British Airways cabin crew meet today to decide whether to strike in protest against the changes BA plans to make.
Having taken two long-haul flights in the last two days, I’ve been able to talk to a few of them, and the atmosphere is mixed.
A few are angry about the changes, others told me they accepted change must come. Still others are leaving the job altogether.
On my flight this morning it was principally women who were leaving. One had three more flights to go; another was on her very last flight. They had each done more than a dozen years in the job. One will become a primary school teacher.
It is still a remarkably good airline. And, of course, the best-kept secret is that despite its appalling launch, Terminal 5 is now one of the best airport facilities anywhere in the world.
Commentsoldest first
Sorry, Jon. This story is piffling compared to the scandal of Labour’s deliberate open-door immigration scandal designed to ‘rub diversity in the faces of the right’ (Andrew Neathers) Why on earth aren’t you covering this act of treason?
I agree about BA being one of the best carriers in the world Jon but what I don’t agree with, is T5. Don’t get me wrong, they did do a very good job but they could have made it even better by making it more user friendly for the elderly and disabled. I hope BA staff don’t strike because i’m due to fly with them soon and always feel the value for money.
Did you fly business? I bet you flew economy…
adzmundo CND
Never mind this! What about Labour’s deliberate open-door immigration policy which ‘rubbed diversity in the faces of the right’? Investigate that, Jon!
less staff.. does that mean less flights.? Does that mean greener?
Could be a very important blog.
I’d be more impressed by the need for changes at Post Office and BA etc etc if occasionally the cull started at director level. How come they always need as many directors and non execs but can cut back on front line staff?
I phoned a couple of Dentists today.
Both Receptionists had a posh Conservative voice and I rather assumed that the £250 to fix my broken tooth would be subsidising the Receptionists Merc/BMW which is parked alongside the Dentists Bentley…
All I really want is my tooth fixed properly and at an affordable price. I don’t want to pay through the nose for other peoples fabulous lifestyles.
The same principle holds with BA and its cabin crew. I’m not saying BA should downsize and dumb-down in order to be the next Ryanair, but it doesn’t need to be quite as “superior”, “posh” and “snooty” as it currently is.
It just needs to be practical and fit for purpose.
The cutbacks look sensible to me…
What is a conservative voice? Someone who talks clearly and distinct so that they can be understood when you phone. Is BA being superior because it offers a service.I have never noticed them as superior, posh or snooty, but if that is ones opinion of conservatives god help us and protect us from the alternatives
Having left BA two years ago, after 10 years as crew, I experience a wave of relief that I’m no longer working for BA. In my view Cabin Crew community have for a very long time accepted that changes must be made and they have been very flexible to achieve those changes. BA management’s option, however, tends to be to impose changes on staff rather than negotiation. BA culture does not know the meaning of two-way-communication and cabincrew have simply lost all faith in BA management.
The average pay of crew seems to be misleadingly reported. According to the BBC average crew pay is 29 000 pa. This figure actually includes flight allowances, which, of course, are not the same as salary. BA also seems to include Pursers’ and Cabin Service Directors’ pay in the average amount they release to the media – this obviously distorts it. I, for one, never earned £29 000 in my 10 years as crew.
I have used BA and EasyJet for many years as a business traveller. I prefer EasyJet, they are more reliable and better value. If BA staff do not want to compete in the market then I wish them luck, but the fact is they are no longer the world’s favourite airline, and they are about to demonstrate their real feelings for their customers and their real thoughts about service.
as an ex seafarer who went through cuts in the merchant navy am amazed to see BA has taken so many years to get to grips with staffing levels and conditions.The trolly dollys should get real …take a look at Ryanair that is what is going to happen and why not? Funny its still the “scouse” gang who represent the unions with their thick ignorant unreal aspirations, they the union officials are only interested in their own power. I saw all this posturing when sealink went to the wall. Just let the airline staff live in the real world and wake up they have unreal attitudes to their value in the commercial world.
Without a doubt BA are a company that we should be very proud of. As a flagship carrier they are a brand known throughout the world for providing a fantastic service. Unfortunately, all the airlines are facing massive financial burdens and challenges and BA are no exception. However, all the new measures that Mr Walsh plans to implement are only new to the crew at Heathrow. The working conditions and pay structures at Gatwick for crew who work longer hours with less breaks for the same company on the same routes, are immensly different. The Heathrow crew will still be enjoying much better conditions than the Gatwick crew currently do even after these plans are implemented.
Many of the agreements which constitute the BA cabin crew way of life were agreed,jointly,many years ago.Many of these agreements were forged with the advent of the arrival of the B747,particularly the long range variant.BA agreed to what is known as the long range agreement after lengthy and in depth discussions.It suited them at the time and long range flying incurring a 16 or 17 hour duty day began.Studies aimed at determining the effect on long range flying,cosmic radiation etc,have to this day been ,shall we say kept quiet.A succession of BA CEOs have attempted,or threatened to attack these agreements despite wholeheartedly embracing them some years ago.It is the employees at BA that have made it the great airline that it is.All the more satisfying that they have succeeded against a background of management hell bent on destruction.Sadly Mr Walsh doesnt want premium standards from a proud and motivated workforce.Aligning yourself too closely to the lovely Mr O Leary ,may Mr Walsh,credit you with the downfall of one of the few remaining “products”of which this country may be proud.
Clive i back you wholeheartedly.It is as if the blog team support government policy and dare not challenge it,
On BA as with the postmen it seems like turkeys voting for christmas
wake up trolly dollies
cruise ship waiters earn 38 dollars a month the rest is made up of a proportion of the onboard sales…dont cry they are also responsible for passenger safety…as you are.. As a small BA shareholder I wish Willy Walsh would get to grips with u lot to join the real world.
Quite – BA should, indeed, focus on protecting the share holders’ investment rather than “Trolly Dollies’” right to minimum wage! Since BA’s sales onboard are limited to duty free, they might break the magical 50 dollars a month with your proposal. To achieve this “entrance into real world”, BA might need to stop recruiting people with qualifications and language skills, but those are really an unnecessary extra, right? And due to the wage issue, they’d have to register the airline outside UK, but I’m sure these are just practical issues most people would have no issue with as long as the share holders’ dividends are secured.
Leave a comment
* Required field.