To tweet BA pilots that I earn less than the INCREASE they're demanding?

[CheapSeats]

I earn 18000 a year. BA pilots are asking for an increase of 20000 a year. Yeah I know about skills and responsibility blah blah blah but AIBU to be upset that my holiday might be ruined? They're bleating in the papers today that they're upset that they now only get to stay in 4 star hotels instead of 5.

FWIW..

For those who'd like to drive the train you can do this now at a lot of private railways. One here i had for a 60th birthday prezzie and it was super:) Not cheap but worth every penny and an ideal present for the man in your life or woman:)

nvr.org.uk/section.php/3/1/experiences

You can even get a flight expernce in a 737 simulator but this is far better and more fun:)

If you really really want to push the boat out here's the ulitmate flying experence an hour in a World War Two Spitfire flying from Duxford near Cambridge.

www.classic-wings.co.uk/fly-in-a-spitfire/#1488886205658-65b251a0-9ea5

Have a look at the video on the top of the site there seems to be some very happy guys there and one Gal, she's very pleased:)

Never mind that eyewatering fee;!

It's not envy, the OP is expressing frustration at someone in a more privileged position - whether that is the airline or the pilots - fucking up her one chance of a holiday. An entirely human reaction.

I'm driving to my holiday tomorrow, and I'd be fucked off if someone were staging a blockade on the motorway and I couldn't get there, whatever their cause or how much I might otherwise agree with it.

No, why can't they negotiate for the salary they feel they deserve? You should do the same.

Should have trained to be a pilot then.

Most commercial pilots in the US were trained by the military and then recertified for civil aviation. I always assumed that was true in other countries as well.

I would think so. I was talking to an ex-fighter pilot several years ago. They seem to have very short careers and he said he was pretty much an outlier as most transition to commercial airlines. I doubt much has changed in several years but maybe it has?

It makes sense as they are people who have already proved themselves as having decent nerves in hairy situations and working well under pressure, used to being away from home for really long stretches, and the bonus is they have operational skills that are transferable. If I was hiring I would take one of those over Joe Bloggs who had no previous flight experience other than an expensive course, simulators etc. Obviously they need to re-skill and certify for commercial though.

OP, if your maths, physics, ability to understand technical information, confidence, self discipline, mentality and general intelligence is up to it, why not retrain to be a pilot

Pilots are underpaid. It takes a lot of time and money to train to become a pilot, the level of skill involved to take off and land an aircraft safely is not to be sniffed at. In addition to that, pilots have to know how to get the plane out of potentially dangerous situations. The training is therefore ongoing, the hours unsociable, add in the risks to health of flying regularly, they are worth every penny of what they are demanding.

HoppingPavlova - do you really think the military produces enough pilots to form the majority of commercial airline pilots?! Dream on.

Still, I'm sure the UK armed forces would love to have that many fighter jets and pilots to work their way through.

HoppingPavlova - do you really think the military produces enough pilots to form the majority of commercial airline pilots?! Dream on.

No, I don’t and probably expressed it arse about face. I meant that, from what I was told, the majority of military pilots went on to commercial. Not that all commercial were ex-military. I still stand by favouring them for the job though over non-military background if it came down to it.

HoppingPavlova - yes, you are of course right that a lot of ex-military pilots go into commercial aviation when they leave the military. I've also known a few go into law (eg aviation or ship finance or litigation - some pilots, after all, trained with the Navy). Military aviation doesn't require exactly the same personality profile as the ideal commercial aviation pilot, but it certainly ticks a lot of boxes, given the proven flying ability!

YABU

There's a reason they want to stay in good hotels- they want a good night's rest and gym facilities and access to food so they're not eating crap fast food which is sometimes all that is available of they land at odd hours ( which is most of the time.)

I know a pilot,it cost an eye watering amount to train,he's away from his family for days on end and one of his biggest issues is of the company will put him them up in a decent hotel so he can get proper rest. The food budget they are given is laughable too, it doesn't even cover one meal.

So £20k is understandable imo.

I think it all depends what your job is! If you're also a pilot, YANBU. If you are anything less skilled or stressful than a pilot, YABU.

Not to mention... tbe pilot I know well is a smug git who would have such a laugh over getting a tweet like that.

