Are you suggesting that the business may be at risk because of what has been happening?

I don’t think he’s suggesting that at all. I took it to mean that in light of current events prospective joiners should be fully aware of what sort of “organisation” they are trying to get into.

Thanks. Yes absolutely. I certainly hope a solution can be found soon...not good for anyone.

They are still working on the manpower plan for next year so unlikely to hear anything yet. Expect to get three months notice pretty much on the dot if you are slated for January.

When did these offers go out?

and for which fleet(s)?!

Definitely do not just gloss over the warning I posted further up the thread. The behaviour from management has been utterly disgusting and I’m now ashamed to be a part of this airline. Management in the desert couldn’t even hope to exceed some of the abhorrent things that have been happening. You are not escaping that kind of culture by coming to BA, in fact it may be out of the frying pan into the fire considering your salary for enduring such things will be considerably less. Make no mistake, British Airways with the incumbent management is a horrible place to work.

What is going on at BA. I always thought that they were THE airline to work for?

Is someone inside BA able to clarify the requirements to upgrade to the left seat SH? I have been through most of this thread and I understand you require seniority, but I’ve also seen reference to hours too. Some posters seem to suggest a figure of 3000 - is this hours or number of the seniority list, or both?

If you joined today what would be an approximate seniority number?

That’s hours. Not sure of the exact number but sounds about right. I’m terms of seniority I wouldn’t worry about that as Gatwick commands have gone right to the bottom of the list, you’d probably get an OK bid in the first window.

I keep posting this right now but it’s very, very important. Be fundamentally aware that this company is absolutely toxic and the atmosphere poisonous. It’s going to take a hell of a lot to fix this after the dispute has ended and it’s difficult to imagine how it could ever happen absent a complete change at the top and also a complete overhaul of flight ops management. If we lose this dispute then 2 crew three day West Coast slipping in an airport hotel are next on the agenda. Not only does it point to absolute exhaustion and hellish rosters for any junior FOs on Long Haul (not to mention the rest of us!) but you also have to think of the amount of pilots BA can get rid of if they’re only using 2 crew on many of the LH routes. Does that fill you with confidence being #4500 on the MSL? It’s vitally important to think about this bit before you take the plunge.

I joined BA and throughly regret it now. I would urge extreme caution to anybody thinking of joining right now at the very least. If you want my honest opinion I would say run a mile. If you’re getting a quick command and doing the hours then buggering off somewhere else quickly then that’s just about the only justification to join this outfit right now IMVHO.

Certainly a wise aviator considering his/her options and BA should recognise that the future shape of any agreements regarding commands, command upgrades, aspirational bidding between fleets and seats and a thousand and one other things such as rostering, hotels, etc. is completely dependent on the outcome of the current dispute.

Where are you planning to go?

I think the only option right now is to take the LHS at Gatwick, get the hours and go somewhere else as DEC ASAP. Personally I’d go back to easyJet or just do China for ten years. Trouble is in the light of current events that might become a very popular course of action and hence the seniority for Gatwick command less easily achievable.

Thanks for this. So how does the bidding work? Is it open for a set period once a year or something like that? I have plenty of hours, but need to decide if it’s worth the gamble and not to mention the prep for the NASA computer assessment.

P.S. no rose tinted glasses here. Thank you for your honesty.

I have to agree with all the comments made about the BA management culture above. I wanted to add a word of warning for people reading this thread from continental Europe and willing to commute : be aware that BA is pretty much an anti-commuter company. They will treat you as a child and dig up into your commuting habits (if they believe you have arrived at Heathrow in the evening too late before an early report the next day, you’ll get a phone call). If you are unlucky and the flight you are commuting on is cancelled for any reason and you miss your report, they will have a go at you (which is very much unfair - what’s the difference between a commuter missing report due to cancelled flight VS a local pilot missing report due to an accident on the motorway...). As a result, most commuters would rather call sick rather than phoning ops to let them know they will be late for report due to an issue with their commuting flight... Add to that management of fear the whole Brexit disaster and the uncertainties it creates for non-UK citizen and now you know why I can’t wait to find a job elsewhere!

Class Clown Cruz has told The Training Department to reduce ‘its simulator footprint’
Klaus addressed Standards Training Captains meeting and told them they are placing too much emphasis on safety.
These are very worrying statements.

The same Klaus who failed his 787 proficiency check? 😂

Any new on when to expect sim dates to become available?

That’s not really true though, is it? BA have a number of pilots who commute from as far away as Australia, South Africa, and the West Coast of Canada and the USA. Plus very many other countries. Many union reps do! Provided they are sensible, there isn’t really a problem. Comparing those travel arrangements to people who commute by car is also a bit lop-sided. Those who commute by air, generally do so almost exclusively facilitated by British Airways themselves. These arrangements leave a footprint, easily audited by BA. Indeed not doing so, may lead to BA leaving themselves open to criticism. Is it any surprise in the post Colgan world, that BA occasionally peruse a small sample of employees’ arrangements? Of course all employees should never forget they work for a London based airline.

Incidentally. I thought the rumour was that recruitment is being significantly scaled back for 2020, and potentially beyond. Make of that what you will.

Does anyone know how much truth there is in this? Or about the implications for those of us currently in the SH holdpool? Last update I had was to expect Jan/Feb start.

So not at all to do with the fact that your own national flag carrier were recruiting from non KLM Flight School then?

Toolonginthisjob stop trying to defend BA on this issue. Colgan Air for starters had virtually nothing to do with commuting, as an ex Dash 8 Pilot and having read the report it is pretty clear what happened. Two unfit pilots (both reported to work unfit through illness rather than fatigue - you can hear them coughing and spluttering on the CVR) and both less than competent aviators (not my opinion look at the training record of the Captain prior to the accident) managed to react completely inappropriately to a stall warning that was set at an artificially high speed. In addition to the captain pulling back on the stick in response to a stall warning (huh?) the First Officer inexplicably decided out of nowhere to dump the flaps at the same time as the nose high attitude.

Why the hell should a short commuting flight (by which I’m talking one of an hour or so) be included in the FTL’s for the duty in question? You’re a passenger and you’re not part of the operating crew, sitting there as pax is far less tiring than doing the equivalent time on a motorway as a driver which many people do every day. I fail to see the distinction here as to why one activity has to be factored into FTL’s but one doesn’t despite being scientifically more tiring.

Anyway we’re rehashing old ground. I just wanted to put the record straight as regards to Colgan because the commuting thing gets trotted out every time we talk about that accident but it wasn’t contributory.

Very sadly, a few BA pilots were taking the proverbial, when it came to commuting by air. This was often brought to BA’s attention by the operating crew of the miscreants commuting flight. BA have the ability to monitor the arrangements of people who’s travel BA themselves facilitate. Indeed, they may be deemed negligent if they do not. So on occasion (once?) BA have sampled a few colleagues’ arrangements. A mere phone call, if necessary, is the only result.

Rex Banner. I’m not defending BA. I’m ‘defending’ safety. Some of the stories of which I am aware, were blatant, arrogant and outrageous!

It’s often the case that a few, spoil things for the many. But here we are!

I think the sampling is now planned to be done at the very least on an annual basis, and TBH being risk averse I've assumed for a while now it's an ongoing process and arranged my travel accordingly.

As for your second point - I have been led to believe that for a small number of our colleagues the result was more than just a phone call.

Fundamentally anyone who flies into LGW/LHR prior to duty ( on the day or even the day before) shouldn't be surprised if their travel arrangements and their rest arrangements are scrutinised by the company.