It’s hard to give you a ‘typical’ roster because it depends on what you bid for. You’re more likely to get trips with 6 sectors over 2 days with a layover (2 day six) and low credit day trips (usually short there and backs) but if you bid for them you could get the less popular standovers (long layovers with a clear day).

What you’ll likely never see are full weekends off, decent high credit 1 sector out, 1 sector home trips like CAI, ATH, TBS or the nicer/higher credit standovers in NAP, NCE and MXP unless you get lucky on reserve. High credit day trips are also very popular (think long two sectors to the Greek Islands & Cyprus).

You can still build a decent, comfortable roster towards the bottom once you figure out what you enjoy doing, and the beauty of shorthaul is the seniority list moves very quickly, so you won’t be stuck there forever.

When applying for direct entry into Long Haul, does a successful applicant have any opportunity to express a preference for a particular fleet?

Among the Long Haul fleets, which is generally considered the most desirable in terms of lifestyle—specifically regarding route network and time spent at the bottom of the seniority list?

Thank you in advance for your time.

Thanks for the information! It's appreciated cheers

If you pass all the stages, an offer will be made for a particular fleet. It’s up to you if you want to accept that one, you only get two chances to turn it down. I will say, at BA, seniority is king (credit is queen!) With the changes coming this winter to long haul rosters, life at the bottom should not be as tough as it has been.

What I've gathered so far:

B777/A350 - worst fleets to be junior on due to an excessive seniority gradient .. the 777 is worse due to the sheer amount of low credit trips
A380 - not the worst, the route network is so limited you're bound to end up with "senior" trips .. someone has to do them!
B787 - arguably the best balance between being junior and still getting decent trips, because the fleet has so much good stuff.

Due to the recently announced 1 year rostering trial, (and the BA offer to pay hotels for back to back trips if you waive rest, plus now guaranteed 3 days off after a 3 day trip) it's quite possible that senior pilots may now actually bid to do the previously "undesired" low credit trips. So all the above may turn on its head, particularly on the 777. We've to wait and see but I wouldn't let that prevent an application.

Thank you, exactly the info I was after.

Safe flying.

Recent changes that are even luring some short haul pilots across…:E

Good good, maybe they will finally call me out of that hold pool :D

if you get hotel for back to back trips, how many guaranteed days off do you get aftwards? 3 or 6?

With the new rostering tweaks, 6.

Just to clarify that you only get a free hotel if you are constructing what we call an EASA back to back which is one where the EASA (CAA now i guess!) rules dictate 2LN (local nights) rest. This is legally limited to one per month and you MUST stay in the hotel, even if you live locally.

You can also construct 0LN back to backs by putting a trip with a small time zone change (eg CPT, DOH, ABV) before any other trip. You can do this as often as you like and you can sleep at home if you fancy, but it doesn't come with free hotel.

The 6 days off following will apply to an EASA back to back but (as far as I can see) it wouldn't apply to a 0LN back to back as you have to waive industrial rest to construct one at the rostering stage.

I’ve been retired a while now but my top tip would be to develop a desire to “get up early” I found that most of my colleagues like a lie in so I used to bid for a line ( or combination of flights with JSS ) with the most early starts. Didn’t fly in the dark very often, no traffic on my commute to LHR, A/C always waiting for me and already de-iced in the winter months, usually done and dusted by about 16:00 even after three or four sectors. Given a choice between rolling out of their pit at 04:00 or “nice” destination most would choose “pillow time” 😊 Not everyone’s cup of tea but it worked for me

Capacity Test
 

Hi, I’m hoping for some additional info on the BA Eagle Test, particularly the ROD/ROC calculations required please. I’d be really grateful if someone with experience of the test could drop me a DM. Many thanks

SFO
 

Quick question if I may….

Are there different ranks in the right seat? FO/SFO?
if so is it possible to join as an SFO on the long haul fleet?
The pay scales on PPJN just refer to “FO”.
Many thanks.

SFO is a title and that’s it. After 4 years in company.

Don't worry about getting bogged down in rate of descent calculations. All you are required to achieve is levels by a certain point not to reach x waypoint at z level. Just pick something that is guaranteed to do the job and move on. Is the best advice I could give to someone about to do this.

Does anyone have an insight on what the a350 junior roster is like?

Is there much overtime available?

as I’m type rated on the a320… are they likely to put me through a whole type rating or a CCQ?

Thanks

You will likely do a lot of standby blocks due to your juniority and reserve banding. As far as bidding, you will likely be globally constrained most months so will have little, if any control on your days off/ destinations. Junior trips are usually low credit/ 2 crew, but often include ACC, YYZ, PHL, NBO, DEL, BOM and DEN

Overtime is available at the moment, but is likely to reduce as the fleet meets its correct crewing levels. It’s harder to pick up overtime as a junior pilot as you will likely work more days during the month than a senior pilot.

CCQ almost certain

As a junior pilot, you’re likely to be getting lower credit 3 day trips, but those trips will have 3 days off after each one. You’ll be able to swap to any 4 day higher credit trips in opentime that you like, if they cover the days of your trip plus another day (either at the start or end). You would be giving yourself just 2 days off but in this way, I think junior pilots will actually be able to create themselves some quite nice rosters post roster production (as long as they keep an eye on EOT and are quick in trading, because lots of people will be doing this in my opinion). It may well be that in order to get them, you’ll have to just offset TASS and therefore not get paid anything extras, but you’ll be able to improve the quality/variety of your trips. (This is all just my prediction of how things are going to go, because we don’t actually start the new rule-set until October).

Have they ditched the SHL tests now as mentioned earlier on in the thread?