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EXCLUSIVE: the new British Airways cabin crew pay offer revealed – big cuts for legacy crew

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British Airways has just given cabin crew details of the new contract and pay package for staff at London Heathrow which they must accept if they wish to remain with the airline.

It is VERY grim reading for legacy Eurofleet and Worldwide crew members, many of whom will have to accept a substantial pay cut of up to 50% if they wish to remain.

the new British Airways cabin crew pay offer revealed

What is the new British Airways cabin crew package?

BA is promising an OTE package of £24,000 for standard crew.   This comprises basic pay, flight pay and other allowances.

There is the potential for extra income on top, such as commission from in-flight sales.  There is a contributory pension scheme and optional health and insurance benefits.

It is worth noting that the unions have often claimed that British Airways ‘OTE’ figures are more than the majority of crew receive.  For example, the £24,000 figure includes the allowance that crews receive to pay for food in hotels whilst travelling.

Initial feedback is that even existing Mixed Fleet crew will be taking a cut in overall pay and benefits on this new contract although the exact figures are not available.

The contract allow for 30 days of annual leave, but this includes public holidays.  The equivalent for an office worker would be 22 days holiday, given that there are eight public holidays each year.

For clarity, there will be no ‘zero hours’ contracts offered.

New British Airways cabin crew contract

What grades are available?

The new structure has only two grades.  A substantial number of existing senior crew members will be required to downgrade to the level of ‘basic’ crew if they wish to remain.

  • Manager – leading a team of up to 21 cabin crew members
  • Cabin crew – standard crew roles

Some short-haul flights will have no managers on board.

Managerial crew must be willing to take on standard cabin crew roles on certain flights if required.

Crew must agree to work in departure and turnaround roles inside Heathrow if required.

What aircraft will be flown?

All cabin crew will fly a mix of long-haul and short-haul services.  

This will force many existing legacy crew members to resign.  Eurofleet (Heathrow short-haul crew) are unlikely to want to move to spending large amounts of time away from home.  Worldwide (Heathrow long-haul crew) are often based outside London – some even live abroad – and commute to London for each of their 3-4 monthly flights.  This lifestyle is not possible if a short-haul requirement is added.

One upside of combining the fleets is that those who remain will be able to bid for flights across the entire network.  At the moment Heathrow crew are restricted to the routes allocated to their particular fleet, ie Mixed Fleet, Eurofleet or Worldwide.

All crew will be licenced on the A320 and Boeing 777/787 family, with an additional third type on top – either A380, A350 or Boeing 747.

Conclusion

In general, this is what we expected to see – and, for legacy Heathrow crew, it isn’t pretty.  I would expect the majority of Eurofleet and Worldwide crew, who by definition have at least 10 years of British Airways service, to refuse to accept the new contracts.  Most will find it financially or logistically impossible to continue.

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Comments (503)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • Chris says:
    16 May16 May 08:12

    one thing changing conditions for new recrutis, but all these recent years changes in people’s terms of employment/pensions mid-serice, sadly there is to much of this Victorian approach to workers in this day and age, we are sadly going backwards. Do not expect too much of a smile next time on a BA flight. The cutomers are the ones that see the effect – happy employee = happy customer, as the staff care, but if you want a transient employee base, that have no loyalty – this is the way to go

  • Derek Scott says:
    16 May16 May 08:56

    Just curious, through all this chat about BA crew income on Mixed Fleet. Is the proposal, or current reward structure significantly out of sync with other UK airlines?
    How does it compare to Virgin Atlantic? (Of course, I know VS has no short haul Ops), but would be interesting to understand their roster/basic pay/ allowance arrangements and how it fares against BA.

    (When I lived in the LHR catchment area in the late ‘90’s, VS Crew income was pretty poor in relation to others).. is it still the same?

    • Rob says:
      16 May16 May 09:19

      I would guess that Virgin is a slightly different proposition for crew – long-haul only and generally attractive destinations (lots of US and Caribbean). BA Mixed Fleet do a lot of Frankfurt, Islamabad etc and have messier rosters due to the short-haul / long-haul mix.

      • Nik says:
        16 May16 May 13:03

        For the record Rob, Islamabad has always been a WW route since launch.

    • Bob The Builder says:
      16 May16 May 09:32

      Derek ,
      I’m curious if this was happening to yourself and I will ask you the question are you paid market rate in your job in comparison to other company’s ? e.g

      You have worked for your company for 24 plus years and then have the same happen to yourself ? Have a think and let me no.

