To think Bristish Airways paying a wage of £12'000 a year to new cabin crew is a disgrace

[jdoe8]

I don't blame the new requites for striking over this. My cleaner probably makes over double this and cabin crew do have to go through rigorous testing. It's a bit of a national disgrace IMO.

X BA crew here & as others has said yes the basic pay is low but once you take into account the flight allowances and commission it's not that bad.

For example when I left 6 years ago I was on around £9,000 basic but my final pay for that year before tax was about £22,000.

Crew who were on the old contract (pre 1995) were on £30,000 upwards. I believe some of the senior crew were paid more than an entry level First Officer.

Saying that around the time I left they introduced a new contract on a mixed fleet which I think is what the current union talk are focused on. They are on considerably less allowances than I was meaning the total take home pay was less.

BA no longer want crew who want to be in the job for life, they want young people who are going to join the company for a few years enjoy themselves and move onto something else.

I loved my job, went to some amazing places, made some great friends & fond memories. I didn't feel it was a job I could do with children as my DH also works away from home so stopped flying when I had DS. There are lots of crew who did have children and made it work with au pairs etc.

Just wanted to add, that most mortgage companies won't take into account flight allowances would only give you a mortgage on basic pay meaning trying to buy a property was nigh on impossible, especially if you were based in LHR/LGW.

Who do you think tried to save the life of Carrie Fisher when she had a heart attack on a plane?

Well the medically trained passengers for a start.

But they knew the salary when they took the job in the first place??
Plus, like many others have said, there are a lot of perks and extra allowances.

Yes they do know the basic salary when they start but like many here they are under the delusion that they can make it up with 'perks and expenses' but the reality I'm afraid is very different.

Champers things have changed a lot in the 6 years since you left I can assure you. Some months my relative took home £700 and on a good month is was rarely more than £1200. She would spend days on home standby - maybe two or three decent flights a month where she could actually clock up some additional £3 an hour. However, can I remind everyone - even a 20 hour stint is only £60 on top of basic. The rest would be Channel Islands and back twice, or Europe and back in a day, just an hour on the tarmac at the other end to restock and refuel and then home - it was like a 9 to 5.

The other thing is the constantly changing rostas. You have a timetable, your plan around it, you think you are going somewhere and then your roster is changed - and that is a regular occurrence.

Your opinion I respect as you've done it, but for all the others here - don't pontificate about it unless you know. I have first hand, very recent experience and I can tell you as jobs go, it is no longer one to aspire to, unless of course, you adore flying so much you would pay to do it, which is what a friend of ours who was cabin crew for 20 years told us. She loved it and was absolutely thrilled for my family member when she 'got through'. However, she was both disappointed and shocked when she saw how much things had changed since her day.

Yes, things have changed a lot in the last few years. A lot! Not much of it for the better.

I would prefer the people who have to assist / evacuate hundreds of possibly extremely agitated passengers in the event of a disaster to be paid somewhat more than 12k. Simple. Ignore the anecdotal evidence of those who " used to be" cabin crew. Things have moved on hugely - not in a good way.

Yes a total disgrace, particularly in light of the profits at the top. So many jobs are badly paid - particularly for those working in the care industry or childcare sector. #racetothebottom