O/T BA Employees

I was thinking similar Soap, I've a friend who works for Thompson and think she started on about 14k and was fully qualified within about 3 months.

But everyone should be entitled to a cost of living pay rise at least?!

I seriously doubt the cost of living had gone up this year.

not if the business is losing money tank.

especially for anyone who has taken advantage of lower VAT rates for larger occassional capital purchasers, where the prices are at the lowest they have been for some time in certain industries such as a new motor.

BA trying to cut costs .. reducing cabin crew from 15 to 14 .. get the impression this is part of the cause for the dispute

biggest airline catastrophe looming since the luftwaffe

out with the oldies making the noises, in with the yoof would be my business plan :D

BA trying to bring in trainees on lower starting pay another reason for strike

From what was said, the union seemed to have offered a pay cut over 2 years matching the one pilots took, but refused to accept 14 staff instead of 15 on longhaul flights.

But they lose any goodwill from the paycut gesture by completely fin people over at christmas. Really beggars belief that they could do that at this time.

And seriously the company has clearly lost fortunes over the last two years and some drastic action on costs is clearly necessary.

I would run flights and bring in uni students who need xmas funds.

Would snap their hands of if give them 30K per annum for 3 weeks graft.

BA lost £1,600,000 every day last year ... before tax!

BA are one of those airlines to avoid travelling with unless you ahve to. Their European routes are a bit cheaper than they used to be but still cost too much but their non-European routes are crazy prices.

All i want to know is whether they are still gona have a sale in january so i can buy cheap flights to vegas in may/june.

uh no way james. you ever flown long haul?

BA one of the top business class offerings. I've flown malaysian, ba, quantas and singapore in b/c and BA are the best of the lot by a mile.

Why would you possibly want to travel with them over Virgin?

Virgin is far better for less cash Dibs

BA isn't terrible, but I prefer Virgin too FWIW. Though my business class experience is pretty limited.

virgin don't do as many routes mate.

Just booked a flight with them today. not used them in years. In fact last fifty plus flights I have not used them once. I will be interested to see how they are nowadays, I stopped using them as they upset me a few times

Flight number BA0157
From Heathrow (London) Terminal 5
To Kuwait
Depart 2 Apr 2010 22:25
Arrive 3 Apr 2010 06:30
Class First
Operated by British Airways
Booking status Confirmed


Flight number BA0156
From Kuwait
To Heathrow (London)
Depart 23 Apr 2010 08:25
Arrive 23 Apr 2010 12:55
Class First
Operated by British Airways
Booking status Confirmed

so that choice isn't always available

I should correct myself as strictly speaking Virgin have no business class and only 1st class, however is correct to compare Virgin 1st v BA business from a price perspective as very similar.

Indeed Dibble, they do the Vegas route though ;) !!!

Virgin still have three classes. Upper economy can be compared to business class can it not? I believe british airways may even have four classes.

Yes BA have 4 but 1st is fortune. Price wise they are comparable economy v economy, premium v premium and BA business v Virgin 1st.

I don't travel in first class; all I know is that in standard class you get shocking service coupled with high prices.

lol indeed but i generally don't fly to vegas direct. i go via dallas to meet friends. just saying that BA are a maligned airline but i have never had anything other than excellent service.

I am going first class but its paid for by someone else. Not been first class on virgin but virgin is meant to be amazing. With a bar and beds.

I think they are fine also, just saying I much prefer Virgin.

This year I flew to Hong Kong (on route to Macau) and booked premium with BA and they gave me upgrade to business in both directions so postive experience.

ba has always been decent for me to be fair

How comes soap, frequent flier? Sometimes they have to upgrade just because they are overbooked!

Yes I think they were overbooked and indeed I have a frequent flyer card but I don't use them that much so unsure of selection process.

