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.

The initial costs of learning to become a pilot are substantial & they are not eligible for career loans.

Isn’t that kind of the point OP is making? Most people couldn’t even think of getting that money together so most pilots will be from wealthy backgrounds to begin with.

And the OP, for reasons like all of us, probably doesn’t have the means to train to become a pilot.

Of course pilots deserve to earn a lot for the important job they do but not so much more nurses for example who also do an important job yet whose pay is pitiful.

It’s just another example of the jobs that men do being better paid than women’s jobs.

I’m not saying don’t give them more but there is a definite inequity there.

Pay them as much as they want.

If fares rise to pay for it, fewer will fly, and they'll lose their jobs!

When you have the education, spent your money in order to get on the training programme, dedicated your time and skill to the training and have successfully learnt to fly the plane and take on the responsibility of so many peoples lives in your hands, oh and you have done so for many years clocking up your flying time, along with the knowledge the job you are doing is probably going shorten your life expectancy and you will probably end up with an end of life illness to deal with then I will 100% support you in getting the same salary as other pilots.

I guess this is what the action is about. Their salaries are not seen as competitive now and their benefits of the job have been reduced.

I applaud them in ensuring they don’t have a reduction in their worth. We are all worthy, and deserving let’s not bring some people’s down in our entries envy

Entitled envy rather

Having been onboard a holiday jet when it crash landed, and jumped out of the emergency shoots not knowing whether my husband and eldest son had got out I can honestly say they earn every penny of what they’re paid. And then some.

That was rude Jaq but do the other 3,888 pilots in the fleet need to not get a pay rise?

While we’re debating what pilots earn and training costs can I ask you all to sign this petition about maternity pay for female commercial pilots

www.megaphone.org.uk/petitions/improve-maternity-pay-for-women-pilots#signature-form

Done

I have 2 pilots in the immediate family and one fleet engineer. Thankfully they’re nothing like Dusty and Bernie or the house would be a war zone.

@Nanamilly - I've a lot of respect for pilots, not a job I could do & I think they deserve to be paid well

What I have zero respect for is people who are abusive & offensive for no reason - repeatedly telling me to fuck off, piss off & calling me a liar. Not behaviour I'm a fan of tbh 😂

Why would I lie [about being an aircraft technician]?
*
Is this a serious question? I've no idea if you are lying or not, but people bullshit about all manner of things on internet discussion sites, for the attention, to annoy other people, to impress other people, or to try to win an argument.

If you are lying, it's presumably the last one.*

@BadLad - if I was in the business of making up a fantasy life I'd have picked a more glamorous job than ac tech

And if posters think I'm a lying little troll they should simply report me - I've been consistent on MN re my life, job etc for about a decade & a quick check by MNHQ would confirm this

@Nanamilly

have 2 pilots in the immediate family and one fleet engineer. Thankfully they’re nothing like Dusty and Bernie or the house would be a war zone

All I did was defend pilots when it was suggested all they did was 'monitor' and that the lack of crashes was due to ground crew. I pointed out, on more than one occasion, how common flight problem are and how the pilots are the ones who deal with that. Also at no point did I slate ground crew.

so most pilots will be from wealthy backgrounds to begin with.

Not entirely true - my DB isn't. He worked stupid hours in a factory to pay for his small airplane license, then managed to get a very competitive cadetship. He has fought bloody hard to get where his is.

BadLad - if I was in the business of making up a fantasy life I'd have picked a more glamorous job than ac tech

As I said, being a fantasist isn't the only reason people bullshit - often it's just to win an argument. On the 17 blue balls and 17 red balls thread a few years ago, two people with opposing viewpoints both claimed to be probability lecturers, to give their points of view more weight. It wasn't even a probability problem anyway - it was a logic problem, so they both ended up looking foolish.

People (not necessarily you) make up all kinds of things, from the outrageous to the mundane, for various reasons.

Sorry if I misread your tone, but you seemed surprised that anyone might not take your claim at face value.

BadLad - I see what you mean

I was taking the continual 'liar' accusations too personally with hindsight - I (obvs!) know I'm not a fantasist & always take other posters at face value as making up a persona isn't something I'd personally do (naive of me)

Out if interest (apols for brief derail) what was the red balls/blue balls problem
(Genuinely intrigued!)