A recruiter for a commercial airline once told me that there is one major drawback in recruiting those with military backgrounds - they tend to be risk takers. The recruitment process for commercial is strongly weighted towards those who are risk averse. For good reason. And so despite the excellent flying experience of ex military, those who had trained in a commercial flying school were, in general, preferred.

OP I'm guessing your work station looks like this (which is obviously something you can teach yourself) and you are responsible for 500 people a shift (and whomever is on the ground), your shift is anything up to 18 hours and afterwards you don't get to sleep in your own bed. If so then yes you deserve as much as a pilot is asking. So fight for it rather than racing everyone else to the bottom.

@VenusClapTrap

Your recruiter friend had absolutely no idea about how the military works. Safety is absolutely paramount. Ex mil pilots don't cut about trying to loop a 747 fgs. Sounds like a case of someone spouting crap rather than the actual truth. A lot of people do that about their jobs. Take it with a pinch of salt. It's not how aviation recruiters think at all.

I am happy to pay anyone who can remain calm and functional through this sort of thing just about anything:

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Airways_Flight_5390

At 08:33 (07:33 UTC) the plane had climbed through about 17,300 feet (5,300 m)[3] over Didcot, Oxfordshire, and the cabin crew were preparing for meal service. Flight attendant Nigel Ogden was entering the cockpit when there was a loud bang[4] and the cabin quickly filled with condensation. The left windscreen panel, on Lancaster's side of the flight deck, had separated from the forward fuselage; Lancaster was propelled out of his seat by the rushing air from the decompression and forced head first out of the flight deck. His knees were caught on the flight controls and his upper torso remained outside the aircraft, exposed to extreme wind and cold. The autopilot had disengaged, causing the plane to descend rapidly.[4] The flight deck door was blown inward onto the control console, blocking the throttle control (causing the aircraft to gain speed as it descended) and papers and debris blew into the flight deck from the passenger cabin. Ogden rushed to grab Lancaster's belt, while the other two flight attendants secured loose objects, reassured passengers, and instructed them to adopt brace positions in anticipation of an emergency landing.

The plane was not equipped with oxygen for everyone on board, so Atchison began a rapid emergency descent to reach an altitude with sufficient air pressure. He then re-engaged the autopilot and broadcast a distress call, but he was unable to hear the response from air traffic control because of wind noise; the difficulty in establishing two-way communication led to a delay in initiation of emergency procedures. Ogden, still holding on to Lancaster, was by now developing frostbite and exhaustion, so chief steward John Heward and flight attendant Simon Rogers took over the task of holding on to the captain.[5] By this time Lancaster had shifted several inches further outside and his head was repeatedly striking the side of the fuselage. The crew believed him to be dead, but Atchison told the others to keep hold of him because his body might fly into the left engine and damage it.

Just seriously, pay them all the money. With an extra bonus for the guy who got sucked out of the window, survived, and went back to work as a pilot

Also, YABU in blaming the pilots themselves, rather than their employers who won't pay them market rate in the first place. If the word strike has been mentioned it's because reasonable negotiations have broken down. I'd be amazed if on day one the pilots went the airlines and said, pay us more or we're striking. I'd happily pay a few more quid per flight to ensure a well-rested and properly paid person was driving the plane!

The recruitment process for commercial is strongly weighted towards those who are risk averse.

I have no idea how the recruitment works but I would think that there is a world of difference between being risk averse and taking very considered and educated risks that are likely to get you out of a stick situation as opposed to doing nothing would be preferred?

Strikers are the scum of the earth.

Holding businesses to ransom with blackmail. In a fair market if you don’t like the job then go elsewhere. If a job doesn’t exist that pays you £££££ for your skills then they aren’t worth what you think they are.

Strikers are the scum of the earth.

Holding businesses to ransom with blackmail

I'm not sure you fully understand what is going on.

Plane crashes are, thankfully, rare. That is in part because the people flying them are highly skilled

Not disputing the high standards of skill & training involved in flying, but the lack of crashes/accidents is more to do with the mechanics & avionics ground crew technicians than the pilots

Pilots nowadays have very little to do - they're there in case the auto systems fail

Strikers are the scum of the earth.

You Ok hun?