FWIW here is Virgin 1st that often has great offers on - pretty sure Pirus mentioned he had got flights last few years for less than £1500 return to Vegas.

http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/en/gb/whatsonboard/upperclass/index.jsp

I can vouch for Virgin upper class, loved the way you even got your own set of pyjamas, but suspect that thoise new Singapore Suites may be way better.

And the bar thing on virgin kind of clashes with the bed thing. And I certainly wouldn't book the seats next to it.

But everyone should be entitled to a cost of living pay rise at least?!

LOL. In the middle of the biggest recession for 60 years?

Plenty of people around the world have taken pay cuts in the last 12 months, either straight off their pay packet, or by becoming unemployed.

The only way company could consider a pay increase now would be if they were making a profit, seeing improved efficiency and/or the market rate for the job was way below par. Fail on all 3 for BA at the moment I think.

I flew to Oz recently on a new A380 with Emirates which was pretty awesome flight experience also. Also quite bizarre you can do toon to Oz in 1 stop and i struggle to get to Frankfurt with work in 1 stop sometimes !!!

Maybe one day I can afford virgin upper class myself! I have loads of airmiles to use still.

I only paid around £50 over premium economy return to go premium economy and come back upper class from New York. I'd recommend always checking for offers.

I think if crew members are being cut it is fair to strike. You are looking at experienced crews being phased out and reduced in size which is actually a safety issue. Would you rather have an experienced crew of 16 or a crew of 15 when half have little experience and a few are being trained. As it is the time crews have to rest between return flights has been reduced by 1 or 2 days to some destinations.

Think I seen on news that KLM operates same size flights with 13

Ah but KLM is pretty grim from memory. ;)

economy is similar to other airlines but indeed business is worse than competitors.

Not as grim as Iberia, which is who they are planning to merge with. IIRC you had to pay for the stale bread rolls and coffee. Grimmest by a mile has to be Continental, BA service looks positively generous and friendly in comparison.

Air France is good as is Swiss air.

Swiss Air went bust not long after 911: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swissair

and air france is truly shocking for anything over 2 hrs

Swiss air is caled soemthign else similar - is basically the same airline.

lol

it is SAirGroup which is in process of been liquidated!!

Air Cubana best - you can have a fag or cigar if you want.

My opinion:

BA - shoddy. Will never fly again if I can help it. Had unresolved issue mid flight and they can go feck themselves.

Virgin - you know what you get and it normally doesn't disappoint (well, when you get the old 747 with manky seats to Vegas it's a bit carp, but they are normally pretty good). Also stewardesses were ever so helpfull with one issue. Top marks.

Air France - puke. Yuk.

Cathay Pacific - very impressed. Was concerned about long haul in economy seats but they were very spacious and in flight entertainment by far the best (seat casing remained upright, but the cushioning moves forward and down to recline which means nobody bothers you when they put their chair back).

Continental/Delta/American Airline or Eagle - Oh dear.

Chilean national airline (CAP or something? too lazy to Google), but suprisingly pretty good and part of One World Alliance.

I have noticed now branson is getting older maybe he isnt so pervy. Cabin crew on Virgin all used to be so fit. Now so many mingers there.

Also stewardesses were ever so helpfull with one tissue.

Mile high tommy tank?

I have noticed now branson is getting older maybe he isnt so pervy

This is because as a new airline, you recruit young, good looking staff. You can't them sack them for getting old and wrinkly later, unless you close down and start again.

It's an unwritten policy, but Virgin cabin crew are not supposed to interrupt you if you want to join the Mile High Club in the toilets as Branson himself done it before he owned Virgin and happily admits it.

Flew virgin shortly after Randy Mandy got caught on BA. Before we took off, the steward announced that if anyone got caught on the flight, we would all give them a round of applause.

it is SAirGroup which is in process of been liquidated!!


Hopefully not before Sunday as I am flying with them.

i can say that i've flown aeroflot and survived!!

actually it was quite a decent service, english easier to understand than some ba announcements.