      Because I live in the LHR area and I thought you were overpaid for your job…but thought I would put it out there?

      • Derek Scott says:
        17 May17 May 08:26

        This isn’t about me, my role, or my industry. I worked for Thomas Cook Retail network in the early 00’s and have never worked for an airline. I don’t have a connection to any airline, I am simply asking about how MF reward package compares, for a bit of context, and as a BAEC member just interested in the wider comparisons rather than BA bashing.
        Respectfully, my employment circumstances are irrelevant to this thread. Thank you.

  • Bill says:
    16 May16 May 08:59

    If you have a good contract paying reasonably well good luck to you.
    Walsh once again is very opputunidtic at a perfect time for him to mangle a few more quid from the lowest tier staff.
    Is there nobody on the board, govenment or media going to raise an eyebrow at the least.
    With a reduced service he knows strike action will not have the effect it could normally do.

    • Bob The Builder says:
      16 May16 May 09:38

      Bill ,

      You have hit the nail on the head spot on!

      Most legacy crew have a minimum of 22 years service of which salary is built up like in lots of company’s loyal employees that are being imposed with new pay new T&Cs it’s immorally unjustly.

      All the best too you Bill 🙏

  • Douglas Soper says:
    16 May16 May 09:05

    Will the wage cuts lead to a massive increase in tipping cabin staff for good service?

    • Callum says:
      16 May16 May 09:08

      No.

    • Bob The Builder says:
      16 May16 May 09:42

      Douglas ,

      You must stay out of the strip clubs buddy , tip the cabin crew? Or from your dictionary cabin staff? Really? stick to tap water!

  • Anna says:
    16 May16 May 09:15

    It’s years since I saw anyone seriously trying to sell duty free on a BA flight (I don’t think they even bring the trolley round most of the time). On my last EasyJet flight (who I hadn’t flown with for a few years), the crew made sure they asked every passenger if they wanted anything.

    • Anon says:
      16 May16 May 09:48

      Hi, I believe that some of the Gatwick aircraft have been densified so there is no room in the galleys for duty free trollies let alone for the crew to make extra commission on board.

      • Rob says:
        16 May16 May 10:02

        There is no duty free on the new short-haul neo aircraft due to no space for the trolley, correct.

        • BrightonReader says:
          16 May16 May 10:36

          Hard to earn commission if BA don’t give you anything to sell whether thay be duty free or BOB where the trolleys are often under stocked with itemst that people do want to buy!

    • CHARLES says:
      16 May16 May 10:17

      So you would expect crew on a A380 to individually ask each passenger if they wanted over priced duty goods ?

  • Nick G says:
    16 May16 May 09:17

    So let me get this right. Old world fleet crew were on upto £48k, some live abroad, and flew 3-4 times a month?

    Let’s compare to a public sector employee like a police officer. Police start on £21k. Once at the top of the scale it’s currently only £40k ish.

    I don’t need to point out the obvious, or mention the many other public sector jobs on equal pay.

    Someone I know works for virgin on long haul and lives in France. Her Facebook pictures (were) a lifestyle I could only imagine. I don’t agree some of what BA does or what it’s doing in the future but I think some of those legacy crews have it had it beyond good for many years

    • ChrisBCN says:
      16 May16 May 09:25

      Sounds like you want to live in France – do it whilst you still can!

    • Andy S says:
      16 May16 May 09:40

      So your friend chooses to live in France for her own personal reasons, then has to make her way to which ever UK airport she flies from hours before her flight. Then does her trip, more often than not at least one sector being overnight, serving a mix of lovely to very demanding passengers, then has to make her way back to France at her own expense feeling completely jet lagged herself. Cabin crew don’t get used to the hours as people think. Any doubts look up “circadian rhythm” If you still think its a life style you can only image, do it yourself instead of bleating.

      To compare employees of a FTSE 100 company and public sector in pointless and futile.

      Nobody, even self righteous people, would be happy what ever job they do if years into that job, their employer rips up their contract overnight. Offering a different contract to new employees is a totally different matter and one that the new employee must decide on themselves

    • ChrisBCN says:
      16 May16 May 09:40

      You should also look at the rental costs of that location in France vs within an hour on public transport from Heathrow. I’d wager your virgin friend is saving hundreds each month, for that she has a longer commute to work but can afford somewhere decent to live, hence your jealousy of her lifestyle. If you can save money and live somewhere nicer, why wouldn’t you? This seems to have nothing to do with how much they may or may not be paid, as neither of us know that.

