You've got the published top pay points but yes there are a few pay point caps which can possibly be triggered if you stuff up, are unlucky/careless with your bidding/unambitious.....

With the caveat that the rules keep changing, pay scales are alll over the place and therefore I'm very open to correction the last time I looked any LHR based SFO, regardless of fleet, who doesn't bid for all available commands and as a result ends up remaining in the Right Hand seat stays frozen/capped at PP18.

A few points:

LGW SH was in difficulty a few years ago but is now expanding, so ignore comments about being brave and going to LGW.

It is not all about braid but given that the pension scheme is a DC system, the earlier you get to the LHS the more you will retire with. LGW commands are significantly more junior that LHR. You can be retired for a long time, why live on less in retirement?

Being junior using Carmen at LGW gives you more control over your life than being junior on a BL, and therefore just being rostered at LHR.

If the offer is an earlier course at LGW that at LHR, remember that at BA seniority is king and the best advice is to take the early number rather than wait for the LHR or LH course. recruitment requirements change, waiting may well leave you in the pool without a job offer at all.

Good luck to all trying to get in.

Does the 5-year "freeze" apply to transfers between LHR/LGW Airbus fleets? Ie, if you start RHS at Gatwick can you switch over the LHR after a couple of years?

Out of interest how long does it normal take to hear back? I did the morning slot yesterday (Friday), haven't heard anything so far. Just wondering if it's still the same as it was a few years ago whereby you get a call same day if you've been successful, or an email a few days later if not. Not panicking yet though, hoping for some good news early next week.

Everyone at BA was extremely friendly and helpful, and they were excellent at putting all of us at ease on the day. It was a very pleasant experience.

I would allow a few more days before even beginning to wonder why you haven't heard. I heard in 2 days after Day 1.

Everyone starts with an equipment freeze, and everyone starts with a five year engagement freeze as well.

In essence, you could start on the Airbus at either base, and bid to move to the other but it's entirely dependent on vacancies at either. The engagement freeze means you could be directed to either at the whim of the company, and have to comply.

I stand by my comment. Having seen how out stations were dealt with during the Bmi integration it's a risk. Seniority meant nothing as it can be challenged, geographical cannot and this is why all out station pilots were put on redundancy notice.

Seniority means everything until someone has the brass to challenge it.

LGW seems to be doing rather well at the moment.

bex

In BA, you don't only have bases to worry about. If your analysis was accurate, you'd also have to worry about individual fleets too. (there are currently at least 7, shortly to be 8 in BA!) Never mind the SH/LH - BEA/BOAC divide!!

Remember, you aren't truly paranoid if they really ARE all out to get you!!!:}

If you want to play the paranoia game, I would worry about the future for BA SH ops. they are too expensive when measured against another IAG SH operation, namely Vueling. How long will the board accept this money losing situation? Why not replace BA SH with cheaper, more efficient Vueling?

You can play this game till you go mad.

Why look at Vueling. Much cheaper version just down the road at London City. Why do you think everyone is running West bound? it's certainly not for the short walk from the car park!!

AGAIN!!!!! The scope agreement! Do any of you actually work for BA?

Or has BALPA rolled over and the Scope agreement consigned to history???

time lapse
 

For those who made day 2 If successful in day 1 how long is it before you get day 2 scheduled?

trying to arrange days off etc.m

Thanks

Jet Set Willie

I've told you before, you talk utter :mad:! The last time was when you said A318 pilots don't fly the A321, and are restricted in the European flying they can do????:rolleyes:

Can someone inform me as to how soon after day one successful candidates can expect the day two interview? Is it likely to be the very next day or is this unusual?

Thanks!!

Hi,

When I received the invitation all the slots had been booked, around 5 days later new slots arrived and the total time between day 1 and 2 was a little over a month.

Good luck!

Anyone who did day 1 last week had anything back?

Flyboy146-
Was in mid-week and haven't heard anything yet-I imagine it will be early next week.

I went through stage one a couple of weeks back. Took three working days to hear the good news.

Congrats EMB-145LR! I know you have been trying for awhile. Gives the rest of us who have been trying for awhile hope. Will be interesting to see if you get allotted LH or SH.

Thanks Iver, unfortunately I'm not at the offer stage quite yet. Just passed day one, in for day two very soon.

Good luck! If BA does not work, at least you could apply to the well-paying majors in the States. I met a retired Delta Captain visiting the UK recently and he said his son made roughly $200K last year as a Delta MD88/90 FO with some overtime flying (green slips). At least you have options. Good luck!

Thanks Iver. You're absolutely right. The prospects at the majors on this side of the Atlantic are extremely good at the moment. It's very refreshing to see things finally falling in the pilot's court.

Can anyone on the 320 at BA please help me out with what their roster was for say a random month last summer then a random one this winter?

I work for an airline where we have grey days, not days off but days where nothing is rostered. IE a rostered day off is protected, so that if you land after midnight, you cannot have a day off that following day. I assumed this was pretty standard among the non-loco airlines, do BA have protections on their days off?

