believe that some of those who have recently drowned in the pool have been offered 76 or 74 places. This at the same time as BA are directing some 76 guys to the bus. You couldn't make it up!!! There could be trouble ahead..

As the BA recruitment manager does occasionaly monitor this thread perhaps he would care to update one and all on what's going on. Pretty please......

I fell out of the holdpool first week of Jan 2013. Non airbus rated and I've heard nothing.

Is there some kind of company criteria that you only could have drowned within the last year to be eligible for a call/email as the stuff you had then may have had only partially gone?

All I've heard from friends on various fleets is that bid line is getting the blame from management for being under under crewed and that the recent drive for bus pilots has fallen quite short for those with the right stuff.

Drowned middle of last year. After the initial low period I accepted the fact that BA were adamant that the 18 months holding period was finite. The news today, although completely unconfirmed, is a bit annoying to say the least. Although i like to think the guys within pilot recruitment, who I was told had been pushing for our retention,have won a minor battle over the guys in HR. I accept this may merely be rumour, however considering the difficulties BA appear to be having with current crewing levels anything's possible. Plus there were around a dozen guys taken at the turn of the year who I presume had been drowned in the pool

Are pilot's still going to be based at either LHR or LGW? If you're looking for rostering efficiency, surely dual-basing is an attractive option now the fleet is standardised? It's already done on the 777 IIRC..

Non rated recruitment
 

Any possibility of opening the Non Rated recruitment in the near future?

Callsign Kilo

I too drowned around a year ago. I promise you, this is not a rumour. One of our fellow drowned swimmers (non bus rated) is starting in October on the bus. 100% definite.

By your question I assume you mean two seperate bases? I assume so, LGW operates different payscales, pay caps and rostering systems on the 737 which I believe will continue when the fleet has transitioned to Airbus. There was initially a dual basing system as the LHR airbus crews would often cover work at Gatwick however, as the Airbus fleet grows at LGW that will decline.

The 777 is a different story as the fleet is 'run' from LHR with LHR flight crew but LGWcabin crew as I don't believe there is enough work, aircraft or F/C willingness to operate LH under Gatwick rules/rostering to justify a Gatwick base per se.

As stated above that is my opinion, I'm sure anyone from the Airbus fleet could possibly correct or corroborate the above. :}

Didn't hear about the 744 or 767, but heard it was going to be for the 787. All due to training capacity and manning levels on SH.

Good rumour, however it seems to have been confirmed that all recruitment will be onto the A320, and in all likelihood with a LGW base.
There may be some movement onto the 747, but it will be internal only.

Is the LGW deal a hangover from the Dan Air operation?
Those old 737-400s are from that era I think.

No they are BA standard 734s from Heathrow - I used to fly them back in the 1990's :hmm:

The LGW working arrangements and contracts originated in the Dan-Air take over but the equipment and those contracts etc now are very different. Essentially everyone at LGW is paid the same as their LHR counterparts, but with different, lower pay caps. Rostering is different there being no Bidline at LGW. IF the new rostering system adopted at LHR turns out to be Bid Trip then it is highly likely that this would also be brought into LGW, bringing the T&Cs at the two bases closer together, though the pay caps would still be lower at LGW.

As the change of fleets at LGW continues there willl be some "Schedule K" work at LGW - essentially LHR pilots operating at LGW but on constructed Bidline trips at LGW, this includes hotac at LGW as dual basing is not allowed. All 777 work at LGW is done by LHR based pilots under Bidline, there is no 777 base for pilots at LGW nor is there any intent for that to change.

I find the complexity baffling. Perhaps the military phrase "all of one Company" needs to be explored by BA Management. Unless of course they prefer "divide and conquer"?

For two bases 50 miles apart, you couldn't make it up. It is a legacy of Dan Air, but that's over 20 years ago.

Either way, it should be apparent to all that BA is moving into the 21st century, and it won't be for the benefit of flightcrew. Still one of the best places to be for many in the UK imho.

I think it's THE best place to work in the UK but this is dependant upon your seniority number and the fleet you're on. You're not joining the BA of yesteryear any longer, nor will you ever.

I agree it's the best place in the UK, but you need to see a flying career as very different to 20 years ago with a different calibre of people.

...I suspect you're right FANS, but prospective employees also now need to know that it's also now an airline where management cannot actually deliver pivotal elements of agreed pay deals......

This is the Pilot Share Plan that was much vaunted in 2009, even making it into the papers, which was to provide an executive reward which recognises the miracles we do everyday to save the reputation of this company in a tax efficient way. The sort of scheme that senior managers take for granted.

On Friday, IAG said that we're not worthy of such recognition and tore up the agreement. In just the same way that they're about to tear up the rest of our agreements on rostering and hotel accommodation and everything else we value.

Just so's you know what you're letting yourself in for.

"the Pilot Share Plan that was much vaunted in 2009, even making it into the papers......"

For those that are perplexed as to what is being discussed:

Seems several years down the road BA have been told by someone in IAG that the shares are not going to be made available...in other words BA management made a promise they couldn't keep. Cash may now be offered by way of compensation but details/amounts are yet to be confirmed:

Couldn't have put it better myself.....