For the record, I said you were either lying or arrogant enough to think you were better. It's not a point scoring exercise. I think I know which one it is now.

The fact that you said pilots simply 'monitored' most of the time displays a massive lack of knowledge, not even on the flight deck but before they even board the aircraft. You also said ground crew were responsible for the lack of crashes; with seemingly no awareness of the regular occurrences in the air that pilots have to deal with. Your continued argument for ground crew isn't wrong, but it also isn't what I said. I was not dismissing the engineers in any way. I was simply making people who think flying an aircraft is akin to flying a plane aware that it's nothing like it. I have the greatest respect for both pilots AND all the engineers etc that work tirelessly in the aircraft.

You also asked if I had an aviation background. The reason I declined to answer was the 17 ball thing.

Akin to DRIVING A BUS

Here you go

www.glassdoor.co.uk/Interview/You-have-17-red-and-17-blue-balls-and-you-remove-2-at-a-time-If-the-two-are-the-same-colour-add-in-one-extra-blue-ball-QTN_717735.htm

Typically a career in aviation was only possible for those from wealthy backgrounds but that’s no longer the case. When my DH trained & like a PP mentioned, he sold his much loved car, lived extremely frugally, took out a loan from the bank & devoted every waking minute to his studies whilst holding down a full-time job in the building industry. We had started going out during this time frame & when we married a few years later, he (we) had shed loads of debt. Whilst DH earns a good salary now, for various (outing) reasons, our disposable income is limited. We can’t bankroll our eldest DS’s flight training (& even if we could, would do so in a limited capacity) & so he too is working long hours, studying long distance & spending the majority of his wages on hours building in club planes just like DH did. It’s going to take him about 3 years & at the end of this he will have spent circa £100k, only to have a ‘frozen’ ATP licence & hope that airlines are willing to take on those without a type rating.... he’s 19. His friends are out partying, living a student lifestyle at uni but doing so with more funds than he has!

bernietaupinspen Yes I do expect engine failure to happen arpound the world how many a day can't say but thanks to the engineers who make them it is very small.

Has to be, consider a twin flying from Noo York to England midway over the Atlantic one goes out, lets pray that the other manages to keep going. Else someone is going the have to do the ditch thats orders better than Sully of the Hudson!

However anyone know the last time that happened just the one failing?..

Or across any large Ocean expanse?.

@Justaboy

I wasn't specifically talking about engine failure. Neither did I say at any point anything that could even be remotely contrived as being against the ground crew.

I seem to be constantly getting tagged and told how important the engineers are. I know that. I never said they were not.

Yabu. It’s not a race to the bottom and your anger should be directed at BA who took the union to court instead of trying to negotiate in good faith.

And to an up thread comment. Yes I do believe bus drivers should be paid more...

I'm not quite sure what point you're trying to make justaboy but I know of at least one incident of a twin engined jet, (not a uk airline) , that experienced one engine failure on an Atlantic crossing within the last 24 months.
It's scary, but it can and does happen.

jetlaggedmummy Simple really, its that Aircraft flying safety is down to a lot of people. Not just Pilots who I do have a lot of respect for after all i do fly mysef!

Just seen this on the news why ever do people do this tried to take of a civilian Airliner whilst under the influnce of booze.

Just why?, their carrers will be wrecked now its not as if it was just the one but both of them?.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-49222120

A united pilot was jailed a couple of years ago for the very same thing. Glasgow again.

My dh is a transatlantic pilot . It’s a highly skilled responsible job requiring years of study and training The market dictates their salary . They are in huge demand as there are not enough of them to meet worldwide vacancies so their salaries and perks are very substantial . My dh earns at least £200k per year not including bonuses . He could make about the same completely tax free if we were willing to relocate to the Middle East .
I’m a nurse so my salary is a pittance in comparison but that’s life unfortunately . If there’s not enough pilots then travel /trade /the economy will be affected .
A shortage of nurses only means longer waiting lists and poor health care . I say that tongue in cheek as it’s actually so sad that health comes bottom of the pile .

However OP : if you’re earning 18,000 per year then I’m assuming that you’re in a job that doesn’t require much training and responsibility so not sure why you would be comparing yourself to a pilot or other highly skilled and salaried jobs .

Do you think that they just put a uniform on , sit in the cockpit and press a button !!!