So when you guys say 5 on 2 off etc, are you at work every day on?

Can anyone kindly post a (say JULY & DEC) roster that meets the target hours in full like this for example?

1 LHR-AGP-LHR-LBA (hotel)
2 LBA-LHR-PRG-LHR
3 LHR-CAG-LHR-AMS (hotel)
4 AMS-LHR-RAK (hotel)
5 RAK-LHR-NCL-LHR
6 OFF
7 OFF
8 OFF
9 LHR-CAI-LHR
10 ...
11 ...
12 blah blah blah
13
14
...


thanks for any help, really appreciate it.

Hi all,

Out of interest does anyone know:

1. if based at LHR, how many nights per month on average would you expect to spend at the hotel away from your base? I understand it depends on your biddings and seniority, but how would it typically look like for a new joiner on the 320?

2. how many legs per day do you fly as a junior on SH with almost no control on your roster?
how busy can you expect to be? how many hours/y.?

Thanks a lot

Just to add to the last two questions:

How long can a new joiner on the a320 expect to wait before going long haul preferably on 777 fleet?

Lead.

This month

5 on 2 off, 6 on 3 off, 6 on 4 off. All working days. 17 days in a shorter month. In the summer it was similar but 19-20 days work. TASS or grey days as you call them evaporated with the shortage of 320 guys.

Generally three day tours made up of 3 sectors (hotel) day 2, 2 sectors (hotel) day 3, 3 sectors (home). Two day tours are 3 sectors day one and two. There are some long two sector day trips which tend to be senior and 4 sector days which tend to be junior.

Engagement freeze is 5 years on type. You will likely have to wait longer to get onto a LH fleet. At the moment the wait is around 6 years but the situation changes regularly. You may even get a move before the 5 year freeze is up. The 777 is becoming the fleet to be on due route network, and hence the preference of senior F/Os moving across from the 747, so it could be a longer wait if that is your chosen posting.

If you join on SH you will work hard - my figures for days off are similar to Bex. I'm working as hard as I did at ezy, if not harder if you count total hours at work. Nightstops vary with seniority. New joiners will be on blind lines, often these will comprise 3-4 day trips working weekends, with a few day trips thrown in. SH is no picnic and gets worse by the year, once EASA FTLs arrive things will get really fun.

All that said, still a good contract, still a decent career to be had. There isn't much better out there, as long as you count patience as a virtue and don't mind wearing a silly hat ;)

Thanks all

April Start Date
 

Hi All,

Trying to find course mates.

Can anyone with an April start date PM me! Cheers!

The guys on long haul, 777, 747. Are your trips mostly one local night bullets? Or do you get some 2 or 3 night layovers?

Cheers

Over the years (747,777) single nights are increasingly the norm unless:
Either of the sectors demands two local nights (i.e.long range stuff..and who knows how that will work once EASA is implemented on long haul)
...or there's a grandfather agreement still in place (the almost legendary west coast agreement that covers LAX and SFO but not SEA...and again ditto regarding EASA),
..or if there isn't a daily service - often happens when a new route is introduced.

Worse case I personally experienced a long time back as a junior captain and trip line holder on the 747 was 5 single night stop eastern seaboards in a calendar month....(4 of which were JFK. I actually like New York but even I have my limits.) I'm not suggesting that's the norm or even frequent but I'd suggest junior guys onto the 747 are going to be doing a lot of single nighters unless they can pick up a long range trip in a seeded blind line or are prepared to go places where you don't want to spend more than 24 hours!!

Hi wiggy.
Have you given much thought to how the proposed new Bidline system will affect the allocation of trips? It could see a very significant change to the system we know?

Hi

TBH I'm still at the 'N' stage of 'NUTA' when it comes to the new Bidline:8

I suspect one of our other regular contributors might hopefully have some educated views on the subject....

I am lucky enough to have just landed in the holding pool. Does anyone have any idea when the June courses are being released? I believe most the May courses have been allocated with lots of guys going A320.

Does anyone know how far through the '300 pilots required for 2015' we are?

If the rumours are right then I think we are a way off finding the 311 that Crystal says we need. Third hand info but Iberia pilots have said there could be an option for them to join BA with the option of a return to IB. As I said though third hand and unverified source. The crux would be that recruiting 300 is going to take a long time and certainly all year to get online. CAP is at 92hrs in March so we are short

Hi,

Anyone in the sim on March 4th, drop me a PM.


P.s During our lunch chat we were told there were around 150 through the door so far this year.

Not strictly true, maybe more detail of your concerns required Rudder.
Maybe not for the guys that stack their work to one side, ignore FRM and enjoy nice runs of days off however...Works both ways surely?

I can't believe how stupid some people are by posting dates they are either in the sim or at an interview, day 1 etc etc

Have BA management been offering yearly RPI pay increases? Better than, worse than RPI?