    • Bob The Builder says:
      16 May16 May 09:51

      Nick G ,

      Let’s clarify if you were a legacy crew member and flew 3-4 times a month you would not earn £42k I’m legacy crew and I can tell you you would not earn £20k so where that’s came about is not factual.

      We all started on very low pay and remember we all had to retire by the age of 55 at one point and pension we were once final salary scheme of which we the company had to close as to cost ( not our salary’s but pilot salary’s )
      Talking of pilots long haul legacy captain 200k plus new entrants on the £40k plus the cost of COL to be paid back IS THAT FAIR because a policeman or woman starts on £20k ? I started on £9500k is that a good salary ? Market rate ?

      • BrianDT says:
        16 May16 May 10:20

        So, you’re legacy and if I read correct, you only get around £20k ?.. Porky Pies from a lot of people on here then…perhaps you should ask for a pay rise or ask to move to mixed fleet.

  • Tony says:
    16 May16 May 09:18

    “There is the potential for extra income on top, such as commission from in-flight sales”. If that means Highlife Shop sales then potential commission income will be close to zero on short-haul as the densified older aircraft and the neos have little or no space for on-board sales stock.

    • marcw says:
      16 May16 May 09:23

      + BoB commissions.

      • Bob The Builder says:
        16 May16 May 09:55

        BOB commissions

        On a AMS double that’s this
        LHR-AMS-LHR
        LHR-AMS-LHR

        Total commission 66p

    • BrightonReader says:
      16 May16 May 10:41

      hard to earn commission if BA gives you nothing to sell.

      They often woefully understock the BoB trolley. Hard to earn commission if you are offering stuff no one wants to buy.

      Ditto no duty free on short haul.

  • Nick_C says:
    16 May16 May 09:26

    I genuinely feel sorry for the legacy crew who are effectively being forced out of their jobs. And for the millions of other people who are going to lose their jobs in the great depression that we are now entering.

    But £24k a year for a part time (50%) job is not bad, and compares well with University Lecturers (who don’t get to travel, don’t get a three hour lie down during a shift, and don’t spend most of the day chatting to colleagues).

    Cabin crew do an important job and they are there for our safety. And on short haul flights they do work hard. Long haul looks like an easy job though. Feed everyone ASAP, then hide in the galley for 7 hours.

    BA legacy crew T&Cs are based on the days when air fares were far more expensive than they are today. They are no longer sustainable.

    • Bob The Builder says:
      16 May16 May 11:25

      Nick
      Where’s 24k a year for a 50% job come from its a full time job can you clarify please?
      There so many experts on here telling me what how when my earnings , how many
      hours I work etc!

      • Nick_C says:
        16 May16 May 11:51

        Rob is saying max permitted hours for cabin crew is 900 a year.

        A full time job, 40 hours a week, 45 weeks of the year is 1800 hours.

        • Matt says:
          16 May16 May 12:45

          This is severely misleading.

          The 900 hour legal limit refers to flying hours only (from pushback to parking at destination). The actual working hours could easily be double that amount.

          For example, a Manchester double (LHR-MAN-LHR, LHR-MAN-LHR) is a typical shorthaul day for Mixed Fleet but only accrues 4 hours towards the 900 annual limit – despite being 9/10/11 hours at work, depending on turnaround timings.

          It is a full time job with minimal days off.

        • Rob says:
          16 May16 May 13:14

          Flying hours, not working hours.

    • PrinterElf says:
      16 May16 May 12:52

      That’s 900 hours airborne.
      So the 60-90 mins at LHR before the 45 min flight to AMS, plus the turnaround, plus afterwards at LHR again are all working hours, just not counted as part of the 900.

      Plus it’s hardly “throw food out and spend 7hrs in the galley” on a long haul. There *might* be 7hrs between services if you’re on a 12hr flight, but that’s hardly the norm.
      Take off, drinks round, prep the first food service, second drinks round, first food service, clear in, grab your own meal, break, prep the second food service, second food service, clear in, secure cabin for landing.
      From the time the cabin lights go down, to when they come back up again, take an hour off, halve the remainder, and that might be what you get to “hide” for, assuming no medical problems, IFE problems, passengers wanting extra food/drink/blankets, screaming kids, screaming parents, etc…

      £13k basic, plus maybe £3/hr flight pay, and then a breakfast allowance (which are the numbers BA are optimistically rolling up to try to get £24k) isn’t good pay for the job. I’m not saying £48k is justified, but when £24k is a theoretical maximum, it takes the biscuit a little.

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