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Originally Posted by Jock Trapped
(Post 10422904)
Could I ask about reserve months? I read somewhere here that they include 7 days in a row free of duty? Obviously that would include a weekend. Can you bid for reserve or is it just allocated to you from time to time? You bid for reserve but there's an associated points system and also tier/banding system tied into time in the company so your "time to time" can be fairly often though you can't be "assigned" (i.e. forced) to do two reserves in consecutive months. As hunterboy has correctly pointed out if you live within 2 hours of the airport Reserve can work to your advantage if you are prepared to live with a bit of uncertainty. |
Originally Posted by AIMINGHIGH123
(Post 10423302)
We were told at a BA presentation that it takes about 7 years seniority to get at least 1 weekend day of regularly. I'm looking right now at some Longhaul (very new) DEP rosters ( middle 4000 seniority) and FWIW there are a few some with single weekend days off (i.e; the Saturday or the Sunday completely clear)..but certainly not many, and there a lot of rosters where every weekend day of the month (April)is touched by work. There are very very few who can guarantee regularly getting a particular specific weekend day off, to do that on a regular basis you need to be extremely senior (left or right seat). That was certainly the case under Bidline and looks like being the case underJSS. ..and it is tough on family life, hence the attractiveness of the various part time contracts |
Originally Posted by wiggy
(Post 10423316)
..and it is tough on family life, hence the attractiveness of the various part time contracts Does anyone know how accommodating BA are wrt parental leave, not for a new born, but the gov’t allocation of unpaid weeks upto 18yrs old. Thinking using that, along with reserve, leave, and an understanding other half may all make the move manageable re lifestyle. |
When I was at BA you had to complete 12 months’ service before parental leave was an option. Then, you could email them and they’d email back with dates available for your fleet / seat. They were accommodating in so far as they have to offer it but not so accommodating with regards to when it was available. Ultimately family life was unmanageable for me as a junior longhaul FO who lived more than 2 hrs from LHR. |
Originally Posted by AIMINGHIGH123
(Post 10423302)
We were told at a BA presentation that it takes about 7 years seniority to get at least 1 weekend day of regularly. The first 3-4 years very unlikely to get a full weekend off. The pilots were quite honest showed us loads of rosters. If you have a young family with partner working as well it won’t be easy. As mentioned, as a junior bod you should be able to get a Saturday or a Sunday most months. What you won’t be able to guarantee is a specific one. You may be able to be a bit picky about specific midweek days (probably not a Friday) but that’s about it. In short, if you need specific weekend days off - especially if it’s every month - you will not be able to achieve them at BA, irrespective of fleet, until you have been in for several years. |
Originally Posted by Tay Cough
(Post 10423441)
As mentioned, as a junior bod you should be able to get a Saturday or a Sunday most months.
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I’ve been in 8 years. I regularly get at least one of the weekend days off a month. Either by landing early on a Saturday and subsequently having the Sunday off, or departing on a Sunday, therefore getting the Saturday off. I honestly don’t specifically bit for that, it’s just how it seems to work out. Don’t forget a lot of guys don’t care about working weekends. Everyone has different ideas of what is good or not. Spending a Saturday night in Accra could be for you! Dont forget we we do have our six golden days per year. These are days on a first come first served basis where you bid for a specific 1-2 days off. Seniority doesn’t come into it. I am LH, and I can’t speak for SH, as I left that a few years ago. I don’t recall it being too bad though. No ideas under JSS. At LGW there are other ways of getting out of duties and swapping stuff with those in charge in the office, as long as you were reasonable and flexible. :} |
I get the impression that the issue that might be raising eyebrows for some at the moment is the difficulty (or not) in getting a specific day off on a regular basis, perhaps to tie in with domestic issues such as a partner's working arrangements or children's activities..
I'm inclined to say it can't be done without going part time, but as you say the newly introduced Golden Days might provide a solution 6 days of the year. |
JSS is terrible at the bottom. I essentially bid for all work, anything, everything but please limit my day trip to 4 or less. Result.....fall back and 14, possibly 15 reports to LHR. I live well within the required 90 minutes but that is more than 1 and a half days driving! There are some benefits to JSS but the protections and inhibitors need adjusting. As has been mentioned weekend work is not a issue. Has anyone actually tried to go anywhere at the weekend? Nightmare! Give me a week day off most of the time thanks |
The vast majority of the most junior Capts and FOs are doing plenty of 2 - 5 day tours though, so its something in your bid that's putting you in fallback not a fundamental result of JSS.
By limiting JSS even in your lowest BG to 4 day trips in a month on a short haul fleet you are seriously harming JSSs ability to create a roster. Surely it would be better gradually relaxing that limit and not going into fallback and at least getting some of what you want? |
I wouldnt have thought that requesting a maximum of 4 day trips in a month to be unreasonable ?, especially for some one who is perhaps a commuter or someone who just prefers night stops and doesnt mind where / when / with whom ? I agree JSS just doesnt work when your near the bottom ( by near I mean less than 50%)
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Originally Posted by red9
(Post 10424619)
I wouldnt have thought that requesting a maximum of 4 day trips in a month to be unreasonable ?, especially for some one who is perhaps a commuter or someone who just prefers night stops and doesnt mind where / when / with whom ? I agree JSS just doesnt work when your near the bottom ( by near I mean less than 50%)
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Its not a bidding issue 100% guarantee. Even the JSS trainers are powerless to help. It’s a JSS issue
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Are you in the ex bmi bubble? Could have something to do with it
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:ugh: It may have a lot to do with it. Is it different? |
Originally Posted by bex88
(Post 10424872)
:ugh: It may have a lot to do with it. Is it different? |
I think as your group is 1/3 the size of the other pool it leads to reduced satisfaction towards the bottom of the list. Especially as each group has to whittle down to only one trip per day leftover on global constraints. That, combined with the lack of movement up the list for eternity, were the shocking outcomes of your former colleagues volunteering you under the bus at the last zipper vote. |
Minimal days off on weekends for junior pilots seems to be a very prevalent theme.
So the only realistic expectation for weekends off are going to those that have been booked through "Gold" days and leave. What is the leave allowance? Is it based on seniority or is it points based depending on what leave you had the previous year (Peak summer/Christmas ect.)? Thanks. |
Just been invited to an assessment , but now after reading this thread I'm not sure anymore..
nothing mentioned yet about paying for type rating, and I need to fund my own airfare and accommodation, for an airline with 3 daily flight from my city...... |
As far as Parental leave goes, BA are pretty accommodating as long as you aren’t for school holidays off. As you can imagine, there is a waitlist for the public/school holiday periods, but outside that, you’d stand a pretty good chance . I believe you can only use 4 weeks a year per child though? |
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